Belfast Central Library
Encyclopedia
Belfast Central Library is a public library
in Royal Avenue, Belfast
, Northern Ireland
. Opened in 1888, it was one of the first major public library buildings in Ireland
.
A competition for the design of the building was won by architect WH Lynn in 1883 and it was built by H & J Martin builders. Designed to reflect the ambitions of the growing city of Belfast, its architecture is a fine example of public-service building at the height of the Victorian age. On a black granite
base, the Dumfries
red sandstone
exterior with a slightly Italianate feel, houses a three-floor interior with a sweeping staircase, a pillared foyer
, and a fine dome
d first-floor reading room. The top floor originally included a museum
and art gallery
. The building is a notable part of the 19th century cityscape of modern Belfast. It has survived undamaged through the Belfast Blitz
of World War II
and the Troubles
of the late 20th century.
The library is located in the Cathedral Quarter
, on the edge of Belfast City Centre
and close to the Belfast Campus of the University of Ulster
. Two additional buildings were added to the site in the 1960s and 1970s, providing staff accommodation and extra storage. These reflect the growth in the book stock of the library in the intervening decades.
The Library is now run by the Belfast Education and Library Board, and is part of a city-wide network of over twenty branches and mobile services. It houses a range of sections, including a reference library still based in the original reading room, a Belfast, Ulster and Irish Department, and the only dedicated Music Library in Northern Ireland
. It is a major provider of IT
facilities, with half of the ground floor providing free internet access. Its foyer hosts regular displays.
.
A recent addition to the Library's collections is the Northern Ireland Music Archive
, a computerised database housing recordings, scores and other materials relating to music created by Northern Ireland composers/artists. The Archive, which was funded and developed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
, was officially launched in March 2006 with much media coverage, initially housing music solely from the contemporary/classical genre. Continuing development will see the archived materials expanding to represent all genres of music produced in Northern Ireland
, including in 2007 the incorporation of folk and traditional materials from the Geoff Harden
Archive.
Northern Ireland Screen
have also placed a new access point to their Digital Film Archive in the Library. Both of these computerised archives are publicly accessible and can be found in the Music Library, on the top floor of the Library building.
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
in Royal Avenue, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. Opened in 1888, it was one of the first major public library buildings in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
A competition for the design of the building was won by architect WH Lynn in 1883 and it was built by H & J Martin builders. Designed to reflect the ambitions of the growing city of Belfast, its architecture is a fine example of public-service building at the height of the Victorian age. On a black granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
base, the Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
exterior with a slightly Italianate feel, houses a three-floor interior with a sweeping staircase, a pillared foyer
Foyer
A foyer or lobby is a large, vast room or complex of rooms adjacent to the auditorium...
, and a fine dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
d first-floor reading room. The top floor originally included a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and art gallery
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
. The building is a notable part of the 19th century cityscape of modern Belfast. It has survived undamaged through the Belfast Blitz
Belfast Blitz
The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on the night of Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941 during World War II. Two hundred bombers of the German Air Force attacked the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Nearly one thousand people died as a result of the bombing and 1,500 were injured. In terms...
of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the Troubles
The Troubles
The Troubles was a period of ethno-political conflict in Northern Ireland which spilled over at various times into England, the Republic of Ireland, and mainland Europe. The duration of the Troubles is conventionally dated from the late 1960s and considered by many to have ended with the Belfast...
of the late 20th century.
The library is located in the Cathedral Quarter
Cathedral Quarter, Belfast
The Cathedral Quarter in Belfast, Northern Ireland is a developing area of the city, roughly situated between Royal Avenue near where the Belfast Central Library building is, and the Dunbar Link in the city centre. From one of its corners, the junction of Royal Avenue, Donegall Street and York...
, on the edge of Belfast City Centre
Belfast City Centre
Belfast city centre is the central business district of Belfast, Northern Ireland.The city centre was originally centred around the Donegall Street area. Donegall Street is now mainly a business area, but with expanding residential and entertainment development as part of the Cathedral Quarter...
and close to the Belfast Campus of the University of Ulster
University of Ulster
The University of Ulster is a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Northern Ireland. It is the largest single university in Ireland, discounting the federal National University of Ireland...
. Two additional buildings were added to the site in the 1960s and 1970s, providing staff accommodation and extra storage. These reflect the growth in the book stock of the library in the intervening decades.
The Library is now run by the Belfast Education and Library Board, and is part of a city-wide network of over twenty branches and mobile services. It houses a range of sections, including a reference library still based in the original reading room, a Belfast, Ulster and Irish Department, and the only dedicated Music Library in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is a major provider of IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
facilities, with half of the ground floor providing free internet access. Its foyer hosts regular displays.
Special Collections
The Library has a number of special collections, including a fine book collection, the library and manuscripts of Francis Joseph Bigger, the manuscripts of the eccentric Amanda McKittrick Ros and the manuscripts of the Ulster playwright Sam ThompsonSam Thompson
Samuel Luther Thompson was a 19th century Major League Baseball player. "Big Sam" was known for his offensive production and was second on the career home runs list at the time of his retirement...
.
A recent addition to the Library's collections is the Northern Ireland Music Archive
Northern Ireland Music Archive
The Northern Ireland Music Archive is a digital archive of materials related to music from Northern Ireland. It is based on a publicly-accessible computer system situated in the Music Library at Belfast Central Library, Belfast, County Antrim...
, a computerised database housing recordings, scores and other materials relating to music created by Northern Ireland composers/artists. The Archive, which was funded and developed by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the lead development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland....
, was officially launched in March 2006 with much media coverage, initially housing music solely from the contemporary/classical genre. Continuing development will see the archived materials expanding to represent all genres of music produced in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, including in 2007 the incorporation of folk and traditional materials from the Geoff Harden
Geoff Harden
Geoff Harden was a journalist, broadcaster, recording engineer and folk music promoter. Born in Kent, England, Harden moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1966...
Archive.
Northern Ireland Screen
Northern Ireland Screen
Northern Ireland Screen is the national screen agency for Northern Ireland. The agency's purpose is to promote the development of a sustainable film, animation and television production industry.- History :...
have also placed a new access point to their Digital Film Archive in the Library. Both of these computerised archives are publicly accessible and can be found in the Music Library, on the top floor of the Library building.
External links
- NI-Libraries.net - Official government web portal for Northern Ireland Public Libraries.
- Northern Ireland Composers - Arts Council of Northern Ireland web site, providing listings of the contemporary/classical materials held in the Northern Ireland Music Archive.
- Digital Film Archive - Official web site, provided by Northern Ireland ScreenNorthern Ireland ScreenNorthern Ireland Screen is the national screen agency for Northern Ireland. The agency's purpose is to promote the development of a sustainable film, animation and television production industry.- History :...
.