I would just like to say what an excellent experience we had at Chorlton Library. The young man on…read moreduty was very helpful and kind. Thank you.

I used to love visiting the local library as a kid, but my university's library gave me a bit of a…read morelibraryphobia (there is probably a real word for that). It was silent, eerie and musty with librarians who looked like they had never been outside and would 'shhhhhhh' people for rustling paper. Therefore when I moved to Chorlton I didn't visit the library for several months, despite the fact that I walked past it every day. One day I agreed to teach an English lesson to a Polish beginner. I had some material, but I was afraid he'd think I was unprofessional with my scrappy notes. It was time for the inevitable - a visit to the library. I found some really great TEFL material including a picture book which was great for teaching new vocab. Since then I have made several visits to the library and borrowed novels and travel guides, both of which they have a good range of. They also have language learning materials, foreign literature, CDs and DVDs and a small number of PCs with internet access, which I took advantage of when our router was bust. The only downside is that there is usually a wait of at least 10 minutes to use the PCs. The staff look like real people. They're mainly young and quite friendly and don't mind you talking. It's really quick, easy and free to register, and the library card allows you to borrow materials and use the internet at all of Manchester's libraries.

Not a big library and the opening times are limited but I would rather go here than town centre…read moreone, the staff have always been very friendly and never seem too busy to help as has been the case in town, my daughter loves going to choose her books and settles happily in the junior section whilst i choose mine and I can see her which is important. For a small place it is bright and airy, there is a good selection of books and you can order any that they havent got in. Books from any Lancashire library can be returned here as well. There are about 6 computers connected to the internet which are free to use if you are a member.

Love libraries. I love this one too. It is great for resources locally and the Internet. When I…read morewent in it was a Saturday and packed with people wandering around looking for books and also children and adults on the computers. It has been modernised well and looks fabulous and has maintained itself as a resource centre for hundreds of people. It is great for school trips here to get children interested in reading plus they would have a field day with all the different things they could do. I think this is a great place to go if you are looking for local history or old newspapers.

A very busy place. Very helpful staff. I use this place as an IT base for printing, scanning etc…read morewhen travelling.Comfortable & warm, important in Oldham in winter. I wish it was open for longer. "Community Hub" is no idle boast. And you can park. Wonderful! I love it. Can't believe it's free!

I've genuinely never left a bad review in my life, but the experience I had at Manchester Central…read morewas beyond disappointing. I came in to print a few pages and was incredibly polite the entire time--even when things kept going wrong. The papers kept coming out incorrectly, but I stayed calm and asked nicely if they could be reprinted. At no point was I rude or demanding. Eventually, the price on the screen didn't match what it should've been, but I even said I'd just pay the higher price to avoid causing trouble. After paying, one of my documents printed completely wrong--an A3 image came out as A2 on an A3 paper, with no visible writing. I pointed it out and explained that I wouldn't pay again for a print that was clearly incorrect. This clearly upset the ginger receptionist at the bottom front desk, who suddenly told me (in a very rude and dismissive tone) to not come to her anymore and that I should take out cash and print everything myself. Even then, I told her it was fine--I actually felt bad for making her print something I didn't pay for, even though it was their machine's error. But on my way back to my seat, I overheard her talking about me to another receptionist, and when I showed the incorrect printout again, another staff member (with shorter hair) said it was my fault. I've never been treated with such disrespect by people in a public service role. You'd expect librarians to be kind, helpful, and professional--but what I experienced was the opposite. I walked out feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable, despite being nothing but polite and patient throughout. Absolutely shameful service.

If you're a Manchester resident, whether that be from one of the boroughs of the city, like me who…read moremight have their own unaffiliated library chain, the Manchester Central Library certainly makes it worthwhile to be apart of Manchester City Council's Library programme, which is by far the best library service overall in the Greater Manchester region by availability of the newest books and even individual library locations, like this one. Manchester Central Library is a huge, stunning old building which was recently renovated in 2014 in Manchester city centre, it is just off Deansgate via Peter Street in St Peter's Square meaning it is also close to John Ryland's Library (which has actually been reviewed more on Yelp!) The location basically opposite a branch of Starbucks as well as The Midland Hotel and the Radisson Blu Edwardian, the latter is part of the exclusive few places to actually have warranted a perfect five-star rating from me (and the only accredited 5* hotel in the city centre) The City Library is on the lower floor, but that doesn't mean the rest of the building is left empty - the ground floor features a Cafe which is reasonably priced as well as a cool archive space, which although to the back of the library could be laid out better, it still is a rather nice exhibit. There are some tables and computers making it a decent place to work, obviously with the benefit, you don't have to buy a drink with it being a library building. It was actually built in 1930 here, taking four years to complete and that same length of time was spent on the renovations between 2010 and 2014 and part of the design is based from the Pantheon, Rome, meaning walking into it, it feels like a fancy old building, it reminds me of a typical Apple Store which in large cities are often located in these big, impressive, historic buildings - think of London, Berlin etc. A pretty cool place to spend time without looking to spend too much in the city - although there are some areas of improvement such as the layout and how welcoming certain parts are (certain parts appear derelict), more charging points and helpful staff is always a bonus! 4*

