The Montrose Library is situated in an A-listed Carnegie funded building in the north Angus coastal town of Montrose. It was first opened in 1905 and in 2018 received a £1 million refurbishment to provide it with "flexible, community focused spaces".
| Montrose Library | |
| Status: | Category A listed building |
| Address: | High Street, Montrose DD10 8PH |
| Opened Date: | 19 October 1905 |
| Architect: | J Lindsay Grant, Manchester |
In 1901, Scottish philanthropist Dr Andrew Carnegie, responded to a request for funding to provide a public library in Montrose. “I should be very glad indeed to comply with your suggestion and consider it a privilege. If Montrose will adopt the Free Libraries Act and provide a suitable site, I shall be glad to provide money for the building”- Andrew Carnegie.[1]
The architect commissioned was J Lindsay Grant of Manchester. The total cost of the building was £7,500 with further contributions from the town of Montrose of £1000, from Mr and Mrs W. Douglas Johnson of £500 and from “Montrosians at home and abroad” of £1000.[2] Contributions for funding the book collection were requested from present and former Montrosians and local children's families to stock the juvenile section.[3] The library was opened in 1905 by John Morley MP. Montrose Library was the first ‘open-access’ library in Scotland.[4]
Montrose Library is run by Angus Alive, a charitable trust running culture, sport and leisure in partnership with Angus Council.
The library was officially reopened on 5 September 2018 by Scottish author Stuart McBride, after a £1 million refurbishment.