Andrew Carnegie Library, Lister Drive/ Green Lane, West Derby

A corner composition with a pretty little turret and C17 windows.  Red brick and stone dressings. [Pevsner]

The Branch Library which has been erected on the corner of Green Lane, West Derby and Lister Drive, through the munificence of Mr Andrew Carnegie at the cost of £15.750, was last evening formally opened by Sir. William B. Forwood, chairman of the Library, Museum, and Arts committee. The New Library, which has been stocked with 8.500 volumes in all departments of literature, is a handsome structure, built from designs prepared under the direction of Mr Thomas Shelmerdine, Corporation Surveyor.  The building and ornamental grounds occupy 5.731 square yards of land. The entrance hall is octagonal, with doors radiating to the several departments - lending library, general reading room, women’s reading room, juvenile library, and boys' reading room. On each side of the doorways there are two alcoves - one of which will be reserved for a bust of Mr Carnegie. The wing on the left is the boys’ and girls' reading room (55 feet by 26 feet); the right wing is the general reading room (66 feet by 30 feet inclusive of bays), whilst the centre of the building is reserved for the public lending library, book storage space and a librarians room. The ladies room (30 feet by 20 feet), with separate entrance from Lister Drive, is quaint and tasteful in design, the building had two storeys and a basement. [Liverpool Daily Post and Mercury,  28 June 28th 1905]

We were fortunate in inducing Mr Andrew Carnegie to open the new library in Windsor Street, and he was so much pleased with it that he offered to build for us a duplicate in West Derby. He remarked it was the first time he had ever offered to give a Library, making it a rule that he must be invited to present one, and then if the site was provided, and a suitable income assured to maintain it, he gave the necessary funds for the building as a matter of course. Mr Carnegie subsequently presented us with another library for Garston, and more recently he gave me £19,000 for two more libraries, making his gift to Liverpool £50,000 in all. - Sir William B Forwood. Recollections of a busy life. [58th Annual Reports to the Libraries, Museums, and Arts Committee, City of Liverpool, for the Year Ending 31st December, 1910].

Reference    Liverpool Daily Post and Mercury, Wednesday  28 June 28th 1905 - opening
Reference    58th Annual Reports to the Libraries, Museums, and Arts Committee, City of Liverpool, for the Year Ending 31st December, 1910
Reference    Pevsner: Lancashire: South