Information on Loughborough

Loughborough studies day

Posted on 28/11/2007
P. Klein

Loughborough Library, Granby Street, Loughborough, Leicestershire

Loughborough Library held a successful Local Studies Open Day last Saturday, to illustrate the wealth of local history material available to the people of Loughborough and beyond.

The day was organised and run by the committed group of Local Studies library volunteers, who were keen to raise the profile of the Local Studies library collections. They were available on the day to share peoples stories, help them find information, and discover their local heritage.

There were a number of exhibitions, including the history of transport, the Loughborough Baptist Sunday School, the Great Central Railway and Wills & Hepworth, the publishing company which later became Ladybird Books.

People were amazed to discover the range of information the library holds about places all over Leicestershire, including books, maps, photographs and newspaper cuttings, as well as family history material, such as parish and census records. Most of these can be found in the Local Studies Room upstairs, which was a new discovery to many of Saturdays visitors. "I didnt know the library had an upstairs, commented one lady, who had lived in Loughborough for many years.

Chairman of the County Council, Mr. Mike Jones, who attended the open day, said: "I have enjoyed the event immensely, and have been very impressed by the range of the exhibitions. My thanks go to the library staff and volunteers who have clearly worked so hard to make it happen.

A further 2 exhibitions are still up for people to look at: Heaven, Hell & Heraldry, about Loughborough Parish Church, will be in place until Saturday 1 December, and The Brush Electrical Engineering Company, which contains documents, photographs and artifacts about one of Loughboroughs most well-known companies, will be there until the end of January 2008.