1970 to Local Government Reorganisation
Almost the first priority of the new County Librarian, Leonard Mitchell, appointed in April, 1970 was to formulate a five-year programme. This included provision for a new central library in Newport, the establishment of part-time libraries, the improvement of bookstock, a new look at staffing, and renovation of buildings. A closer examination of the proposed central library premises in High Street, Newport showed them to be less appropriate than at first believed, and a more accommodating site adjacent to Church Litten, with a purpose-built library of 10,000 square feet, was assigned. This project was to be first in priority on a succession of annual capital budgets throughout the 1970's; and although the site was acquired in 1973, the building itself was not destined to start until 1979. Other strands of the programme had more immediate success. In the first few years the bookfund was increased dramatically (from £42,289 in 1972/3 to £111,053 in 1977/78), a replacement mobile library was bought in November, 1972, and qualified librarians were appointed to take charge of children's work, reference libraries, and the editing of stock. Standards on staffing levels were under regular scrutiny following a Library Association survey of February, 1971, and Freshwater Library was the subject soon afterwards of a detailed O. and M. report. Michael Howley, appointed as Deputy in succession to Muriel Mullins in October, 1970 found increasing involvement in matching volume against performance in order to argue the need for additional staff, particularly the specialists taken for granted by larger mainland authorities. Staff training assumed a more important significance.
In April, 1972 the committee was re-designated the Library, Arts and Records Committee, its first Chairman being Stephen Ross, later to become Liberal M.P. for the Island. The Committee began to discuss museum provision (together with closer co-operation with Carisbrooke Castle Museum), and 'Arts' were for the first time given some prominence as agenda items.
In February, 1973 there was a further useful organisation and methods survey of the service, and in September of the same year the County Librarian spelt out areas of priority to improve the schools library service, including a schools mobile library, central stock purchasing, and integration and interchange of stock. October, 1973 saw the move of County Library Headquarters to a former industrial training building opposite Albany Prison, thus releasing much-needed space at Newport Library.
A 24-day amnesty on overdue books in December, 1970 recovered disappointingly few volumes, while late-night opening under the slogan 'Friday Night is Library Night' didn't really catch on, even though most of the urban areas had late-night shopping by that time. Notification fees for reserved books was raised to 3p in December, 1971. Calibrated rules for measuring instead of counting book issues was begun in May, 1972, and so was the colour-coding of fiction. Ryde Library was flooded due to faulty fire hose in September, 1972, but the damage was not permanent.
The art displays in Ryde Gallery began to be regular events, and an arrangement of receiving picture donations instead of fees from artists was first started. The other regular displays were in library lending areas, where book displays illustrating some topical event (an ongoing activity in all libraries) seemed to proliferate, with titles such as 'Man and His World,' 'Dairyman's Daughter,' 'Olympic Games,' 'Corn Dollies,' 'Old Newport,' 'Tall Ships,' and 'The Old-Fashioned Girl.'
Overshadowing all during the first three years of the '70's were the central government's proposals for dramatic local government reform. The subject has been treated exhaustively elsewhere, and it is sufficient here merely to summarise the events as they affected the Island, starting with grave misgivings about the initial proposal to include the Island as a District of the new Hampshire County. Not surprisingly, the Island's Members and Officers actively and successfully petitioned for autonomy, and independence as an administrative county was eventually assured. The existing structure of the Council's committee was revised, and libraries became a division of a Cultural and Amenities (later Amenities and Cultural Services) Committee.
Leonard Mitchell was appointed Director of Cultural Services, with contractual terms of reference for responsibilities in the areas of archives, libraries, museums and archaeology. Sandown and Shanklin libraries became part of the 'new' county, and at the same time Michael Howley was re-designated as Libraries Officer. Thus, with each public library in the country being under control of a Shire or Metropolitan County Council, a new library era began.
Library premises did well, despite other economies. The conversion of a Maritime Museum from a book store in Cowes Library had taken place the previous April (1975), and was soon to receive a distinguished royal exhibit - the Duke of Edinburgh's boat 'Coweslip' - on semi-permanent loan. In March, 1976 the headquarters site at Parkhurst was confirmed and recognised as the basic operational centre for cultural services; and in May, Niton Library opened in a converted former telephone exchange.
Exhibitions also flourished that year. "200 Years of Dad's Army" was opened in August by Sir John Nicholson at Northwood House, Cowes; and there was an inaugral exhibition - of children's art - at the small gallery recently added to Freshwater Library. Funds from an exhibition by Wroxall artists at Ventnor Library went towards the new Wroxall Community Centre; and "50 Years of Winnie the Pooh" was to be seen at Ryde. The library continued to win annual certificates of merit at the Ventnor Horticultural Show.
In the face of continuing financial constraints upon the County Council it is surprising that so much was done. A council budget shortfall towards the end of 1976 called for a financial sacrifice from each service. The Amenities and Leisure Services Committee rejected the suggested Monday closing of libraries, and adjustment were made instead to the transport and maintenance budgets. Fortunately the economies had not affected buying the new mobile library for Housebound readers (although the planned tail-lift was omitted to save £600) and it was in service by January, 1977.
In May of that year the first triennial report 68 covering 1974/1977 was presented by the Libraries Officer to the committee. The years following were ones of progress and some innovation. There were to be discussions about selling discarded library books, resulting in four public sales up to the end of 1979 together disposing of 7,977 unwanted volumes, and making £797.80.
In 1979, the library's 75th Anniversary Year was commemorated by an anniversary dinner for staff, 70 a special postage frank, blue anniversary badges, a reader's guide, and a full-page Isle of Wight County Press article .In the summer of the same year, as central Government again called for massive cuts in local authority expenditure, 72 the Amenities and Leisure Services Committee reluctantly closed libraries on Saturday afternoons, and abandoned the employment of school student helpers."
Vociferous protests from readers and staff alike caused the decision later to be revoked, although other economy measures such as increased fines and book reservation charges remained."Anniversary Year" also saw the move to new premises at Bembridge, adapted from a former primary school; and the Chairman, Arthur Wadsworth formally opened the branch on July 17th.
On August 14th, amid the financial doom and gloom Arthur Wadsworth courageously signed the contract which gave the go-ahead to start the new Newport Library building. It was nearly nine years since the beginning of negotiations with the former Newport Borough Council to acquire the Church Litten site on which the library now stands. The two separate sites at Wootton, examined during the previous few years with a view to a new branch there, did not materialise. Nor did plans for a branch library in Wroxall as part of the village community centre. At the time of writing, however, both of these areas are under review as urgently needing a service to replace the mobile library which at present serves them.
The latest part-time library was opened on February 4th, 1980 at Brighstone after being adapted - like Niton - from a former telephone exchange. The Newport Branch Librarian Tim Blackmore and his staff rallied round and did the interior decorating themselves to keep costs within the budget limits of just over £5,000.
As this history ends in 1980, the most significant achievement for which Leonard Mitchell has worked, a new central library in Newport is finally in sight. Whether Charles Seely, three quarters of a century ago saw this building of the future in his first vision of a library for the Isle of Wight, we can only imagine. Were he here today to see the achievements there is little doubt that he would approve.
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