Nottingham Central Library
Nottingham Central Library is the main public lending library in Nottingham, England. History. The first Nottingham Public Lending Library opened on 13 April 1868. It was opened by Mayor John Barber. It contained almost 10,000 books, 400 members signed up on the first day and 70,512 books were issued in the first year. It started life on Thurland Street in premises formerly used by Artizans’ Library. The Artizans’ library had been founded in 1824. The building on Thurland Street later became the Nottingham Corn Exchange. The Thurland Street premises eventually proved to be inadequate and a new  building was erected on Sherwood Street in 1879 adjoining University College. In 1932 this was extended when a new reading hall was added, and a gymnasium was provided for staff (a feature unique in libraries in the country). The architect for the extension and improvements was Thomas Wallis Gordon. In 1964, there was some controversy when the Chief Librarian, F.C. Tighe, withdrew Enid Blyton’s “The Adventures of Noddy’’ and nearly all her other works because he felt they did not use a sufficiently wide vocabulary. In 1977 the library moved again to a property on Angel Row. This building  had originally been built between 1898 and 1899 by the architect Harry Gill as a shop and warehouse for Henry Barker. It was converted by Michael Tempest and Colin McIntosh of the Nottinghamshire County Architect's Department for use as a library. By the late 2010s was again found inadequate and Nottingham City Council planned a £10m relocation as part of the redevelopment of the Broadmarsh Shopping Centre.