The Evangelical Library had its beginning in 1928, when Mr Geoffrey Williams, the founder and present librarian, was wondering what would happen to his personal collection of books after his departure. This collection “was rich in rare Protestant and Puritan authors, for the grace of God having arrested him when sunk in sin and shame and a stranger to the Truth as it is in Jesus, he sought to collect precisely those volumes which discover the richness of the Gospel, as proclaimed to the lost; and the thought of a great Protestant nation without an Evangelical Library with facilities for the widespread circulation of this heritage of truth took hold of his spirit as by an irresistible influence, . . . and fired him with an urge to sow the seeds of a great Circulating and Reference Library for the Christian public, both at home and abroad.” (Quoted from “The Birth of a Library for the Christian Public”, by Geoffrey Williams.)
Thus the seed was sown, and Mr Williams began systematically collecting books for the new Library: the works of the Puritans, aids to the serious study of the Scriptures, historical and biographical works, books for children, etc. Especially sought out were works dealing with the great revivals and outpourings of God’s Spirit that have occurred at different times in the history of the Church.
Today the Library has over 100,000 volumes, and branches have been opened in many parts of the world. A (far from complete) list of these at the end of this article will give some idea of how widely this work has spread, under the providence and grace of God. Thus in many different places evangelical books, mostly sent out from London, are being made available for the instruction and spiritual growth of Christians and for the propagation and defence of the faith.
We would like to commend the Evangelical Library to the prayerful interest of the Lord’s people, and to all who like to read sound Christian literature. There are several branches in Scotland, and we shall give below some information on those in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Stornoway. Branch members can get books through their branch from the London headquarters, as well as using the local branch stock. The only charge made is an annual subscription of 10/- or £1; (but extra donations are much appreciated as expenses are heavy. The Library is seeking to buy a building for the permanent accommodation of its headquarters, as the rent on the present premises has become very high.)
C. PURITZ.
Headquarters address: The Evangelical Library, 78a Chiltern Street, London, W.1. Tel. 01-935 6997.
Edinburgh Branch: 17 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh 1.
Hours of Opening: Tues., 7-9 p.m.; Thurs., 7-9 p.m.; Sat., 2-4 p.m. Enquiries to Mr Maurice Roberts at the above address, or to Mr Hector MacKendie, 3 Viewforth Square.
Glasgow Branch: 46 West Princes Street, Glasgow, C.4.
Hours of Opening: Tues., 7-9 p.m.; Thurs., 12 noon-2 p.m.; Fri., 7-9 p.m. Enquiries to Rev. H. R. Moshe Radclik, 964 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, C.3. Tel. 041-339 6881.
Stornoway Branch:
Enquiries to Mr D. M. MacKay, 4 Millar Road, Stornoway.
There are also branches in the following places: Accra, Addis Ababa, Alaska, Allahabad, Amsterdam, Auckland, Barcelona, Belfast, Blantyre, Bloemfontein, Buenos Aires, Calais, Casablanca, Dublin, Dunkerque, Edmonton, Faroes, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Huémoz-sur-ollon, Istanbul, Jamaica, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, Katerini, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lerwick, Lisbon, Manila, Marseilles, Melbourne, Montreal, Nairobi, Naples, Osaka, Paris, Philadelphia, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Seoul, Singapore, Suez, Taipei, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, Tunis, and other places.