Post-war Aspirations

At the end of the War the library service was operating under Clause V111 of the historically-momentous 1944 Education Act, which invested in the Education Committee of each local authority powers to exercise all functions of the Public Libraries Acts of 1892 and 1919. These powers were to continue for a further 20 years. In November, 1945 there were 12 permanent staff (3 still in H.M. Forces), with 10 other full-time and 4 part-time staff. East Cowes Branch was opened by Sir Godfrey Baring in a room of the Town Hall on April 29th, 1946. By the end of his first year in office the new County Librarian - who had taken over again on July 22nd, 1946 - was in charge of a stock of 92,469 books, 7 branch libraries, 42 village centres, and book issues of 649,866 annually.

During that year a certain Brian Walker won £10 for his design for a new book plate; Caversham House, Ryde was used as a book store for the Brett Collection; all persons other than Sandown/Shanklin residents whose names appeared on the electoral roll could join the library without a guarantee (formerly it was only ratepayers); and Carol Smith, a library assistant had the distinction of being the first full-time library school student from the Island.

There was a foretaste of the permissive society in March, 1947, when the Sub-Committee recommended not to withdraw Kathleen Winsor's "Forever Amber," despite complaints that it was immoral. In any case, it was reported, the title was out of print, and existing copies would not be replaced because of the "very high sums" asked for it second-hand.

The last years of the decade were not marked by an over-generous allocation of resources to libraries. At this time the library committee was one of seven sub-committees of the Education Committee, and the library's budget of just £14,530 for the year 1948/49 reflected its low status. In this year £4,250 was spent on books, and £5,915 on staff salaries. Nevertheless, there were achievements.

A small reference library was provided at Newport; in February, 1949 a branch staffed by volunteers was set up in St. Helens; the still-functioning British Restaurant in Cowes Library was asked soon to vacate so that the building could revert wholly to a library; and the first bye-laws (under Section 3 of the Public Libraries Act, 1901) were adopted in July, 1948. In 1949 there was a trial exchange of £8 worth of books per month between the Island and Long Island, New York. On 1st April, 1949 delivery was taken of the first travelling library van. It is worth recording that the first travelling librarian, Edward Satherley is the librarian operating today's 1980 mobile library service - 31 years on. Several of those original readers are still using the service, and to this day often refer to him as 'Mr. Seely.' Edward Satherley was awarded the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal in 1977.

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