ARGYLL: LIBRARY SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC BEFORE 1958

INTRODUCTION To choose 1958 as the year terminating a study of the development of public library facilities in Argyll may seem somewhat arbitrary. The year is chosen as marking the completion of the County Library system as conceived at its commencement in 1946. It was only then that the last of the Burgh Libraries became integrated into the service and it could be said to cover the whole county. Further developments took place within the context of this service but the concern of this paper is to examine the history which led up to its establishment. This is done mainly through the study of original material such as correspondence and reports. Since much of the available material related to the protracted period of negotiation between the County Authorities and the Carnegie United Kingdom Trust it seemed possible to concentrate on the activity of the Trust in the general development of rural library services in Scotland. During the years spent in considering their own position the Argyll authorities collected much information concerning other areas. Argyll's efforts, or the lack of them, might have been placed in comparison with activity elsewhere. However, it became obvious that services in other areas developed on individual lines which made comparisons possible only in the broadest of terms. Similarly, the Trust operated a policy within broad and negotiable guidelines involving detailed regulation on only a minimum of issues which were considered to be vital.