The Library’s First Home

Mon, 09 Jul 07 13:32:00

On Wednesday 4 July a plaque was officially unveiled to commemorate the first home of The National Library of Wales at Laura Place in Aberystwyth.

Following the decision in 1907 to locate the National Library in Aberystwyth it took some years for the Library’s new building on Penglais Hill to be built. In the meantime, from 1907 to 1916 the old Assembly Halls at Laura Place became the ‘home’ of the Library’s collections and staff. This beautiful Georgian building stands opposite the Old College, the location of the first University College of Wales.

The commemorative plaque, which is of Welsh slate, was presented by the Aberystwyth Civic Society and the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.

Presentations were given at the official unveiling by Richard Lewis, Chairman of the Aberystwyth Civic Society; Professor Noel Lloyd, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and Dr R Brinley Jones CBE, President of the National Library.

Those interested in learning more about the history of the National Library’s building are welcome to visit the 100: The Library’s Century exhibition at the Peniarth exhibition room which will run until 5 January 2008. The Library will also soon publish a book about the magnificent building. For more information about the Library and its collection, the specially commissioned centenary book, In this Place, is now on sale at the Library’s shop: siop.llgc.org.uk      

For Further Information:

Siôn Jobbins, NLW Press Office: 01970 632 902  sij@llgc.org.uk

Web Links:

Univesity of Wales, Aberystwyth: www.aber.ac.uk

Aberystwyth Civic Society: www.aberystwythcivicsociety.org.uk/