West Branch Library

The West Branch Library, built in 1907 and designed by F.W. Albury, is a notable example of the "Wren-naissance" architectural style. This building features one and a half storeys and is constructed of red brick with Bath stone ashlar dressings. It has a moulded plinth, a modillion cornice, and a coping to the parapet. The façade consists of three bays on each side of a prominent porch, which is adorned with paired glazing bar casement windows flanked by paired pilasters. The hipped tiled roof is topped with two tripartite segmental dormers that sit behind the parapet. A wooden cupola with a Doric peristyle and a lead dome adds to the structure's elegance. The entrance is segmental headed with a concave surround, and above the gable are three busts representing Milton, Shakespeare, and possibly Darwin.

On each side of the building, there are stone commemorative tablets laid by Edward Jackson, the mayor, and Dr. Jameson Hurry, a local antiquary, on October 16, 1907. Inside, the lobby features marble commemorative plaques that name the architect, the donor Andrew Carnegie, G.W. Palmer (who opened the library), and the builders, T.H. Kingerlee and Sons. The interior includes a top-lit central hall with stained glass depicting The Abbey, Reading, and university badges. There are three rooms, with the side rooms featuring plaster barrel vaults, modillion cornices, and dormers in the ceilings. A glazed screen separates the desk from the north room.