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RAMSGATE LIBRARY & FORL, 

A POTTED HISTORY

The first Public Library in Ramsgate was opened in 1895 and was first housed in Cavendish Street, which was subsequently converted and enlarged into one of the finest headquarters for police work, ambulance station etc. The Library was started by a gift of books from the late Mr Passmore Edwards.

In 1904 it was removed to the handsome new building in Guildford Lawn, right in the centre of the town. Its new home was erected by the generosity of Mr Andrew Carnegie, who placed the necessary money at the disposal of the Committee which was appointed annually by the Corporation.

Andrew Carnegie, born in Dunfermline, Scotland, later moved to the USA where he started his working life as a weaver’s assistant in a cotton factory, later investing in oil and land which became the nucleus of his fortune.

He retired in 1901 when he gave libraries to many towns in the USA and Great Britain, his first, on July 27th 1881, was to the town of his birth, Dunfermline.

In all Carnegie built 2,811 free libraries, 660 of these in Great Britain and Ireland.

When Ramsgate Library opened on the 13th October 1904, you were able to visit the large reading room, in which all the leading daily, country, local and weekly newspapers could be seen. There was also a Magazine Room, where most of the scientific, religious and topical monthlies were available on tables.

A great feature of the Lending Library was its open access, and after only two years of service, the issue of books had more than doubled and the department for children was also making great strides. It was found that youngsters were most anxious to join the senior department as soon as they had reached the required age.

Fire destroyed our library on Friday 13th August 2004, just two months short of its 100th anniversary.

 Apart from the loss of the books, computers and other facilities offered by the library, the museum was also destroyed. This housed many historical artefacts of our town's history, which included the town seal, paintings of local notables and also the Baronial robes worn by a previous Mayor.

At a packed meeting held on the 25th August 2004 in St Georges Church, Ramsgate it was announced by the Town Mayor, Cllr Steve Ward that a group was to be formed by local residents to spearhead the rebuilding of the library on its present site, this was the start of The Friends of Ramsgate Library.