History
Over 100 years ago on December 24, 1915, the London Public Library Board opened its first branch library, the East Branch in a corner store on the ground floor of the former town hall for London East (now the Aeolian Hall). The need for the branch was made even more apparent with the annexation of Chelsiea Green, Ealing, Knollwood Park and Pottersburg in 1912.
The Board provided $2,800 for books, equipment, improvements to the store and two months expense for maintenance; 1041 volumes were purchased for the branch. Mr. Clifford Heeney was appointed as the Branch Librarian at a salary not to exceed $50 per month. Board member Rev. Dr. Charles Flanders moved that the branch library be known as the “East Branch”.
Branch hours were 2 – 6:15 p.m., and 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. The branch was well patronized by soldiers quartered in Queen’s Park and by east Enders who considered the distance to the downtown library too great to walk. The East Branch had a total circulation of 20,824 by the end of June 1916 (since opening December 1915. In other words, every book in the branch had circulated an average of ten times in six months.
The branch, noted for its “well-lighted rooms” and “supply of books for the citizens”, moved to its current location at 465 Quebec Street in 1926. In 1961 it was renamed after William Oliver Carson (Librarian, 1906-1916) to honour his service.