Public Libraries in the UK – History and Values

Public libraries have existed for a comparatively short space of time in terms of human history. In the twenty-first century it is difficult to conceive of any large community in the developed world that does not have at least one public library; yet this was the case for the majority of the citizens of Victorian Britain. The network that currently exists in the UK owes its existence to a number of individuals who either led the way by altruistic provision of a library for their local community, or through their campaigning for a national network through parliament. As Black suggests, “Proposals for a truly free library service did not appear overnight: they emerged on the back of a healthy tradition of independent library provision made by a diverse range of social, political and educational institutions” (Black, 1996: p.26).