Bleak times for McMillan library

There is a gate behind the iconic building which is open. Inside, there are a group of workers refurbishing the 82-year-old library, which houses precious first edition books and works of art.

Unfortunately, the slow pace of repair works is disconcerting for library users. And unless someone writes a fat cheque, book lovers will have to wait longer.

Johnson Kariuki, the director of the Social Services and Housing Department at Nairobi City County, a branch responsible for the library’s management, says the facility was run down and had to be closed for repairs.

“The roofs were leaking badly damaging most of these books. The interiors needed an overhaul,” he says.

Mr Kariuki attributes the slow pace of repairs to lack of funds. He says the library management is financing the repairs without external funding.

“When you work with a contractor, there is a set period, but this is an in-house project between my department and the City Engineer,” he says.

The renovation was scheduled to be completed in May, 10 months after repairs began. “We are a little constrained in terms of money,” he adds.

And now, the county landmark has been converted into a parking lot. Today, 12 vehicles are parked in the library’s compound.

For a fee

Mr Kariuki explains: “We (Nairobi County) charge people who park their cars in our compound. As you know, parking spaces are limited in Nairobi”.

Before its closure, McMillan Memorial Library operated from Monday through to Saturday.

City residents, mostly students from universities and colleges, frequented the facility to do research.

The library has a rich history. It was put up by Lady McMillan on June 15, 1931, in memory of Lord William Northrup McMillan, her husband, who had died six years earlier. Lord McMillan was a rancher, businessman, explorer and big game hunter who owned land on the slopes of Kilimambogo.

Back then, library development followed the racial lines; McMillan Memorial Library served the European community only.

In a similar manner, Mombasa’s Sir Seif Bin Salim Public Library and Reading Room, which was opened in 1903, and Nairobi’s Desai Memorial Library established in 1942, were designated for Arabs and Asians respectively.

However, McMillan Memorial Library was taken over by the Nairobi City Council in 1962 and was open to everyone.

The Council then opened four branches of the library in Kaloleni (1967), Eastlands (1969), Waithaka Technical Library (1990) and Kayole (1996).

Six pillars

Architecturally, McMillan Memorial Library is striking. Six pillars line up the front entrance, with two lion statues on their sides. Huge wooden doors welcome you.

Yet what’s inside is even more outstanding.

The library is home to old and original editions of books and works of art in sections divided into circulations, reference, technical, periodicals and serials, children’s sub-section and Africana.

The Africana section holds books that you will probably not find anywhere else, and the periodical section has newspapers and journals dating back to the 1900s.

Mr Kariuki is still optimistic that the national treasure will be open to the public in no time.

“Roof and toilet repairs are almost complete,” he says. We are now refurbishing the common reading room and the Africana section.

These, he says, will take one week, and if everything goes according to schedule, the library gates will be reopened in two weeks.

While the historical significance of McMillan Memorial Library cannot be overstated, library users will be looking forward to accessing the facility soon.