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Christchurch City Libraries
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Christchurch City Libraries
Christchurch City Libraries is a network of 21 libraries and a mobile library, operated by the Christchurch City Council. Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake the previous Christchurch Central Library building was demolished, and was replaced by a new central library building in Cathedral Square, Tūranga, which opened in 2018. A number of community libraries were also rebuilt post earthquake.
The library began as the Mechanics' Institute in 1859, when 100 subscribers leased temporary premises in the then Town Hall. The collection consisted of a few hundred books.
By 1863, with the help of a grant from the Provincial Government, the Mechanics' Institute opened a building on a half-acre of freehold land on the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Hereford Street, purchased the year before at a cost of £262.10.0. This site was to remain the home of the library until 1982.
Debt, dwindling subscribers and other problems forced the institute to hand over the building to the Provincial Government in 1873. By this time the collection numbered some 5,000 volumes, and was placed by the Province under the control of the new Canterbury College (later University). With the abolition of the provinces in 1876, the library became the property of the college, ratified by an Act of Parliament in 1878.
Canterbury College controlled the library for over 70 years. Despite continual financial problems the bookstock and service continued to develop during most of the time.
Francis Stedman was the first official librarian (1876–1891), although he divided his time between the library and the college, where he was also registrar. By 1881 Stedman had increased the bookstock to 15,000 volumes. By 1898 when Alexander Cracroft Wilson (son of John Cracroft Wilson) was librarian (1891–1906) the stock had increased to nearly 30,000. Ten years later, under Howard Strong (1906–1913), the stock numbered over 40,000 volumes.
This dramatic growth was partly due to the gift of James Gammack, who donated the income and rents from some 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) of land to the library in his will in 1896. This enabled the college to demolish the original wooden Mechanics' Institute building in 1901 and replace it with a permanent material structure.
Truly modern library service began under the librarianship of E. J. Bell (1913–1951). Bell classified the entire collection under the new Dewey Decimal system (still in use) by 1914, and opened a children's section that same year.
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Christchurch City Libraries
Christchurch City Libraries is a network of 21 libraries and a mobile library, operated by the Christchurch City Council. Following the 2011 Christchurch earthquake the previous Christchurch Central Library building was demolished, and was replaced by a new central library building in Cathedral Square, Tūranga, which opened in 2018. A number of community libraries were also rebuilt post earthquake.
The library began as the Mechanics' Institute in 1859, when 100 subscribers leased temporary premises in the then Town Hall. The collection consisted of a few hundred books.
By 1863, with the help of a grant from the Provincial Government, the Mechanics' Institute opened a building on a half-acre of freehold land on the corner of Cambridge Terrace and Hereford Street, purchased the year before at a cost of £262.10.0. This site was to remain the home of the library until 1982.
Debt, dwindling subscribers and other problems forced the institute to hand over the building to the Provincial Government in 1873. By this time the collection numbered some 5,000 volumes, and was placed by the Province under the control of the new Canterbury College (later University). With the abolition of the provinces in 1876, the library became the property of the college, ratified by an Act of Parliament in 1878.
Canterbury College controlled the library for over 70 years. Despite continual financial problems the bookstock and service continued to develop during most of the time.
Francis Stedman was the first official librarian (1876–1891), although he divided his time between the library and the college, where he was also registrar. By 1881 Stedman had increased the bookstock to 15,000 volumes. By 1898 when Alexander Cracroft Wilson (son of John Cracroft Wilson) was librarian (1891–1906) the stock had increased to nearly 30,000. Ten years later, under Howard Strong (1906–1913), the stock numbered over 40,000 volumes.
This dramatic growth was partly due to the gift of James Gammack, who donated the income and rents from some 1,600 acres (6.5 km2) of land to the library in his will in 1896. This enabled the college to demolish the original wooden Mechanics' Institute building in 1901 and replace it with a permanent material structure.
Truly modern library service began under the librarianship of E. J. Bell (1913–1951). Bell classified the entire collection under the new Dewey Decimal system (still in use) by 1914, and opened a children's section that same year.
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