Dover Public Library, 1934 – 1945: William Munford as First Librarian

Abstract

THE FOUNDATION OF A MUNICIPAL LIBRARY in Dover was not considered until 1911. Andrew Carnegie had made an offer of £10,000 town, and Town Council had requested Market and Museum Committee to ascertain if a site suitable for erection of a Public can be obtained with a view further consideration of Mr. Carnegie's· offer. This Committee, latterly known as Public -Committee, had Public proposal in consideration until at least end of 1912. The grant which Mr. Carnegie was willing make was never accepted, although there is no evidence that it was actually refused. The so-called Public Committee seems have disintegrated quietly. Perhaps matter was still being mulled over when Great War was declared in 1914 putting an end any expansionist ideas. There must surely have been some support for acceptance of Carnegie's munificent gesture, and a contemporary writer confirms this feeling: There has been a long agitation in Dover in favour of establishment of a Public Library, and although it has be recorded that Dover of today does not possess such a centre of enlightenment, public opinion appears be growing in favour of spending public money in a moderate way, not only for mental recreation but for liberally furnishing minds of citizens with information on public affairs enable them rightly exercise duties of Citizenship.2 Such an institution might have found favour with ladies who poured into Biggin Street the morning Mecca of housewives from residential districts complete their marketing before luncheon in accordance with Dover's social code. Facing up stringencies of life in war-time Dover these same ladies were no doubt contemplating cancellation of their Library and Zenana Society subscriptions (the least inconvenient economies must be chosen). To patronise a public library, like afternoon shopping, may have been to risk loss of all pretensions modishness.,,3 In event there was no risk. It was 1931 before Dover received a proposal from Kent County Sub-Committee to establish a regional centre at Dover in connection with County Scheme. Thus Dover Town Council discovered that library rate, County Council, had been '''improperly charged on Borough