A very welcome addition to Durham city centre, Clayport library replaced a not-very friendly…read morebuilding behind the Fighting Cocks. It is well set out and child-friendly, and with a good selection of books and other material. The ground floor is given over to books, with computers for internet access and downstairs is the digital media suite where dvd's, and cd's are available for loan, and there are more computers available. There are many holiday activities on offer also.

There's usually some cool exhibitions on at the Library on the Palace Green so it's always worth…read morechecking out. Our visit today was to see the Magna Carta on its grand tour of the country to commemorate its 800 year anniversary. More of that later. Once inside the historic stone entrance you find yourself in a super modern library and exhibition space. It's not what you'd expect but it kind of works. There's a nice little gift shop and great staff to help you out. The Magna Carta exhibition was excellent; a genuine copy of the 1216 charter sent to Durham (it didn't get one in 1215 because there was no Bishop in place) was right there - actually right there. It was quite amazing to see it so close, albeit in a glass case. The exhibition focusses on the history of rebellion and there was lots of other good stuff too like the gloves worn by Charles I on the day of his beheading.

This is a stunning building as many are in Darlington because of its highly industrious victorian…read moreage. The library is separated into clearly defined sections. It has a fabulous childrens section and adults section and also has a great referencing library. You can search for whatever books you want on computers so you don't have to wander along the shelves unless you want to. They have Dvds and audio books aswell and it is extremely cheap to join and get a library card so you can start borrowing. They have the latest released books and to make it fair have waiting lists for the most popular ones. So what are you waiting for? Get on down there and get borrowing.

this could be a wonderful school for all ages; set in a lovely old building donated to the people…read moreof Darlington by one of our Quaker families. a Great set of books that you can get in large print and audio they also sell them off for pennies which is great for collectors who are quick off the mark.For younger readers they have plenty of events to bring them in with mum and dad and a reference library which with its computors can now answer the hardest of questions. The Library is also the home of Darlingtons Adult learning scheme that offers plenty of choice for adults of all backgrounds and abilities. It's a shinning Star in this old town.

Killingworth Library is located within the White Swan, a community centre in Killingworth…read more It's a nice, modern Library with friendly staff, Internet workstations, a good selection of books, a children's area and a number of community and special interest group activities to be found. I often visit, find a quiet spot, pop my earphones in and take advantage of the free Wi-Fi to get some work or research done. It's (as expected for a Library!) quiet and relaxing here. The Library also has a great selection of comic books and graphic novels for the more geeky learning amongst us. All in all, this is a lovely local Library and a credit to the staff and the local community.

Great place to read and study. New building is gorgeous also. Much better than the old cabin.read more

This is a superb library in Newcastle, and I would recommend anyone to check it out. We arrived at…read moreabout 12:30 on Saturday, half an hour before closing time, but the staff were so welcoming and told us we were welcome to roam around the whole place, including on the balconies. I was surprised at how welcoming it all was, and was slightly worried it would be a bit too elitist for us lowly tourists to visit. I was wrong. It's a quiet place, but certainly not a silent library, and murmurs of chat were heard all around the interior. People were reading newspapers, drinking coffee, catching up with friends, and generally relaxing. It was a lovely atmosphere. The interior itself is gorgeous, with vast collections of old books, music scores, and more. Arranged over two levels, access to the balconies is by some spiral staircases, and they offer a nice view over the library. It's completely free (though you can donate or buy some memorabilia), so please pop in for a visit if you're in the area.

Listen, ever since I was a schoolboy, the Lit&Phil was a desirable and mysterious place where you…read morewere guaranteed to get set texts for O and A level exams - the public libraries were good, but your name was just put on a list. The only problem was that the Lit&Phil was a private library and you had to pay to be a member. That gave it a mysterious caché for a struggling schoolboy. Eventually, I could afford to buy my way in and my only regret was that I didn't do it sooner. If you like to work surrounded by stacks of books, this is the place. It has a long pedigree of prestigious past presidents including Armstrong and Stephenson whose ghosts greet you on the stone staircase as you come in. We get student visitors from the other universities' libraries. Because it's good to see young people in a library, I always ask them why they prefer to be in the Lit&Phil. They always say, "It is so much quieter!" In fact there is an even quieter space downstairs in the Reference Section - almost too quiet unless you appreciate pure silence. I could go on for ages about this "Club," about how it has a special room just for the ladies, the legendary little hatch where you get cups of tea or coffee, the staff who know everything, the musical, poetry and literary events that are part of its regular programme, but all I'll say is that if you want a social meeting place in the middle of town, a place you can work and have serious conversations, and are able to enjoy its in-built charm, then the Lit&Phil is the place for you.

Peterlee library is on the outskirts of peterlee town centre…read moreIt is inside of peterlee college so there is plenty parking spaces. This library is large with plenty of choice. There is a nice childrens section with reading corner and a very good computer area where you can go online or use the printer or copy machine. They have a good choice of audio books and cds for you to borrow and the prices are very good. This libary will be closing soon onto the new college site in peterlee.

Very nice and modern library in the centre of Newcastle, with a huge selection of books, a large…read moreamount of seating and study space, excellent views from the upper floors, and a nice café as well. This has everything I want in a library. The modern building is quite attractive and welcoming, with a very open and spacious lobby. There is a glass lift, which offers a pretty exciting ride to the upper floors, but also nice wide staircases. I realise I'm commenting on fairly irrelevant things for a library, but I enjoyed the overall feel of the place. As already mentioned, the views from the top are very nice, all the way over Newcastle. There are comfortable seats provided by the window, so you can relax with a book or newspaper and take in the view. The Laing Art Gallery is just across the street, and it was just a lucky coincidence that we saw its advertisement for a Leonardo exhibition from the library. Of course we had to go see that as well (review to follow). Before leaving the library, we tried the café, which is good value, comfortable, and serves good products. Worth a visit.

Libraries have had a hard time lately so it was great to visit Newcastle City Library and see that…read morelibraries are still something we can be proud of. Newcastle City Council really should be proud of this place, it seems to be a real community hub and the staff were justifiably proud of the place which provided not only space for an impressive collection of traditional library items but meeting and community areas, good quality retail stock and a rather nice cafe.