Gladstone’s Library is located in Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales, and is the national memorial to William Ewart Gladstone, the Victorian statesman and four times Prime Minister of Great Britain. It is open to anyone who wishes to use its collections and services. It offers 26 bedrooms for overnight guests, an on-site restaurant and cafe, a guest lounge and a chapel. The library also runs regular tours, talks, workshops, masterclasses and residential courses for writers, researchers and readers.
The library was founded by Gladstone himself in 1894, when he decided to share his personal collection of books with the public, especially those who faced financial constraints. He donated 32,000 books and £40,000 to the library, and personally wheeled them from his home at Hawarden Castle to the library site. He also unpacked them and put them onto shelves using his own classification system.