UK's Oldest Public Library Saved from Collapsing Under the Weight of History
The future of the oldest surviving public library in Britain, once frequented by Karl Marx, has been secured thanks to a £97,000 grant from English Heritage.
Chetham’s Library, Manchester, where Marx researched his famous work Das Kapital, was founded in 1653 in a 15th century building. Its distinguished collection of 150,000 rare, early books has given the library an international reputation - but time has taken its toll on the 14 medieval beams that support the library. Rotten, water-damaged beams have started to sag under the weight of tens of tonnes of books and urgent work is needed to save the building.
Henry Owen-John, English Heritage Director for the North West, said: "English Heritage is delighted to be able to help come to the rescue of this fascinating and immensely important building. Over the years, water seeping into the masonry has caused an enormous unseen problem that needs urgent action. It will be a delicate operation to fix it but we’re glad to be on hand to give expert conservation advice."
Each beam will be carefully strengthened with a steel plate after first removing a section of timber. Once the plates are in place the timber sections will then be re-attached to the beams to restore their original appearance. Replacement of eroded masonry and new pointing in the courtyard outside will prevent the same problem occurring again.
The English Heritage grant covers 80% of the cost, which will be met by the building owners. A further £14,000 from English Heritage will part-fund a conservation plan for the whole complex of historic buildings around the library, some of which are listed Grade I and Grade II.
Dr Michael Powell, Chief Librarian at Chetham’s library, said: "Chetham’s Library is one of Manchester’s gems, with a magnificent interior that creates a unique atmosphere for readers and visitors."
"We are extremely grateful that English Heritage has stepped in to enable us to strengthen the library’s foundations and make sure that the collections are enjoyed for many generations to come."
Karl Marx visited Chetham’s Library during 1846 on the invitation of his friend Frederick Engels. In the bay of the library’s reading room they carried out the research for Das Kapital, a critical analysis of capitalism, and forged a scholarly partnership that later created such influential works as The Communist Manifesto.
The library is currently housed within Chetham’s School of Music – affectionately known as Chet's – a specialist, independent centre at the forefront of music education in the UK and overseas.
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