Published Thursday 9 October 2025 at 14:50
Blackburn Central Library is marking a major milestone – 50 years since its move to Town Hall Street – with a full week of celebrations.
The special events will start on Saturday, October 18, with a tea party hosted by the library’s much-loved mascot, Wordsworth.
Throughout the week, there’ll then be a wide range of activities, including a visit from Blackburn-born author Iqbal Hussain, a birthday Knit and Natter, a special edition of Read, Rhythm and Rhyme, Digiplay, and a ‘Pages from the Past’ event celebrating Blackburn Library’s history.
You can read a full list of what’s planned here.
The milestone marks five decades since Blackburn Central Library moved into the former Co-Operative Emporium on Town Hall Street.
It was officially opened at 4pm on Friday, October 17, 1975, by then Prime Minister, Harold Wilson along with Blackburn’s MP, Barbara Castle.
The move proved so popular that queues formed outside the doors, and new members enrolled at a staggering rate of 400 per day – a twentyfold increase. In fact, more than 10,000 new books had to be brought from Preston to help stock the shelves.
Previously, the town’s first purpose-built library was housed within the same building as Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery but growing demand for both meant it needed its own dedicated space.
The original plans for the new library included a lending library, music and drama library, children’s library, and a reference library. There were also proposals for cataloguing rooms, meeting spaces, a rare book section, and even a coffee and snack bar.
Adele Karwat, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Service Manager for Libraries and Archives, said: “The history of Blackburn Central Library on Town Hall Street is absolutely fascinating.
“Even today, 50 years later, you can still see features from the magnificent Co-Operative Emporium, including the wrought iron lift shafts, ballroom ceiling, and original signage in the basement.
“What’s truly remarkable, however is how much the library has transformed over time, while keeping the community at the heart of everything we do.
“Of course, we still have thousands and thousands of books and our popular reading groups, but we now offer so much more too – with over 40 different sessions per week across our five libraries, everything from digital workshops to LEGO Club and live performances.
“We’re also home to vital services like Shelter welfare advice service, Age UK, and Care Network.
“Plus, our residents can access a wealth of online resources for free, including digital subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, e-books, a language learning platform and so much more.
“What has remained constant throughout the years is the passion of our hardworking library staff and the unwavering support of our dedicated volunteers. This special anniversary is also a chance to celebrate them and their incredible efforts.”
Interestingly, when the building was first designed, the architects proposed a ‘first floor street’ – a series of bridges connecting all cultural buildings in the town centre. One part of that vision came to life: a link bridge between the library and King George’s Hall.
An extract from Cotton Town, the library’s impressive online archive of local history, documents the move from the museum, describing ‘trains of trolleys of books’ and ‘many musty volumes’ found in the old ‘library dungeons.’
At the opening, Prime Minister Harold Wilson also declared that those who claimed television had killed the reading habit were “wrong,” saying that TV programmes ‘actually stimulated an interest in books.’
Councillor Quesir Mahmood, Deputy Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council and Executive Member for Growth and Development, added: “The first subscription library opened in Blackburn in 1787, and more than 200 years later, libraries and cultural venues remain incredibly important to us, our residents and our communities.
“Libraries offer welcoming spaces to embrace reading, learn new skills, meet people, explore our borough’s rich history, and access vital support.
“They also provide a huge range of digital resources, all free to access – even from home, which some residents may be surprised to hear.
“There’s so much to discover at our libraries, and this anniversary is a perfect opportunity to visit and enjoy everything on offer. A warm welcome is always guaranteed.”
The week-long celebrations also coincide with Get Online Week, and the library hopes to launch its brand-new website – a central hub for everything that the Blackburn with Darwen Library Service has to offer.
The anniversary will be closely followed by Green Libraries Week, with free events during October half-term, including spooky seasonal reuse crafts, tote bag decorating, family book folding, and more.
For a full list of events, please click this link.
You can also follow Blackburn with Darwen Library and Information Service on Facebook and @BwDLibraries on Instagram.