Sunderland, Hendon Branch Library
1908 – Sunderland, England. Lat/Long 54.894444 -1.373889
Hendon Branch Library was originally designed with efficiency in mind “with a view to working the library with as small a staff as possible”[i] who would sit behind the screen at the island service desk that remains in situ. Since it was taken over as a community run library and put “Back on the Map”, in addition to securing HLF funding, it has used inventive means to secure sustainable revenue strategies in order to keep open as a community managed library including operating as a cinema and generating income from residential lettings to secure cashflow.
[i] Builders’ Journal and Architectural Engineer, 16.12.1908
Architect: Edward Cratney of Sunderland.
Heritage designation: none. Purpose built library; Carnegie grant: £3,381 18/6/1903 and 10/6/1910. Open library, community managed.