Library turns the page on its first 50 years
A half-century of stories and study was celebrated as the University of Bradford’s library marked its milestone anniversary.
The JB Priestley Library, named after the Bradford-born writer, was officially opened by JB Priestley and then-University Chancellor and Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, on 18 October 1975.
Fifty years on, past and present staff members marked its 50th anniversary with a host of activities.
Kirsty Carver, Head of Library Services, who initially joined as a Subject Librarian for Engineering in 2010, said: “It's an academic library at the heart of the campus. It is hugely valued by staff, students and researchers throughout the University.
“Libraries are a sanctuary, a safe place and that’s what libraries mean to us all.”
Looking back
The celebration event, held on 14 October, featured a timeline display of key dates in the library’s history from 1975 to 2025, showcasing milestones and moments over the last 50 years.
A screening of ‘Welcome to Bradford University Library’, a 1979 film capturing how the site has changed over the decades, was also held. At that time, students used the library’s microfiche catalogue to find a book, a security steward checked books had been correctly issued to students.
The University of Bradford News Sheet, dated 16 October 1975, reported on the opening of the library and computer centre, went on display, alongside its 2025 counterpart.
Professor Shirley Congdon, the University’s Vice-Chancellor, planted a Braeburn apple tree at the library entrance at the celebration event. The tree symbolises renewal and the University’s commitment to sustainability.
‘A completely different world’
Sophie North, Library Customer Services Manager, initially joined the library in 1989 as an assistant working on a casual basis.
She said: “It feels like a completely different world in the library now. Everything was so manual when I started. Students back then joined the library separately and had to queue up to get their library card.”
Stephen Mercer, an Electronic Resources Assistant who joined in 1989, said: “Technology has changed everything, from how we find information to how they [students] interact with the information.
“We had catalogue cards for books and journal articles before. It was a hugely lengthy process before to take out a book.”
Library’s legacy
The library also features a family room and the University’s Special Collections, which houses more than 150 collections of archives and rare books, including works of JB Priestley.
The Study Hub, located in the lower ground floor of the JB Priestley Library, received a £1.6 million makeover in 2024 to expand and transform the group learning area available for students.
Library facts and figures
• 5km of print journals were discarded in 2012 when the shift was made to digital information
• In August 2009, the library bought its first e-book. Today, it offers more than 500,000 e-books
• The first version of the University’s library website was launched in January 1998
• The first computer was introduced in the JB Priestley Library in 1979
• In 1975, the library stocked 196,885 print copies of books, compared to 276,532 in 2025