What an amazing and historic landmark! I would recommend anyone tour through the Library. The…read morearchitecture is beautiful and the rare manuscripts and artifacts they house are incredible. They are having a special display of one of Shakespeare's plays, one of the oldest New Testaments, even artifacts from King Nebuchadnezzar's palace. They will all be on display which will be quite amazing to see. This is a must see in Manchester! Truly amazing how it has stood the test of time.

Love spending time in libraries while on holiday (vacation) Stunning late-Victorian neo-Gothic…read morelibrary , John Rylands Library opened at the turn of the 20th century and is a gorgeous remnant of Manchester. Potter-heads would appreciate the look and feel inside the library is inspired the design for Hogwarts. I'm not sure if the Factory Records exhibit is still on display, but I'm a huge fan of Factory Records bands (ie. New Order, Joy Division, Happy Mondays etc.) and bands that came out of Manchester, the Smiths, James, Buzzcocks, The Fall to name few. It was an experience seeing original handwritten lyrics, instruments played, old punk zines, photos and badges on display.

Denbigh Library is situated right on the centre of town , if you can see the clock then the…read moreentrance door is right below it. It's set on 3 floor, the ground floor has the gallery and you go upstairs for library facilities. There is internet access there. There is a lift for disabled people to access the upper floor. Photocopying facilities are available too. Just inside the foyer there is a great array fo What;s On and Where to Go and places of local interest. Staff members of the library are very approachable and always willing to help out with any queries you may have

Big library with just as big a reference section and two banks of PCs for public use. You have to…read morehave a library card but this is free and so is accessing the PCs. Just need some ID to get the card. A great resource in a good central location. Also has a cafe :)

This is an excellent library. Obviously it has an enormous selection of books, but also they hold…read moreexhibitions which are very interesting. Usually art exhibitions. They also have some computer terminals upstairs you can book time on. Also they hold microfiche for family history researchers. You book your time on a fiche reader and there are desks provided for you to use. They hold parish records and census records. There is also a cafe as part of the complex which is really good. The food is excellent and a lot of it is home made. They also do homemade desserts - like lemon meringue pie - to die for! Their salads are also brilliant - I've never seen so much food in a salad - not much good if you're on a diet!

I spent many a happy hour here as a child, being as I was, OBSESSED with reading 7 books a week…read more Not sure what happened to me. Probably because I only read boring economics tomes now I've been jaded. I must return and pay my fines sometime.

Widnes Library has a wide range of current, relevant books on offer. Seating is plentiful, and it…read morehas a café which sells cheap tea, coffee, fizzy drinks and food, overlooking an LCD TV. There are crêche facilities avaliable, and regular tuition groups in spanish, guitar and other skills. The childrens library is large, and it is designed specifically for children in mind, with a lots of books, toys and a relevant colour scheme. There are computers on the top and bottom floor, each with a relatively uncensored access to the internet.

I spent the majority of my degree inside these walls, (or so I'd have my tutors believe) and…read morealthough I loathed it, I did grow to feel affectionately towards it. So, the facts... It's been recently refurbished and had a good £20 million spent on it! There are seats for 600 readers and approx. 420 computers (not that you'd think it around exam time...good luck getting a PC unless you're early, that's all I'm saying!) They have loads of bookable private study rooms so that you won't be disturbed and a cafe downstairs to refuel and re-energise with a coffee. The staff are really friendly and exceptionally helpful. The special collections are amazing, have to use gloves to see the first editions and the have some real gems hidden away down there. The stacks down in the basement are rather scary I'm always scared that someone has followed me down and is going to wheel the shelves back together when I'm inside...luckily I'm still here! It's a great environment to study and they also have couches out in the more social and non-silent areas so that you can have group discussions or just a well-earned gossip with a mate! There must be more books than anyone can read in a lifetime in here, but so many great critical works. Get in on the best library for the Arts Ever.* *Possible exaggeration, but I love it! (Yes, I'm a bit of a geek.)

Having spent much of my degree time using the Harold Cohen Library, it was only in the last year or…read moreso, I began to use more of the Sydney Jones Library. Firstly, this was because the Sydney Jones wasn't suited for my subject course and secondly it was located further away from my department. Nevertheless, I preferred the Sydney Jones to the Harold Cohen as it was more spacious and more recently renovated and expanded, now even hosting a cafe. I liked their new computer suites in particular since there wasn't that crammed feel about it compared to the Harold Cohen. Plus, there are comfy sofas available to sit back and relax during a stressful day, usually with a friend or two. I miss it now! Full marks for Sydney Jones; the expansion of the library is really impressive.

Birkenhead Library, opened in 1934, is a pretty impressive building. It is looking a little tired…read morelately and could do with a bit of attention, but it is beautiful nonetheless. The library is one of 24 on the Wirral and offers a substantial number of books as well as an extensive media section. There are a number of computers with free internet access to library members. As I have a couple of local libraries within walking distance, as well as my univeristy and the city's central library in town, I tend not to use Birkenhead Library for academic purposes, however, on occasion, this has been the only library around which has a required text in stock. As well as this the archive and local history section are quite extensive and have proved useful to my genealogical research. One of my main reasons for visiting, for example was to view the book of rememberance, kept in the foyer, which contans the lists of local men lost in the war, my great uncle is amongst the names. The library is open until 8 o'clock every day, including Sunday. CLOSED WEDNESDAYS

Birkenhead Central Library has always been a place where I could relax,meander among the books,pick…read moreup this,pick up that. My son lived there when he was studying for his various exams. Now a grown man he often speaks of The Central Library with deep affection and gratitude. Since the building has been improved with many nice touches,especially the comfort of the foyer and decent toilets it is somewhere to shed the hustle and bustle and cares of the world. I am a Friend of the Library and admire the work the staff put in to provide interesting talks and ethnic days. It is a gem. To even think of closing it would be a crime against the people of Birkenhead.

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*

Bangor public lending library is quite hard to find, as it's not situated in the main shopping area…read moreof the city of Bangor. Instead, it's down a side street near the police station. From the outside, the library looks small, and its dark wooden doors and lack of windows makes the building look neglected, or at worst, closed down. However, once entered, the library unfolds into a massiv area of well-organised books and other lending media (dvds, cds, audio books and so on). They have a selection at the front of recently returned books, as well as a section on new titles. The rest of the English-language books are separated into childrens and adults and organised alphabetically by author. There are a few PCs available and use of these is free of charge for members. There is also an extensive Welsh-language book selection, and a good range of dvds, audio books, and cds, although borrowing these incurs a small charge. The desk is staffed by friendly librarians and queues are rare.

What a beautiful old building; up the steps and inside it's a little musty and only a small room,…read morebut nevertheless it's dedicated to books of all genres. I noted the main sections were seemingly quite fitting to village life, from hobbies, to cookery and gardening. Anyone a fan of Delia? She features here plenty. They also had a great little history section and the fiction wound it's way around the outside of the room- lots of choice here but if you're a frequent visitor and a fast reader you may need to travel further afield to find something new!

Helpful staff and good selection of books! old building with lots of history and great information…read moreof the history of woolton