Catalogue description Ministry of Education: Further Education Branch: Public Libraries, General Registered Files (A Series)

Under The Public Libraries Act 1919 county councils were empowered to adopt areas not included within the limits of existing library authorities established under the provisions of the Public Libraries Acts 1892 to 1901. Existing library authorities, not being the council of a county borough, had the option to relinquish their powers in favour of the council of the county.

In 1920 the Board of Education assumed departmental responsibility for public libraries in accordance with the provisions of the Public Libraries Act, 1919, with the exception of the power of financial sanction and audit which continued to rest with the Ministry of Health.

In the post-war period the Library Association, local authority associations and other bodies discussed with ministers proposals for the reorganisation and development of the public library service.

In 1957 a Committee on Public Libraries ('Roberts' Committee), under the chairmanship of Sir Sydney Roberts, was appointed to consider the structure of the public library service in England and Wales and to advise what changes, if any, should be made in the administrative arrangements, taking into account the relation of public libraries to other libraries. The committee's report was presented to Parliament in February, 1959 under the title, 'The Structure of the Public Library Service in England and Wales'.

In 1961 two working parties were appointed to advise on aspects of the Roberts report, dealing with matters concerning basic requirements for an efficient library service (Working Party A) and problems of inter-library co-operation (Working Party B).