A touring display celebrating 100 years of Leicestershire’s library service is set to visit towns across the county over the next year.
Leicestershire County Council marked the service’s centenary in late 2024, a century after councillors first approved the establishment of a county-wide library network. The earliest libraries were funded by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, whose contributions helped to create thousands of free libraries across the UK.
Picture credit: Leicestershire County Council
The Leicestershire Rural County Library opened its doors a year later at Loughborough College with more than 8,000 volumes. By the end of the decade, sub-libraries had been launched in Oadby, Hinckley, Melton Mowbray and Ashby de la Zouch, laying the foundations for a service that now spans more than 50 locations.
Today, Leicestershire supports 53 libraries, including three mobile library vehicles that deliver books to rural communities. The service has also expanded into the digital world, offering e-books and e-audiobooks, while branches continue to serve as community hubs, hosting initiatives such as Family Hubs and Wriggly Readers sessions.
To mark its milestone year, the council is sending a historical display on a county-wide tour, giving residents the chance to explore the evolution of their local libraries. The exhibition begins at Oadby Library in December before travelling to all corners of Leicestershire through 2026.
Tour dates:
- December 2025: Oadby Library
- January 2026: Earl Shilton Library
- February 2026: Lutterworth Library
- March 2026: Hinckley Library
- April 2026: Syston Library
- May 2026: Melton Library
- June 2026: Ashby Library
- July 2026: Coalville Library
- August 2026: Broughton Library
- September 2026: Blaby Library
- October 2026: Wigston Library
- November 2026: Market Harborough Library
Councillor Kevin Crook, cabinet member for libraries, said the display is a chance to reflect on the service’s transformation:
“Libraries started out as a place to access books, but over the last 100 years they have become so much more than that. In some places they are the heart of a community,” he said. “This display is our chance to recognise this service’s roots, and how more than 100 years later it helps to educate, entertain and enthral people. I hope people get a chance to take a trip to the library and enjoy looking at its history over the next year.”
More information about the library service, the display tour, and upcoming events is available via the Leicestershire County Council website.
