City Libraries

What a pleasure to see the outside of the old building. Many happy hours spent in there, especially on the balconies. Easy to call in on the way home from Woodlands School to Radford. Certainly agree that it should still be there rather than the modern shopping centre.

It's called Gold Fever, looking at the buildings around Coventry retail parks, all these metal giant sheds used as shops, which is destroying the town, I wonder are we in for a lot of cattle to fill them, when they all are empty, in the future.

Couldn't agree more. All metal and glass, all easier to pull down in the not too distant future. More feathers in their caps to show what they have built in their time of office. Nothing going up to say 'this is our town'. The modern architecture is all very well but that is not what Coventry is all about. Not everything has to be for the future generations they have to draw the line somewhere. Thank you all, that is my whinge for the day. p.s. and that goes for Libraries too!

My first foray into libraries was the lovely old building on Walsgrave Road. I was about 8 or 9, and couldn't believe the fact you could take a book or two home! However, when we moved to Wyken, we enrolled at Bell Green Library, and it was far superior for children. The building was bright and large windows let the daylight in, making it far less imposing than the Walsgrave Road library. They had a superior childrens book section as well. Now I live in Nuneaton, we have a nice library, but the book section is looking dated - its all internet nowadays. I have a Kindle, but nothing beats the feel of a real book. I used to visit the reference section until the internet made it far easier and faster to source anything I needed to know.

c1896. This picture says Interior of public library. I presume it was the one by the Cathedral that I can just about remember.

That's the one. Wonderful place to be.

I believe that was the reference library when the picture was taken? That part of the building didn't become a lending library until the lending section was bombed in 1940. Pictures of Coventry

Great photo Neils Yard

Interesting photo Neil, thanks for that one. I wonder where all the paintings are hanging now. Somewhere worthwhile I hope.

From the Herbert Blog, it doesn't match the building of any other Gulson Library picture I've seen. Or is it another side of the building of which no other photos exist?

Sounds good! (If only I could read what is written on that open window )