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190
CARNEGIE CENTRAL LIBRARY.
THE OPENING CEREMONY.
The formal opening of the new Library Building took place on
the 24th Tuly, 1905, the ceremony being performed by His Grace
the Duke of Argyll, K.T.
The Mayor (Alderman Levy, J.P.) presided, and was supported
by Alderman Acton Phillips (Chairman of the Libraries Committee),
Councillor Hodgson (Vice-Chairman), the Members of the Libraries
Committee and the Borough Councillors; Rev. J. Parry (Vicar of
Hammersmith); Archdeacon Kaye (Lincoln); the Chief Rabbi
(Dr. Adler); Mr. H. T. Hare (the Architect); the Town Clerk
(Mr. H. Thompson), the Chief Librarian (Mr. S. Martin), and a
representative company of residents in the Borough.
The proceedings opened with prayer by the Vicar.
Alderman Acton Phillips, the Chairman of the Committee,
then made an introductory statement. It was gratifying to that
large assembly, he said, to welcome His Grace the Duke of Argyll
on his visit to open the new library. For the information of those
unacquainted with the work carried out since the adoption of the
Public Libraries Act in 1887, the Alderman gave an account of the
libraries of the district since Lord Avebury, then Sir John Lubbock,
opened the first public library in Ravenscourt Park. The Committee,
he continued, had been considerably assisted in the work of
beautifying the library by several gentlemen whose gifts are duly
acknowledged in the short account of the building. In giving some
statistics of the work of the libraries, the Alderman stated that
1,177,822 volumes had been issued from Ravenscourt Park,
954,760 from Shepherd's Bush since 1896, and since 1899 from
College Park 15,991 volumes, making a grand total of 2,848,563
volumes. The number of visitors to the reading rooms averaged
2,000 per day, and the number of volumes available when the
library was opened would be 34,500. The Reference Library at
Ravenscourt Park would be removed, and with the additions made,
6,000 volumes would be at the public service. It would be seen that
the libraries had been a great success; and being situated in the
most thickly-populated district of the borough, it was anticipated
the Carnegie Library would be the means of augmenting the
educational work of the schools.
The Mayor formally welcomed His Grace. He said on behalf
of the Aldermen and Councillors of Hammersmith, and he was
sure he might say on behalf of the inhabitants generally, he had to