Sunderland Corporation West Branch Library

The Sunderland Corporation West Branch Library is a branch library built in 1909, designed by architect Hugh TD Hedley and constructed by contractor WB Cooper. The site was donated by Alderman William Burns J.P. The library is built of bright red stretcher bond brick with sandstone ashlar dressings, topped with a roof of Lakeland slates, and is designed in the Baroque style.

The exterior features a single storey with a symmetrical arrangement of windows in a 2:2:2 pattern. There are renewed side steps leading to a central porch, which has a panelled door with round middle panels reminiscent of many 19th century Sunderland doors. This door is framed by an architrave with a curved projecting key, and the frieze above is inscribed with "BRANCH LIBRARY." The porch is flanked by heavily rusticated attached columns and topped with an ogee dentilled pediment that includes the date 1909 in a carved tympanum.

The end pairs of windows are set in projections and are supported by rusticated pilasters that hold open dentilled pediments featuring the Borough arms. Single windows are located on either side of the porch. All windows are sashes with glazing bars and have long triple keys on lugged architraves. A dentilled cornice extends forward to the pediments and supports a balustrade over the recesses flanking the porch. There are corniced panels above the outer blind bays and raised panels with a cornice and blocking course over the pediments.

Commemorative stones on the left side of the building name the site donor and architect, as well as the Town Clerk, while another stone on the right names the contractor, Mayor, and officials. This library is one of three libraries funded by Andrew Carnegie, who donated £10,000 for the establishment of two libraries, with the other two being in Monkwearmouth and Hendon.