New chapter as building becomes heritage library
AN ICONIC city library is ready to start a new chapter in its century-long history – as the next home of Cardiff’s local studies collection.
Cathays Library, which has served the city since the early 1900s, yesterday shut its doors for three weeks to allow the change to happen.
The Grade II-listed building on Fairoak Road will become a new centre for the city’s collection of local literature, historical maps and newspapers.
The collection is being relocated from its current temporary home at the library service’s storage facility on Dominions Way, off Newport Road.
It will be used to create a library heritage centre with improved facilities and better access for the public.
The existing layout of Cathays Library will be changed to accommodate the collection of original, historical documents on specialist compact shelving.
There will also be new technology available including digital viewing equipment and a state-of-the-art digital scanner which will be used on an ongoing basis to archive the collection.
Peter Bradbury, Cardiff council’s cabinet member for community development, said: “We carried out public consultation on finding a new home for our local studies collection last year and there was support for a move to Cathays Library.
“Dominions Way offered limited access to the collection, so relocating to Cathays and to this landmark building provides us with a sustainable solution for both the collection and the branch library and means many more people will be able to use the service.
“I look forward to visiting the new Cathays Heritage Library when it opens and thank customers for their patience while this exciting development takes place.”
With its herringbone wood-block floors, leaded windows and imposing sandstone facade, the Carnegie library is one of Cardiff’s architectural treasures and has already benefited from a £1m restoration over the past decade.
It was originally built with funds from self-made Scots-American steel magnateturned-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie.
Cathays was one of more than 2,500 libraries the industrialist founded in the United States, Britain, Canada and other countries between 1880 and 1929 using some of the proceeds of the US steel empire he sold to JP Morgan.
In 2010 historic features – such as its original domed skylight – were combined with the modern facilities of a 21st-century library in the seven-figure refurbishment part-funded by the Assembly Government.
The library will be closed until April 10 in order to offer local studies services and specialised heritage activities alongside the current branch library facilities.
The local studies collection will be unavailable for one week at the beginning of April while the resources are relocated from Dominions Way to their new home.
While Cathays Library is closed, library users can access library provision at Penylan Library, Rhydypennau Library or Central Library Hub in the city centre.