THIS year has seen the 150th anniversary of Bradford Libraries.

Bradford’s first free public library opened in June 1872, with a reference library in Tyrrel Street. For the first time, people from all walks of life and all ages had free access to books and information.

Since then the library service has developed to incorporate new technology alongside the offer of books, information and events. Now the library services are available 24 hours online, and library buildings are ‘people places’, serving communities and providing a safe space and a place to meet.

To celebrate its anniversary, Bradford Libraries invited children in the district to enter a competition to design a new children’s library card. Entrants were encouraged to create designs that reflected what libraries meant to them - books, reading, going to the library as a child, meeting authors, story-time; using PCs; class visits; summer reading challenges and special moments. The competition, open to Bradford children from four to 11-years-old, drew a total of 454 entries from across the district, representing 47 primary schools.

“The standard of entry was exceptional, with a wealth of creativity and imagination reflecting the importance of libraries and reading to many children,” said a libraries service spokesman.

Twice-nominated Kate Greenaway Medal children’s illustrator Martin Impey, who was visiting Bradford libraries as part of the Reading Pictures Seeing Stories Festival, judged the competition. He decided on one overall winner - 11-year-old Craig Sumner - and five highly-commended entrants: Stevie Shaw, six; Isabelle Exley, 10; Ben Grech, 10; Mayundo Jumatano, 11 and Adam Zoubir, eight.

The winning design, by Craig Sumner, 11 (Image: Submitted)

Adam Zoubir, eight, presented with Highly Commended certificate by the Lord Mayor (Image: Submitted)

All six children were invited to a 150th Anniversary Celebration at City Library where they were each presented with a certificate by the Lord Mayor of Bradford Cllr Martin Love and a bag of books which included signed copies by Martin Impey of his award-winning book Where the Poppies Now Grow. An illustration drawn and signed by Martin was inside the winner’s copy.

Also attending the event were the oldest and youngest members of the library service Barbara Harvey, aged 102, and Alexander White, aged one-and-a-half months.

Youngest member of the library service, Alexander White, aged six weeks (Image: Submitted)

Cllr Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Healthy People and Places, said: “The library service has so much to offer the people of our district and this has been true over the past 150 years. They are spaces at the heart of communities where people can feel safe and welcome, they have a host of free resources and information and a place to meet and take part in events and activities.

“It is has been great to celebrate our libraries and hear the stories and how important our libraries are to residents. Things have obviously changed over the years and the way we read books and research has changed but throughout this time our libraries have adapted what they offer and have proven how important they are for our residents and how they have helped them through some really challenging times.”

Bradford Libraries will continue the celebrations into next year with an exhibition and launch of a new book - 150 Years of Bradford Free Libraries - to mark the opening of the first lending library in Bradford on February 17, 1873.