Brilliant innovation Incorporates free access to newspapers,…read moreperiodicals, computers Doctor's surgery in same building Friendly, helpful staff Luxurious surroundings

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.

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*

As part of the Manchester Histories Festival, Chetham's Library was open to the public for a day. I…read moretook the opportunity to sneak into this hidden gem and was overwhelmed at just how spectacular the library is. You feel like Harry Potter as you walk up the stairs into the half-timbered library space. It is dark, creaky and full of beautiful old wooden shelves. It is one of those spaces that takes your breath away, particularly as it is so beautifully hidden in Manchester city centre. It is worth organising to visit this wonderful space and to walk amongst the beautiful old books in the school's collection. Manchester is lucky to have a library like this - go and appreciate its beauty.

I love it in here. I'm a fan of the smell of old books no matter how much some people in here turn…read moretheir noses up and say it has the perfume of old people. It holds the feeling of how you'd imagine the restricted section of Hogwarts. Free to enter, check in with security, it has allotted times now where you can head in. As the oldest public library in the UK, and all those lovely beams- it's worth a look around.

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.

This is a really good local library as it has really good computer facilities, a great kids…read moreselection to begin with. As long as you are a member you can borrow books and use the computers for an hour at a time free of charge. Printing costs a very small amount and not only is the location of this place great but is accesible for everyone.

I am sure we all have had one of those blah days which suddenly get very exciting with a new…read morediscovery...I had one of those days last week when I dropped my very close friend at the train station (was a little sad, emotional cow that I am) and then met a friend who was walking home with me just to point out this incredible library. Its located right above the pub Bank (I used to call it 'The Old Man's Pub') which is very close to Piccadilly Gardens. The minute he pointed out I wanted to go in and see what it is like. The most interesting entrance ever, because we had to ring the door bell (very old English style bell) to enter. Very Cool and Very British. The moment I walked in I felt like I am in a Sherlock Holmes movie.. yeah its Grand and so mysterious. This is a 19th century library, with books from the late 18th century (whoa) and a little fun fact the librarian told us ... John Dalton wanted a membership here which he could not afford so he was asked to clean the grand clock (which btw was made by the same chap who made the clock for Big Ben) instead of paying the membership fee! How awesome is that? This used to be the hub for the rich and the famous once upon a time but sadly not many people know about it now and barely a few visit. *sigh*. The space inside is incredible and perfect for art exhibitions and guess what they actually do have quite a few of those. There are book reading sessions here too, so next time you complain about not finding a good place to do such cultural stuff, you know where to go! The membership fee here is as low as 175 pounds for the whole year and you get to access every book and much more... Verdict : *Phew* I am totally bowled and sold! Can't wait to go back again!

This place is my little escape from the city, a step back to times of tail coats and top hats…read more. perhaps even a monocle or two! The library sits on top of the bank pub (once upon a time the entire building was a library but the library now rent the downstairs out to the pub to help fund the restoration of the antique books they house upstairs). Anyone can visit the library, there's a little black door around the side, you need to ring the buzzer and wait to be let in. There's an art gallery and café that is open to the general public but only members can actually read/borrow the books and there's a members lounge at the back that is AMAZING, please see attached picture. The interior is stunning, ask the staff to give you a free guided tour and they'll explain all the features, the wind dial and various coats of arms to you. I find this place so comforting. I love tucking up in one of the huge leather armchairs reading one of the many glorious books, wondering who else much have cast their eyes over the same words in times gone by. Membership is around £110 (cheaper for concessions) a month and members can take their guests in to the members room. You can order lunch/drinks and enjoy them in the room too. FUN FACT: the oldest post box in Manchester, which happens to be Victorian is located just outside the bank pub, it's still in use and bears Queen Victoria's coat of arms.

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.