This gorgeous library in Bury is really handy if you are already a member of the Bury Libraries…read moregroup (Prestwich, Whitefield etc) as you are allowed to borrow their collections. It is so much bigger than other local libraries - come here for a root through their books, audio books, videos (!), CDs and DVDs for free or at least on the cheap compared to Blockbuster. There are fourteen computers available in total for free, albeit limited, internet access. Book a slot in advance as they obviously get busy and take some change for print outs. Plus they are showing off with their People's Network Enquire service 24/7 chat service for when the library is closed and you have a burning question for a librarian. Odd, I know. A few events take place here but its not as happening as the next door Art Gallery - coming up is a talk by Keith Warrander on subterranean mysteries in Manchester. Each to their own I suppose but doubt it will be a full house. Regulars include Nextstep careers advice sessions on Monday and Thursday afternoons (by appointment), a twice monthly Reading Group and Family History Surgeries.

From the owner: The Mission of Bury Public Library Service is to help individuals and local communities to achieve…read moretheir full potential by providing reading and learning opportunities, access to digital skills and services and fair and inclusive access to a range of educational, cultural and recreational materials and opportunities.

Walk into Prestwich library, go round the till. Ok? Now down near the large print books, through…read morethe doors, up the stairs to where the computers are. Aha. The Adult Education Centre. Firstly - what a lifesaver these computers are. Your printer runs out of ink and you need something desperately. Well, Bury Libraries members can use a PC here for free for an hour (or longer if no-one else is waiting). Plus printing is cheap for black and white pages. The smaller room to the left as you come in is for Adult Learning. The staff there told me about the huge range of beginner's courses in I.T and the grasshoppers playing about whilst I was there seemed to be getting a good amount of support. A sign on a window downstairs advertised courses in crafts, stitching and the intriguing 'Adventures in Writing'. It is a shame that most of the courses are during the day as this leaves many people unable to join in this reasonably-priced learning fun. There are substantial discounts for those on income support. I went in to enquire about their e-learning which involves you paying a set fee for a year. With this you get access to a teach yourself course which you can use to your heart's content at home. There is a specified number of in-centre hours if you need them although, disappointingly the library employee explained that for the course I was interested in, she didn't think anybody could help.This was their Web Design and HTML course which I was quoted as £75 for the year. So, if you have the get up and go to make yourself put the time in their e-learning courses are good value. It is primarily for the basics though (they do the I.C.T ECDL Driver's License). We're talking Word, Excel, email and the Web. For instance, they do not currently offer any courses in Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Indesign, Illustrator).

From the owner: The Mission of Bury Public Library Service is to help individuals and local communities to achieve…read moretheir full potential by providing reading and learning opportunities, access to digital skills and services and fair and inclusive access to a range of educational, cultural and recreational materials and opportunities.

Rawtenstall library is a beautiful building right on the big roundabout in the centre facing the…read morefire station. Always has any book you need and if they haven't, they will get it for you. Not much else to say except, as with any library, It is full of almost every book you will ever need and any other information you need should you be studying for any important exams, or just want to carch up on the news with the local rag.

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.