Public Libraries Act 1855

Public Libraries Act 1855
Act of Parliament
Long titleAn Act for further promoting the Establishment of Free Public Libraries in Municipal Towns, and for extending it to Towns governed under Local Improvement Acts, and to Parishes.
Citation18 & 19 Vict. c. 70
Territorial extent England and Wales
Dates
Royal assent30 July 1855
Commencement30 July 1855
Repealed1 October 1892
Other legislation
Repeals/revokesPublic Libraries Act 1850
Amended by
Repealed byPublic Libraries Act 1892
Relates toTowns Improvement Clauses Act 1847
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted

The Public Libraries Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. 70) was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that repealed the Public Libraries Act 1850 (13 & 14 Vict. c. 65) for England and Wales.

The provisions were:

  • to extend the right to adopt public library legislation beyond municipal boroughs to parish vestries
  • to reduce the population requirement from 10,000 to 5,000
  • to allow parishes to group together to meet the population requirement
  • to explicitly include the Metropolis
  • to allow adoption if a two thirds majority were in favour at a public meeting