Miner's Library

A direct result of a fast growing and culturally diverse population was the formation of many social groups and networks among the miners. One of the most notable examples of this was the creation of the Miner's Library.

The Miner's Library Club was first established in 1890 and was then called the Alberta Railway and Coal Company's Employees' Reading Room and Library Society. The library originated as the result of a donation of books from Charles Alexander Magrath. In 1887 Magrath presented a number of books to the N.W.C.& N.Co. for its employees with the intention of forming a library. By 1890 the Alberta Railway and Coal Company (the successor of the N.W.C.& N.Co.) had established such a library and reading room, thanks to Donald McNabb. McNabb had organized a committee to raise money for the furnishing of company-donated quarters and the purchase of papers, periodicals, and books for the new facility.

By 1905 the library contained 1500 books, including texts on geology, mathematics, and mining. There were also dictionaries, literary works, and reference books. Many of these books were highly valued by miners who wished to increase their training and knowledge and thereby improve their employment prospects. And although the library's name changed with the different company names, the library remained an important part of Lethbridge's history.