# Gladstone's Library > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gladstone's_Library > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Gladstone's_Library.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladstone's_Library > Source revision: 1356324403 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{short description|Residential library in Hawarden, Wales}} {{Infobox library | name = Gladstone's Library | location = [Hawarden](/source/Hawarden), [Flintshire](/source/Flintshire), Wales | established = {{start date and age|1895}} | image = Llyfrgell Sant Deiniol and Gladstone's Library Hawarden Penarlâg 10.JPG | caption = | coordinates = {{coord|53.1859|-3.0272|type:landmark_region:GB|display=title,inline}} | collection_size = | pop_served = | items_collected = | req_to_access = Open to anyone with a need to use the collections and services | budget = | director = Andrea Russell (2023) | num_employees = 18 | website = http://www.gladstoneslibrary.org }} thumb|Gladstone's Library thumb|Gladstone's statue in the library. thumb|Gladstone's Library staff at the School of Advanced Study History Day 2017. '''Gladstone's Library''', known until 2010 as '''St Deiniol's Library''' ({{langx|cy|Llyfrgell Deiniol Sant}}), is a residential library in [Hawarden](/source/Hawarden), [Flintshire](/source/Flintshire), Wales, UK.{{cite news |last1=McClarence |first1=Stephen |title=Read, walk and relax in a Welsh literary hideaway |url=https://www.thetimes.com/travel/inspiration/read-walk-and-relax-in-a-welsh-literary-hideaway-mdqm3xhft |access-date=17 September 2018 |work=[The Times](/source/The_Times) |date=8 September 2018}} Gladstone's Library is Britain's only [Prime Ministerial](/source/Prime_Minister_of_the_United_Kingdom) Library and serves as the national memorial to [William Ewart Gladstone](/source/William_Ewart_Gladstone).{{cite book |last=Pritchard |first=T.W. |date=1999 |title=A History of St. Deiniol's Library |location=Hawarden, Wales |publisher=Monad Press |isbn=9780907450283 }} It is home to a large collection of printed items and archives that reflects Gladstone's main interests in history, literature, theology, and politics. ==History== The library was founded by William Gladstone in 1894. He was eager to share his personal library with others, especially those who faced financial constraint.{{Cite web | url = https://www.independentlibraries.co.uk/gladstones-library| title = Gladstone's Library, Hawarden| accessdate = 31 March 2023| publisher = Independent Libraries Association}} He would allow bright children and young adults of the village of [Hawarden](/source/Hawarden) to use his collection. His daughter [Mary Gladstone](/source/Mary_Gladstone) said that his desire was to "bring together books who had no readers with readers who had no books".{{Cite web | url = https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-joy-of-rummaging-through-gladstone-s-annotated-books/#:~:text=William%20Gladstone%2C%20at%20the%20age,readers%20who%20had%20no%20books| title = The joy of rummaging through Gladstone’s annotated books| accessdate = 31 March 2023| work = [The Spectator](/source/The_Spectator)}}[https://www.librarianresources.taylorandfrancis.com/insights/library-management/story-behind-library/ Librarian Resources website] In 1895, at the age of 85, William Gladstone gave £40,000 to the library as well as much of his own book collection. With the help of his daughter and his valet, he wheeled a selection of his books three quarters of a mile (1.2km) between his home at [Hawarden Castle](/source/Hawarden_Castle_(18th_century)) and the library. He unpacked them and put them onto shelves using his own classification system. In a diary entry dated 23 December 1895, he described the library's founding: "I have this day constituted my trust at St Deiniol's. The cost of the work has been I think £41 to £42000, including some charges of maintenance to Dec. 31. 95. May God of His mercy prosper it."H.C.G. Matthew [ed.], ''The Gladstone Diaries, Volume XIII: 1892-1896'' (1994) Oxford: Clarendon Press, p 432. Following his death in 1898, a public appeal was launched for funds to provide a permanent building to house the collection and replace the temporary structure. The £9,000 raised provided an imposing building, designed by [John Douglas](/source/John_Douglas_(English_architect)), which was officially opened by [Earl Spencer](/source/John_Spencer%2C_5th_Earl_Spencer) on 14 October 1902 as the National Memorial to W.E. Gladstone.{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=The Hawarden Memorial to Mr. Gladstone|date=14 October 1902 |page=7 |issue=36898}} The Gladstone family fulfilled the founder's vision by funding the residential wing, which welcomed its first resident on 29 June 1906. ==Facilities== The library is a Grade I [listed building](/source/listed_building){{Citation | url = http://cadwpublic-api.azurewebsites.net/reports/listedbuilding/FullReport?lang=en&id=15025| title = St Deiniol's Library, Hawarden| accessdate = 20 December 2016| publisher = [Cadw](/source/Cadw)}} and a [registered charity](/source/registered_charity).{{EW charity|701399}} The building includes historical reading rooms, 26 bedrooms for overnight guests, a guest lounge, cafe and restaurant.{{Cite web |last=Monaco |first=Emily |title=Gladstone's: The UK's only residential library |url=https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20231022-gladstones-the-uks-only-residential-library |access-date=2023-10-23 |website=BBC |series=Travel |language=en}} The library runs regular tours, talks, workshops, masterclasses and residential courses.[https://www.gladstonelibrary.org Gladstone Library official website] ==Collections== The library holds 20,000 volumes belonging to [William Ewart Gladstone](/source/William_Ewart_Gladstone) in its Foundation Collection, many of which contain Gladstone's own annotations, as well as over 150,000 books, pamphlets, and journals in its circulating collection.[https://www.visitwales.com/accommodation/guest-accommodation/gladstones-library-787537 Visit Wales website] It also holds the Glynne-Gladstone Archive, containing the personal, family, business, and estate correspondence and papers of the Glynne and Gladstone families. == See also == *[Dr Williams's Library](/source/Dr_Williams's_Library) in London *[List of non-ecclesiastical and non-residential works by John Douglas](/source/List_of_non-ecclesiastical_and_non-residential_works_by_John_Douglas) ==References== {{reflist}} ==External links== {{commonscat-inline|Gladstone's Library}} *[http://www.gladstoneslibrary.org/ Official website] *[https://www.gladstoneslibrary.org/reading-rooms/the-collections Gladstone Library, Collections and Archive website] *[https://www.gladstoneslibrary-us.com/ U.S. Friends of Gladstone's Library] {{Authority control}} Category:Library buildings completed in 1902 Category:Houses completed in 1906 Category:Libraries in Wales Category:John Douglas buildings Category:Tourist attractions in Flintshire Category:Grade I listed buildings in Flintshire Category:William Ewart Gladstone Category:Authors' libraries Category:1906 establishments in Wales Category:Charities based in Wales Category:Archives in Wales --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gladstone's Library](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladstone's_Library) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gladstone's_Library?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.