Eleanor Roberts Youth Library - First Day

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1945

Subcollections

Overview

The interior of a room which has three book cases lined against two walls and which are filled with books. There is an elderly lady seated at a desk in the centre of the room and next to the desk is a young child with a book. There are three other children looking at books on the shelves. On the wall behind the elderly lady is a large photograph of "Eleanor Roberts" and on the right hand wall is a sign which reads "Eleanor Roberts Youth Library".

Historical information

This photograph is of opening day of the Eleanor Roberts Youth library. The library was in the Mechanic's Institute building in Austral Terrace. It was thought to be the first 'free' lending Library in Western Australia. It opened on the 16th November 1945 and closed when the State Library Service came to Katanning in 1972. The woman sitting at the desk is the librarian Mrs Butler, the children are unknown. The woman in the picture hanging on the wall behind Mrs Butler is Eleanor Roberts. It was organised by a committee of local residents and all books were paid for by fundraising.

Details

Registration number

cwa-org-202-HSP1987.274

Item type

Photographs

Material

Cardboard

Photographic Paper

Width

50.5000 cm

Height or length

40 cm

Inscriptions and markings

Below the photograph on the right hand side handwritten in pencil is "Katanning Studio".

Contextual Information

Miss Eleanor Roberts was a teacher at Katanning School and taught 3 generations of children. After Eleanor died, her friend and fellow teacher Miss Adeline Oborne helped to set up the Library in the Mechanic's Institute building. In the picture is Mrs. C. Butler the first Librarian.

Year

1945

Statement of significance

Children's Library, the first free lending library in WA.

Public Location

Links to additional resources

Great Southern Herald article Fri 30 Nov 1945

An article describing the opening of the Eleanor Roberts Youth Library.