ONE hundred years have now passed since Clitheroe Library first opened its doors to the public.

Although building had begun in the summer of 1904, it wasn't until the first weeks of 1906 that townsfolk could enjoy its facilities.

There had been a library in Clitheroe since 1838 in connection with the Mechanics Institute, but it was in the front room of a house in Parson Lane and closed when the librarian died!

The books were stored in a local mill for a while, then moved to the town hall where they languished for about ten years.

Finally in 1878, Clitheroe adopted the Free Libraries Act and in 1879 opened a small library in the lower room of the town hall in Church Street.

Many new books were bought with donations from the gentlemen of the town. It proved a very popular service and the opening hours had to be extended several times to cope with the demand.

But Clitheroe's councillors wanted to build a new library, and drew up grand plans for a library and technical school.

They had bought the premises of Baileys, the grocers in the Market Place in 1896, but then had cold feet at the amount of money they were planning to spend.

There was much bickering and arguing amongst the councillors many of them didn't want to borrow the equivalent of £250,000 even though a public inquiry had granted them the loan.

However, reports reached them of a wealthy American man, Andrew Carnegie who was awarding grants to local authorities in England for the provision of libraries.

In 1902 Clitheroe applied to the Carnegie Foundation for a grant and after a tense wait, in 1903 discovered they had been awarded £3000.

From then on it was all systems go.

New plans were drawn for a building which would suit the site and the final design also incorporated a clock tower. One local family, the Whipps, then offered to provide a clock in memory of three of their kin.