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The Bradford Mechanics' Institute Library was established in 1832 helped by James Hanson and for over 70 years played a leading role in adult education. ==Nineteenth century== The Institute Library was established in 1832 helped by James Hanson, Benjamin Godwin and others. This Mechanics' Institute played a leading role in adult education in Bradford, providing books, classes and later, a series of very popular public lectures over 70 years. As an international centre of the worsted cloth industry there was a huge demand in Bradford for education in technical and commercial subjects, chemistry (for the dyeing industry), building construction and industrial art and design. Modern languages teaching was also important: it was said that on the Bradford Wool Exchange it was possible to hear every European language on any morning of the week. The Bradford Observer declared, ''The Mechanics' Institute was the body best adapted and most likely to afford technical education so desirable in an industrial town like ours.''〔Verity, 'A Short History of The Bradford Mechanics' Institute and Library 1832 - 2006' 2nd Edition, 2006.〕 In 1871 the Bradford MP, the Rt Hon W.E. Forster, opened the magnificent new building in Bridge Street. With shops and a newsroom at street level, a large library above surrounded by teaching rooms which could accommodate 700 students, a lecture theatre with raked seating for 1500 people and, on the upper floor, an elegant restaurant, this building was to become a Bradford landmark for the next hundred years. The Mechanics provided a thriving intellectual and social centre in the very heart of the City of Bradford. William Forster's Elementary Education Act 1870 had created local school boards throughout the country. Ironically, the spread of state-provided education which followed Forster's 1870 Education Act led to the Education Act 1902 which empowered local authorities to co-ordinate the work of the various educational bodies in its area. In 1904 it was agreed that all classes at the Bradford Mechanics' Institute should be transferred to the control of the Local Council through the recently established Bradford Technical College. The top floor rooms of the building were let to the City Council for teaching these classes but, effectively, the Mechanics' Institute had lost its role as a provider of formal education. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Bradford Mechanics' Institute Library」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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