Are you looking for libraries in Manchester? We’ve selected and featured 10 of the city’s best libraries for your perusal below.
1. Chetham’s Library
Founded in 1653, Chetham’s Library is the oldest library in Britain. Located in Manchester, in the UK, it’s homed in a building that it now calls home was originally built as a church, and visitors will be able to enjoy browsing through books in Chetham’s Library in its antique halls. Guests wanting to visit the library should sign up for public tours in advance since Chetham’s Library shares space with Chetham’s School of Music.
Chetham’s Library offers a wide variety of collections and reading material, which is available from Monday to Friday by appointment. The establishment also offers access to their digital collections on topics like criminal Manchester, Middle English manuscripts, and the history of Rochdale. As a museum as well as a library, Chetham’s Library also works on a number of projects, managing book collections and archives of historical articles.
Learn more about Chetham’s Library.
2. The Portico Library
Located in Manchester, England, The Portico Library boasts an incredible selection of more than 25,000 books and archives. Visitors can enjoy the free exhibitions and workshops on the premises of this historic library, which was founded in 1806. The Portico Library is open to visitors of all ages six days a week. Members of The Portico Library can even enjoy access to The Portico Library’s reading room and other exclusive collections of fiction and non-fiction books.
With its massive collections of books, it can be daunting to figure out where to begin. Visitors can rely on The Portico Library’s reading lists for a curated list of books to help focus their search for books on everything from fine arts, Jewish literature, and 19th-century history. The beautiful building can also be reserved for wedding photos and private events, and don’t forget to visit The Portico Library’s cafe for homemade food sourced locally and made fresh every day.
Check out what else to see The Portico Library can provide for you.
3. Manchester Central Library
Manchester Central Library is a library situated in St. Peters Square, in Manchester, Britain. It’s open to visits from Monday to Saturday with onsite facilities like baby change facilities, a nursing room, cafe, and gift shop. The location holds regular events such as Armed Forces Day and various fostering events.
To borrow books from Manchester Central Library, guests will require a library card, which is available for free. Through use of their library card, visitors can borrow and renew book items, reserve items online, and even download e-books and audiobooks. Manchester Central Library is pleased to offer services for visually impaired people as well, including text magnification stations.
Plan a visit to Manchester Central Library!
4. The University of Manchester Library
The largest library on the University of Manchester campus, the University of Manchester Library is an internationally-acclaimed library. One of the nation’s five National Research Libraries, the University of Manchester Library is proud of its continual efforts to be a welcoming space for learning for both students and visitors.
The University of Manchester Library is open to visitors seven days a week at its location on Oxford Road in Manchester, Britain. In addition to its many rooms of well-known book collections on books about law, medicine, education and science, it also offers the use of different facilities like group study spaces and supportive technology like computers and photocopying machines.
Check out the University of Manchester Library.
5. Beswick Library
Beswick Library is a public library in Manchester, England. Located on Grey Mare Lane in the city of Manchester, Beswick Library welcomes visitors old and young, including local students who come in to study as well as locals looking for a place to read and enjoy an afternoon indoors.
The public facility is open to the public from Monday to Saturday. Visitors can take advantage of their convenient parking, which is just off of Grey Mare Lane, where the library is located. Students benefit from Beswick Library’s Homework Club, a supportive service set up for school-aged children. From 10 to 11 AM on weekdays, Beswick Library also has an Age-Friendly hour, during which older library visitors can have specialised attention and care from librarians and helpers.
Visit Beswick Library today!
6. Brooklands Library
Visitors to Brooklands Library will be greeted with the colourful banner of Manchester Health Academy, the building that hosts Brooklands Library. Located on Moor Road, in Manchester, Britain, Brooklands Library is a public library that offers access to its academic resources to not only Manchester Health Academy’s students, but also members of the public with a valid library card.
Open from Monday to Saturday, Brooklands Library provides a wealth of resources at its physical location and also digital tools and materials that can be accessed digitally. Guests with a valid Manchester City Council library card can access some of the online resources offered by Brooklands Library and other Manchester City Council libraries, such as newspapers, dictionaries and streamed music.
Find out more about Brooklands Library here.
7. Withington Library
Established in 1927, Withington Library is proud to be one of the first Manchester-area libraries with a reading room dedicated to young people. In 2018, the library went through a renovation in order to continue being able to offer its services to the community, with added modern comforts and conveniences.
Situated in Manchester, Britain, Withington Library is open throughout the week with the exception of Thursdays and Sundays. The library offers storytime for its younger visitors, as well as an Age-Friendly hour to accommodate additional services and supports for senior citizens. Whether it is the child-friendly reading and play area, or the abundant reading and study spaces that the library has for students and adult readers, visitors will have everything they need to enjoy a productive visit to Withington Library.
Discover more about Withington Library here.
8. Gorton Library
Gorton Library is a public library that is proudly child-friendly. Located on Garratt Way in Gorton, Manchester, Gorton Library is open for visitors young and old from Monday to Saturday. Guests will also enjoy different events that Gorton Library hosts, including yoga classes and arts and craft sessions.
Gorton Library’s attractive Peter Rabbit space attracts a large number of children readers every year. Visit Gorton Library for their Adult Education Service and Skill Up workshop, which are held on a regular basis and aim to provide educational sessions for adults looking to retrain or find new avenues to improve their skills.
Take a look at what else Gorton Library has to offer!
9. Didsbury Library
With over 100 years of history to its name, Didsbury Library is proud of the service that the library continues to provide its local community members. Offering books to borrow for reading at home as well as ample reading space within its walls, Didsbury Library has added services to its building to make information even more accessible, including free Wi-Fi and available DVDs.
Open to community members and visitors every day but Wednesdays and Sundays, Didsbury Library is located on Wilmslow Road, with parking available near the library’s location. Children looking to learn French can even go to Didsbury Library for language lessons at La Petite Ecole de Manchester, which is hosted at this location.
Take advantage of what Didsbury Library has to offer!
10. Chorlton Library
Based on Manchester Road, in Manchester, England, Chorlton Library is regularly visited by a large number of visitors on any given day. Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1914, Chorlton Library is hosted in a listed building, given protection by the government for its historical relevance.
Chorlton Library is a welcoming space for both the young and old. Their services include Grand Day Out, a seniors club for those over 50, regular Tiny Tots and Toddler Sessions, as well as routine sessions to celebrate and educate about history. Along with its great selection of reading books and academic material, Chorlton Library has sofas, a children’s reading space as well as tables and chairs for students of every age and families looking to spend an afternoon reading together.
Contact Chorlton Library now.