Memories of Carnforth Library flooding back as it celebrates its 90th anniversary

And one of the important legacies of the heritage project – a libraries and reading memory box – will be on display at the free event on July 18 before being used with older people and those living with dementia.

As well as featuring the project volunteers’ own memories of libraries, the box, produced by the voluntary team and a Lancaster University intern, also includes old newspapers, classic children’s books in their original dust covers, an old fashioned library date stamp, old photographs of Lancashire libraries, copies of old library signs and index cards and even a wallet of old coins to pay your library fines.

The box will be donated to Lancashire County Library Service to loan out to community groups.

For the Open Day, Lancashire Archives has also loaned Carnforth Library-related items including an early borrower’s card, Carnforth’s logbook from World War Two, Lancashire Library Service leaflets spanning the 1930s-90s which would have been displayed at Carnforth, and an original copy of a book written by Carnforth’s first head librarian, Jessie Carnell.

As well as being among the county council’s first generation of purpose-built public libraries, Carnforth also helped to pioneer female librarians and Jessie went on to set up a library scheme in New Zealand.

An exhibition tracing the library’s 90-year history will form part of the event and feature some of the people and events associated with it through the decades.

One of those people was Mr R T Barnard, the headmaster of North Road Council School – now Carnforth Community Primary – in the Thirties.

He volunteered to staff a library ‘centre’ at the school which became so popular that it led to Carnforth Library opening in 1936.

Present day pupils at the school have been involved with the heritage project and created an artwork which will be on display during the Open Day which runs from 10am-noon.

“It has been very fitting to work with children at the very school where the County Library in Carnforth actually began,” said Alison Lloyd-Williams, project co-ordinator.

Among the family friendly activities available at the Open Day will be interactive displays about books and reading for adults and children and an opportunity to make bookmarks.

The Open Day is the major celebratory event of the project, entitled Carnforth Library: 1936-2026 and Beyond, which is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

It has been delivered by Global Link Lancaster.

Running since spring 2025, other activities have included talks about the first two female librarians at Carnforth during Women’s History Month, and the evolution of public libraries over the past century as part of a study day hosted by the Regional Heritage Centre at Lancaster University.

Volunteers have also produced a booklet documenting the library’s heritage which will be launched at the Open Day and be available in all local libraries afterwards.

Carnforth Library will host behind the scenes tours during Heritage Open Days in September too and as a lasting reminder of the building’s historic importance, the project team and Friends of Carnforth Library have fundraised for a plaque to be placed there.