Hendon branch library, Sunderland

Brief description

Carnegie paid for 3 branch libraries in Sunderland: Hendon, Monkwearmouth and West Branch (Kayll Road library). All are built in red brick a similar style (Edwardian baroque) as each had to follow a basic plan produced by Sunderland librarian John Alfred Charlton Deas.  Hendon branch was designed by Edward Cratney, of Wallsend and Sunderland. The foundation stone was laid by Councillor J Hindmarch, of the Museum and Library Committee, on February 26, 1908.

Current status: The public library closed in 2014, and reopened as a community centre. It is run by a charity: Back on the Map, and as a one stop shop for the community it combines book lending with an IT drop in centre,  NHS services and space for local groups (2021)

• Year grant given (if known): 1903
• Amount of grant:  Total grant was £10,000 (originally for 2 branches, but they managed to stretch it to 3)
• Year opened (and by who – if known): 1908

Photo of library in 2020:

Photo credit: Oriel Prizeman 2020. Image shared under CC license CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0 Cardiff University AHR Shelf Life project

Details:

Photo showing the stone carved details, by flickr user She-who-must, shared under cc licence

Old photo of library (postcard):

Nothing in my collection yet

Visited?

Not yet

Web links:

• News: Community reopens shutdown historic library in Sunderland (2014)
• News: The final chapter for Sunderland’s Carnegie libraries (2013)
• News: Council in talks over future of Sunderland’s libraries (2017) – illustrated with a photo of the group running the former Hendon library, in front of the building
• Featured as an “archetype” library on the Shelf-Life project website