A lovely library on 2 floors. It's recently been refurbished & has a drinks machine, computers with…read morefree net access, magazines & friendly staff. There's a pre school story time every Wednesday morning in term time & PAWS craft every other Monday.

This is everything a library should be - not the fussy, silent place of dusty books and even…read moredustier staff - this is the kind of library I wanted when I was little. A place to explore! I got a lovely warm hello from the staff as soon as I came in, and they were quite ready to answer my questions, and were very helpful,. There was a hive of activity going on in the children's area - how many libraries do you know that get clay, paint and glue out all at the same time! It's not the quietest of libraries, and the staff seemed to be louder than the borrowers, especailly the storyteller. Saying that, she not only had the children entranced but half the adults on the computers were chuckling away to the funny bits in the story too. They have a BBC Breathing Places Secret Garden outside too and some of the children went off with watering cans in hand to help. Why can't all the libraries be as much fun? I wish I was five again.

If scavenging around library sales is your thing, then Castleford library is the place to be…read moreheading at the moment, they've got a top-notch one going on. Lots of those cute blue and orange vintage Peacock and Penguin paperbacks, quite a lot of foreign language novels for enthusiastic linguists, and most of it for 10p a go! Some of the more mainstream stuff, e.g. the type of novel you'd find in Smiths, is more expensive. But I can get that kind of thing in any charity shop in any case, so why bother. The building itself is a cute little old place - I know nothing of architecture but it's got a very 30s/Victorian vibe, tiny little windows, and nice friendly librarians. (Although the counter is set out rather haphazardly and it's difficult to work out where you're supposed to be served). Still, worth a visit.