In 1882 Morley created the first free children's library in Nottingham. This was the first public lending library for children in Britain, and was established by a grant of £500 (£48,000) by Morley on Shakespeare Street. The "Library for boys and Girls " was 100 yards from the Central Library the children were allowed to borrow two books in seven days so that they may not be tempted to neglect their home lessons. Morley believed that the working classes were "deluged and poisoned with cheap, noxious fiction of the most objectionable kind." The minimum age was seven, and the children proudly designated it as their own library of which Morley donated over 3,500 volumes of books.