London's first public library: the libraries of the united parishes of St Margaret and St John the Evangelist, Westminster 1856-1900

摘要

The year 2000 saw the 150th commemoration of the Public Library Act, 1850. However this Act had no impact on establishing London public libraries, as the powers of adoption were restricted to town councils and London government was by Parishes and Districts. This was a curious oversight and it was not rectified until the Public Library Act 1855. So this year we should be celebrating this Act in London - but not the impact which the Act made: for the following 24 years there was only one London public library service established under the Act, that of the united parishes. The parishes of St Margaret and St John the Evangelist, Westminster were combined by Act of Parliament in 1752 to perform the functions of overseers of the poor, cleaning and repairing the streets. There was a detached part of the parishes comprising Knightsbridge.