Special events to mark Long Lane Library’s 90th birthday
Long Lane Library in Dudley is set to celebrate its 90th anniversary this Thursday (30 April), with a programme of events taking place across the week to mark the milestone.
The library, which first opened in 1936 under the Halesowen Urban District Council, will host a series of free community activities celebrating its long history as a local hub for reading, learning and social connection.
‘It’s the people that make it special’
Speaking ahead of the anniversary, service development librarian Cara Evans said the library’s strength lies in its community.
“It’s the people that make it a wonderful place,” she said. “We have a wonderful kind of array of borrowers that come in and use the library and, you know, come to our activities.”
She added that the range of groups and sessions on offer has helped keep the library at the heart of the community.
“We do knit and natter and reading groups and children’s sessions. We’ve got some wonderful schools nearby that come and do sessions with us,” she said. “It’s just been amazing to think that the library’s been here since 1936 and just to be a part of celebrating that it’s still here and thriving.”
Timely milestone during Year of Reading
The anniversary coincides with the National Year of Reading, something staff say adds to the significance of the celebrations.
“It’s wonderful. We couldn’t have worked it out better really if we tried,” Evans said. “It just means that it makes everybody more aware of what libraries do and how important they are.”
Week of anniversary events
- Celebrations begin on Tuesday 28 April with a discussion session on The Dudley Bug from 1.30pm to 3.30pm.
- On Thursday 30 April — the library’s official 90th birthday — events start with a Gospel Brass performance from 10am to 11am.
- This will be followed by an illustrated talk on The Peaky Blinders by Professor Carl Chinn MBE from 11am to midday.
- Later in the day, Carole Freer will lead a session on Leasowes Walled Garden from 2pm to 3pm.
- The celebrations will conclude on Saturday 9 May with a birthday “Quiznic” event from 4pm to 6pm.
All events are free, though booking is required for some sessions.
Community legacy
The library is operated under the Better brand by GLL, a not-for-profit social enterprise managing services on behalf of the council.
Staff say the milestone reflects both its history and continued importance to the area, with Evans describing it as “still here and thriving” nearly a century after it first opened.
For more information, visit the library’s website or contact Long Lane Library directly.