Hours in Oystermouth Library by Grafton Maggs

Newspaper cuttings from 1936 and in 2005

Hours in
Oystermouth Library

By Grafton Maggs

Another of our favourite landmarks began its life at the end of 1934, when the corporation workmen appeared in Dunns Lane to clear the site opposite the Victoria Hall. For many years, this area had been occupied by the burnt out remains of the local fire station and mortuary. Now at last something was happening and the men, manually, soon stripped the site clean.

The site of the new Oystermouth Library

HERALD OF WALES, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 1935.

THE OPENING OF MUMBLES' NEW LIBRARY in Dunns-lane.
Left to right: Councillor A. R. Ball, Mr. Walter Young, joint librarian; Mrs. Cross, Mr. John Rhys Davies; the Mayor of Swansea, Alderman W. J. Davies, J.P., the Mayoress; Councillor David Richards, who opened the library; Mrs. David Richards, Mr. F. A. Broad, deputy borough architect, and Alderman T. W. Hughes, O.B.E., J.P., Deputy Mayor.

On the 23rd February 1935, Mayor Davies, complete with Chain of Office, laid a foundation stone, and like a phoenix rising from the ashes, the pleasing contemporary building that was to be the new Library, appeared on the 21st September 1935. Councillor David Richards attended the opening less than a year after the initial clearing of the site.

To appreciate the true worth of this event, it is necessary to remember that unemployment was still at an obscenely high level, radio was in its infancy (and unaffordable, anyway) and only the daily newspaper and the cinema offered any respite.

Books were precious items, far too expensive to buy or even borrow from the small, private lending libraries who charged 2d per book per week, offering of necessity, a limited selection. Mumbles had several of these excellent little units, amongst them - Marion Clements in lower Newton Road (now gobbled up by the White Rose) and the Castle Library at the bottom of Woodville Road

Now, here was a lifeline. Overnight we had a free lending library with access to thousands of books. In no time at all, the Library became a vital part of the community.

Oystermouth Library, Dunns Lane

Victor Morgan, the unruffled head librarian, was always ready to advise and demonstrate his many skills, one of which was his superb calligraphy. He went to great trouble to impress the value of the books we borrowed, in pragmatic terms and also to make us understand the enormous cost of running a library system.

To get us more involved, we were invited to assist behind the counter. This taught us part of the administration of the unit and it was a much sought-after privilege. Every Saturday morning, as soon as the Library opened, Mr. Morgan would be besieged by many youngsters begging him, ‘Can I help stamp the books, Mr. Morgan?’ To be fair, he would allow us an hour each and the rest of the time would be spent in returning books to the appropriate places on the shelves, not difficult in those days because only the top two or three shelves were stocked.

The Library became a general meeting place and the reading room, which was always so clean, tidy and warm, became a haven for the senior citizens and the unemployed who now had access to all the national dailies including the now defunct - Daily Herald, Daily Sketch and News Chronicle. On winter evenings, teachers from local schools would organize discussion groups, making us realize that there was life beyond Blackpill.