The Carnegie Library & Corporation Road Elementary Schools
Photo reference number: 1587
This is probably the opening of the library in 1907.
The road in the foreground is Corporation Road, Milner Street branches off beyond the library and Hamilton Street is just in the bottom right of picture.
Report of the opening of the library from the Evening Express And Evening Mail, Friday, March 15, 1907:
CARNEGIE LIBRARY FOR NEWPORT
INAUGURATED BY THE MAYOR: APPEAL FOR FUNDS
The Mayor of Newport (Mr. Fred Phillips), accompanied by the mayoress and the deputy-mayor (Colonel Clifford Phillips), opened the new Carnegie Library in Corporation-road on Thursday. The branch library has been built by Mr. J. H. Williams, contractor, from designs by Mr. Ward, the borough architect, on corporation freehold just below the council schools at the end of the thoroughfare which run parallel with the eastern bank of the River Usk.
The mayor was presented by the contractor with a silver key of the front door, by which his worship opened the library.
Alderman Howell, in the course of an explanatory speech in the reading-room, proposed a vote of thanks to the mayor for opening the library. It was only after several requests that Mr. Carnegie promised to provide £2000 for the building of the library. The free library committee had to provide the equipment, and had put by £200 towards that object. Still, he had to appeal to friends of library movements to provide books.
The Mayor in the course of his reply said that during a recent visit which he paid to Switzerland he found that, apparently, the greatest sin in that country was to keep a pupil out of school for ever so short a time. He proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Carnegie.
Councillor Graham White seconded. He thought it was a good thing that two institutions were near together - the athletic and football ground and the new free library. If the nation was to be successful they must have physical strength and endurance as well as brains.
Alderman Howell said that the mayor had agreed to provide the library with 100 books.
The mayor became the first borrower, the volume issued to him being "In the March and Borderland of Wales," by A. G. Bradley.
