A temple unabridged with priceless treasure: an investigation of Yorkshire public libraries as intellectual sanctuary during the First World War: 1914-1918

This thesis investigates the impact of public libraries on the communities they serve during times of unexpected conflict. Specifically, it seeks to critically explore to what extent the public libraries in Yorkshire served as a place of intellectual sanctuary for the local working age population during the years of the First World War (1914-1918). The research design drew from Bryman (2016), Hill (1993), and Thomas (2006) to create an Adapted Framework of archival research which combines elements of Thomas’ (2016) Constant Comparative Analysis and Hammersley’s (1996) Complementarity Analysis. Using a multi-case-study approach alongside qualitative and quantitative primary source archival material, sources comprising critical academic literature, architectural schematics of local libraries, photographs, and historical library statistics were accessed by conducting in-person fieldwork and online archival research at five unique Yorkshire cities (Bradford, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield, and York) in order to understand their social importance during the beginning of the 20th century. The literature review engaged with historical and contemporary sources, identifying four key themes of the empirical work: public library availability, use, architecture, and finding the self in the public library. The empirical findings found that the First World War directly influenced change within each of the five fieldwork locations in terms of library service availability, fluctuations in library use, intentionality and repurposing of library architecture, and elements that encouraged finding one’s self. It would not be realistic to state conclusively that public library services in Yorkshire steadily served as an intellectual sanctuary for all members of the working-age population throughout the years 1914-1918. However, the four identified elements employed in this research (availability, use, architecture, and finding the self in the public library) have provided a practical framework to understand how sanctuary evolved during that period and how it was experienced by members of the local working age population during the First World War. Although the use and impact of the public library fluctuated between 1914 and 1918, it is possible to conclude that during times of unexpected conflict, public library services across Yorkshire provided many citizens with both physical and intellectual sanctuary where they could escape the turmoil of war.