The users and uses of public libraries at the outbreak of the First World War

Abstract

This article is complementary to an earlier one published in this journal (Vol. 9, No. 2, April 1977) which was concerned with the finances and resources of public libraries in England and Wales at the outbreak of the First World War. It was shown that in 1914 38 per cent of the people of England and 54 per cent of those in Wales had no public library facilities at all. There can be no doubt that the rate which was levied for public libraries was inadequate, so that it was not possible to make a reasonable level of provision in most areas where the Public Libraries Act was operative. The present article sets out to identify the users of libraries and the uses to which resources were put in 1914, the last year of an era of relative stability which had existed for half a century or more.