Westminster Reference Library

Reference library in London

51°30′35″N 0°07′47″W / 51.50964°N 0.12980°W / 51.50964; -0.12980LocationSt Martin's Street
London, WC2HTypePublic LibraryEstablished8 October 1928 (95 years ago) (8 October 1928)Architect(s)A. N. PrenticeCollectionItems collectedBooks, sheet music, art and manuscripts.Size89,080 (2022)

Access and useAccess requirementsOpen to the general public, a Westminster library card is needed to borrow items or use computers.Other informationWebsitehttps://www.westminster.gov.uk/leisure-libraries-and-community/libraries/westminster-reference-library

Listed Building – Grade II

Official nameWestminster Reference LibraryDesignated17 March 2016 (2016-03-17)Reference no.1430775^[1]

Westminster Reference Library is a reference library in St Martin's Street, London, in the City of Westminster, part of the Westminster Libraries network.

History

The library was opened by W. Foxley Norris, dean of Westminster, on 8 October 1928 to replace the former library of the parish of St Martin in the Fields. The Leicester Fields chapel, built by the Huguenots in 1693, was once located on the site. Isaac Newton lived on a house on the site from 1710 to 1727, and later the house was occupied by the novelist Fanny Burney. The cellars of that house are part of the current building. The library was designed by the architect A. N. Prentice for Westminster City Council, and built by Walden & Company of Reading.^[2]^[3] It was modified in the 1950s and 1980s.^[3]

Collections

In addition to a general reference collection, the library has specialist fine art and performing arts, business and law collections.

Since 2021 the library has also been home to the Westminster Music Library collection, which was formerly based at Victoria Library. Westminster Music Library is one of the largest public music libraries in the UK, holding a wide range of sheet music, scores, and books about music.^[4]

The library also loans telescopes.^[5]^[6]

Events and exhibitions

Outside library opening hours the library has hosted many events and concerts including Telemachus, Sea Power, Mr Hudson and The Library, Polar Bear, Harry Keyworth, Chisara Agor, Piney Gir and The Real Tuesday Weld.^[7]^[8]

The library also has art exhibition spaces.^[9]

References

^ Historic England. "Westminster Reference Library (1430775)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
^ Westminster Reference Library. Internal, over the doors. Westminster Reference Library, London. 8 October 1928. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
^ ^a ^b Historic England. "Westminster Reference Library (1430775)". National Heritage List for England (plaster). Retrieved 17 November 2016.
^ "Westminster Music Library | Westminster City Council". Westminster Libraries & Archives. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
^ "How to borrow a telescope | Westminster City Council". www.westminster.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
^ "The Library That Lends Out Telescopes". Londonist. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
^ "Hip-hop straight outta ... Westminster reference library". the Guardian. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
^ "Westminster Reference Library London Gigography, Concert History, Past Events – Songkick". www.songkick.com. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
^ Bush, Lewis (12 July 2016). "City of Dust at Westminster Reference Library". ualresearchonline.arts.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2022.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Westminster Reference Library.

https://www.westminster.gov.uk/library-opening-hours-and-contact-details

Libraries and archives in London

Public libraries
and archives

National	British Library British Museum Imperial War Museum National Gallery National Poetry Library Natural History Museum Parliamentary Archives Science Museum (Dana Research Centre and Library) The National Archives Victoria and Albert Museum (National Art Library)
Council	Barking and Dagenham (Valence House Museum) Barnet (East Finchley Library) Brent (Kensal Rise Library, The Library at Willesden Green) City of London (Artizan Street Library, Barbican Library, Guildhall Library, London Metropolitan Archives, Shoe Lane Library) City of Westminster (Westminster Reference Library) Camden (Swiss Cottage Library) Croydon (Ashburton Library, Croydon Central Library, New Addington Library, South Norwood Library, Upper Norwood Library) Haringey (Muswell Hill Library) Hillingdon (Manor Farm) Islington (Finsbury Library, Islington Local History Centre) Kensington and Chelsea (Kensington Central Library) Lambeth (Brixton Library, Carnegie Library, Durning Library, Lambeth Archives, Minet Library, Streatham Library, Upper Norwood Library) Merton (Mitcham Library) Southwark (Dulwich Library, John Harvard Library, Peckham Library) Tower Hamlets (Idea Store) Wandsworth (Battersea Central Library, Putney Library)

National

British Library
British Museum
Imperial War Museum
National Gallery
National Poetry Library
Natural History Museum
Parliamentary Archives
Science Museum (Dana Research Centre and Library)
The National Archives
Victoria and Albert Museum (National Art Library)

Council

Barking and Dagenham (Valence House Museum)
Barnet (East Finchley Library)
Brent (Kensal Rise Library, The Library at Willesden Green)
City of London (Artizan Street Library, Barbican Library, Guildhall Library, London Metropolitan Archives, Shoe Lane Library)
City of Westminster (Westminster Reference Library)
Camden (Swiss Cottage Library)
Croydon (Ashburton Library, Croydon Central Library, New Addington Library, South Norwood Library, Upper Norwood Library)
Haringey (Muswell Hill Library)
Hillingdon (Manor Farm)
Islington (Finsbury Library, Islington Local History Centre)
Kensington and Chelsea (Kensington Central Library)
Lambeth (Brixton Library, Carnegie Library, Durning Library, Lambeth Archives, Minet Library, Streatham Library, Upper Norwood Library)
Merton (Mitcham Library)
Southwark (Dulwich Library, John Harvard Library, Peckham Library)
Tower Hamlets (Idea Store)
Wandsworth (Battersea Central Library, Putney Library)

Other libraries
and archives

Academic	Imperial College (Abdus Salam Library) King's College London (Maughan Library) London School of Economics (British Library of Political and Economic Science, Women's Library, Shaw Library) University of the Arts London (Stanley Kubrick Archive) University of London (Senate House Libraries)
Charitable	Bishopsgate Library Feminist Library Francis Skaryna Belarusian Library and Museum Library for Iranian Studies Marx Memorial Library Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum Wellcome Library Wiener Library for the Study of the Holocaust and Genocide
Informal	56a Infoshop London Action Resource Centre
Private	Church of England (Lambeth Palace Library) Dr Williams's Library Evangelical Library London Library UK Parliament (House of Commons Library, House of Lords Library)