ABSTRACT
On 1 August 1994, the Central Library of Norwich, England was destroyed by fire. A new, state-of-the-art library was opened on the same site just seven years later. Behind these two simple sentences lies a tragic tale of loss and a long, difficult route to recovery. Before considering the longer-term effects of this
disaster and detailing the road to recovery, it is necessary to put the library into its context and to say a little about the losses sustained.