Sowerby Bridge Library is rather nice. It is on the ground floor of a lovely old building, very…read moreeasy to get to (just next to the swimming baths) and it has disabled access. It is quite a large building for a small town, so is able to carry a good selection of books. The range is quite standard - reference, non-fiction, fiction and childrens. The same staff have worked there for as long as I can remember and they are very knowledgeable, efficient and helpful. They are always happy to check stock and order books in for you. They also have a good dvd rental range, and free internet access for members. Although libraries are getting less and less used nowadays as more people have their own internet access, this branch is usually quite busy.

Thsi place is great! Staff are friendly and helpful. Due to its size the amount of books isnt…read moremassive but its still worth popping in, I always get something on my visits and the internet access if a bonus. Lovely building too !

Not the biggest library in manchester, but its one of the few in my experiance that the books are…read morewhere they are supposed to be in order. If they havnt got the books you want they order them for you from other libraries and send an email or phone you up when they arrive. plenty of seats are available so you can spend time reading in peace and quiet. They also have several Pcs available for browsing the internet,but be warned these are popular and you usually have to book the day before.

Great place! as procalc said above, its not the biggest library but the staff are fantastic and are…read moremore than wiling to order books in. fantastic service and in a lovely place! Lots of computers and seats, and the occasional competition for the children. Guide dog friendly and they sell lots of knik-knaks.

What a lovely library! Mr. Snarky's printer is not quite working, so I headed to the library to…read moreprint out a form that I need. Lucky for me that the Bolton Bus Station is right across the street from the Library. I love this little crescent area, although traversing the street can be a bit hazardous with no lights and seemingly no hint of what drivers have the right of way. Anyway, this building houses the library... AND the museum, aquarium, and tourist information. A great way to get traffic through the building and to the library, but as another reviewer mentioned, it is quite noisy for your average library. That's why I took a star off because I am one of those people that enjoys reading and browsing through books in quiet at the library. For me a library should be an escape from the hustle and bustle outside. That said, one of the staff members who was helping me did tell off another patron for using his mobile phone in the computer area and asked him to head to a designated area for mobile phone use. So at least they are trying to contain the noise. While I didn't spend much time browsing the selection of books, I did get to have a look around and it certainly looks well stocked, but you never really know until you come in with a specific book in mind. Not sure how it is for research purposes, but it seemed quite busy with people looking through books, DVDs, and surfing the net. There were lots of staff and they were all helping other patrons and it was quite nice to see. The staff seemed very keen to help and were extremely friendly. I headed off to the right to to desk near the computers. A member of staff explained the computer system to me, printing prices, etc. You can book a computer for one hours use and if you are just doing something quick, then you also have an option for an impromptu 15 minute use. Printing in black and white is 10p and payment is collected when you collect your print job at the desk. I don't have a library card, so they let me sign in as a guest, you just need to sign in and provide and address and a member of staff will log you on. The computers and internet seemed to be pretty quick, which is always nice to know if you need to use them. The library also has wifi so if you do not want to use their computers, you can ask a member of staff and they can provide you with the information. On my way out, I stopped to look at the tourist information. They have some great resources for days out and even larger holiday booklets for much of the UK. Next to the tourist information is a section of DVDs and if you move closer to the door, there is an area with local announcements/advertisements, but also binders full of information on clubs, organizations, etc. that you can join. Lovely! If you travel upstairs you'll find the museum and aquarium. Must come back and check that out.

As well stocked as this library is, it feels very modern and cheap now. Even the bookcases look…read morelike they're from IKEA. It's also not revered as a traditional library in the sense that it can get very noisy, people talking and shouting, children running around screaming and laughing, and sounds from the computers which people are using. Shame really. But if you're just looking for books to take out with you, rather than sitting and relaxing and reading, then this place is probably okay for you.

It's a friendly library shame the cuts have affected the opening hours as this is a great place for…read morethe community my children enjoy coming here and using computers Staff (volunteers) are friendly and always helpful

No books here hardly,its always dead here as well,not much service here or books.read more