Kensal Rise Library
Encyclopedia
Kensal Rise Library is a public library
situated in London
, United Kingdom
, opened by American author Mark Twain
in 1900. The site was donated by All Souls College, Oxford
.
, who had been staying nearby at Dollis Hill House
, whose guests have included Prime Minister
William Ewart Gladstone
and which was later used by Winston Churchill's
War Cabinet. At the ceremony, Mark Twain gave the Library Committee Chairman five of his books and a signed photograph.
, and protests at council meetings. Philip Pullman
has described the proposed closure as 'barbarism'.
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...
situated in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, opened by American author Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
in 1900. The site was donated by All Souls College, Oxford
All Souls College, Oxford
The Warden and the College of the Souls of all Faithful People deceased in the University of Oxford or All Souls College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England....
.
Opening Ceremony
Kensal Rise Library was opened by Mark TwainMark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
, who had been staying nearby at Dollis Hill House
Dollis Hill House
Dollis Hill House is an early Nineteenth-Century farmhouse located in the North London suburb of Dollis Hill, on the northern boundary of Gladstone Park. Noteworthy guests such as William Ewart Gladstone and Mark Twain have been entertained there. Today, the house is a derelict ruin, having been...
, whose guests have included Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone FRS FSS was a British Liberal statesman. In a career lasting over sixty years, he served as Prime Minister four separate times , more than any other person. Gladstone was also Britain's oldest Prime Minister, 84 years old when he resigned for the last time...
and which was later used by Winston Churchill's
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
War Cabinet. At the ceremony, Mark Twain gave the Library Committee Chairman five of his books and a signed photograph.
Present
The library continues to be used by the local community. In 1994, the interior was refurbished in a Neo-Edwardian style.Proposed closure
Brent Council put forward proposals to close the library in November 2010. The proposals have been met with widespread condemnation and significant media coverage, including coverage in The Independent on Sunday, The Guardian, BBC NewsBBC News
BBC News is the department of the British Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs. The department is the world's largest broadcast news organisation and generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day, as well as online...
, and protests at council meetings. Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman
Philip Pullman CBE, FRSL is an English writer from Norwich. He is the best-selling author of several books, most notably his trilogy of fantasy novels, His Dark Materials, and his fictionalised biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ...
has described the proposed closure as 'barbarism'.