Portsmouth's public libraries in the long twentieth century: contested spaces or spaces for contestation?

This project will investigate the changing role of public libraries since their inception in the mid-late nineteenth century, identifying key periods in the service’s history where discussions about their social function were played out most vociferously. Since they were first established, debates have raged over public library usage, including the public library’s role as educator, the types of literature provided, as well as the sorts of reading material library users borrowed. More recently, their function as community spaces that provide comfort and warmth, helping to contribute to the nation’s health and wellbeing, has also been championed.