Lancaster charity grant helps celebrate heritage of Carnforth Library

The 18-month project will involve collaborating with Lancashire County Council’s Cultural Services team and historians from Lancaster University, training and supporting local research volunteers to uncover the history of the library and its role in the Carnforth community since opening in 1936.

Project activities, events and outputs will engage a wide cross-section of the Carnforth community including older people, children, families, and recently settled refugees and asylum seekers.

Project co-ordinator Alison Lloyd Williams said: “We are delighted to be able to work with Carnforth Library and the local Carnforth community on this exciting new project.

"Volunteers will conduct archive research into how and why the library came to be built, the people who have used and worked at the library over the years and the different activities that have taken place there, setting these developments in the context of wider local, national and international history.”

Janet Doherty, operational libraries manager at Lancashire County Council, said: “The history of Carnforth’s expansion into a busy working town in the late 19th century coincided with a growing interest in the importance of public education and free libraries, but to date there has been little research into the heritage of Carnforth Library and its significance in the lives of local people.

"We're excited to see how the history we uncover will ensure the library remains a focal point of the community in the future.”

If you are interested in volunteering for this project please email [email protected].