Derby Central Library

Derby Central Library was the main public and reference library in Derby from 1879 until 2018. It shared a red-brick building in the Domestic Flemish Gothic style with Derby Museum and Art Gallery. The building was designed by Richard Knill Freeman and donated to the town by Michael Thomas Bass. Before this, Derby had circulating libraries run by booksellers with subscription fees. A permanent library opened in Queen Street in 1811, charging four guineas for a share and a guinea a year. The library grew when it incorporated the 4,000-volume collection of the Derby Philosophical Society in 1858. Alexander Croall became the first librarian and curator in 1863. The 7th Duke of Devonshire donated his Derbyshire book and paper collection in 1878, prompting the creation of a free library service. The opening ceremony in 1879 included a procession, luncheon at the Midland Hotel, and a speech by Bass at the Town Hall. Inside, the library held over 20,000 lending volumes and 11,000 reference works by 1898. A 1914 extension housed the Bemrose Library, funded by public donations and once owned by Sir Henry Howe Bemrose. A quiet room was named after Alfred Goodey, who supported the additional building. The original 19th-century structure still stands, though the library closed in 2018 after 139 years of service.