Chester Library is spread over three floors, the ground floor holds all of the fiction along with…read morethe DVDs and computer games, the lower floor houses the children's books and reference and the top floor has computer access (which you have to queue for) more reference and newspapers. The staff are friendly and helpful although there can be quite long queues at peak times as there isnt much room for lots of servers at the counter. The book selection is ok although I have found that a lot of the books I would like to borrow are stored at the central warehouse and would require a 75p charge to order them. I think the libary could arrange stock rotation more frequently. They do have some shelves of recently returned and popular fiction which is the best way to find a decent book quickly or discover a title you didnt know existed. The DVDs and games are expensive to borrow, well at least as compared to the books. The online renewal system works very well so if you are a slow reader or if yo like to borrow several titles in one go then this saves you a journey as you can log on and reserve and renew books from anywhere with an internet connection.

Chester library not only loans out books, but you can also get DVD box sets on loan for a small fee…read more- cheaper than Blockbuster. They also have a loyalty scheme, after borrowing a set number of DVDs you get a loan for free. The library is well stocked and the different sections are clearly marked.

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.

If you love a little bit of history and you also love to read, then Chetham's Library might be a…read moreworthwhile trip. Established in 1653, it's the UK's oldest free public library (although to visit you must make an appointment). Housed in the most incredible 15th-century Baronial Hall, the stunning dark-wood aisles are packed to the rafters with all kinds of publications from 'large folio books to manuscript diaries, letters and deeds, to prints, paintings and glass lantern-slides'. There's also an incredible selection of archives, newspaper cuttings and old photographs. In fact, all together, there are over 100,000 publications here, the majority of which were printed before 1850. If anybody has ever read 'Shadow in the Wind', you might have some idea of how special a place this is and what a wonderful insight it can give you into our heritage (note that to see specific material you'll have to enquire). A nice little bit of trivia: this is a library where Marx and Engels would meet, you can see exactly where they sat and what book Marx was reading at the time. Ok, I'm a geek. What can I say?

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*

This little local library is fairly well packed with books. I think they've done a really good job…read moreof labelling everything as well so that both those who know the Dewey Decimal system and those who don't can easily find their books--by number or by subject. I thought they had a decent range of craft books as compared with most small libraries, though most of them were knitting and embroidery books, which don't interest me that much. The general fiction section was decent, as was the children's section. Definitely a good small local library, and also worth a visit for those of us who have Liverpool library cards and like to pick up random books at one library and drop them back off at Central when we are done. ;)

Even though Formby library isn't my nearest library, it's by far my favourite. It has a lovely…read moreatmosphere and a great selection of books and I always leave with a bag full. The staff are always helpful, friendly, polite and nothing is too much trouble. It's spacious, welcoming and comfortable and also a huge plus is that it offers ample parking space. The only criticism I have is, as I'm a huge fan of short stories I think it would be helpful if there was a short stories section as I find it difficult to locate this type of book, but in saying that, that's my only minus about this brilliant little library.

Huyton Library is by far the most comprehensive of Knowsley's libraries, with a large selection of…read morebooks and resources. It has been housed in a new, stylish building for about the last ten years, and provides a spacious, pleasant environment for browsing and reading. It also has the customary Internet access, presumably free, though I've never used it. I've always found the staff friendly and helpful. Attached to the library is a small gallery that regularly houses exhibitions by local artists. It's worth paying a visit if you're in the area.

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.

This is a lovely library in the hear t of the community and it's a very unusual building. It's…read moreGran's local library and they are great at finding and recommending books that she might like. They can get any book from across the St Helens area relatively quickly and being a member there means you a member of all the libraries should you be passing them. The parking is shared with the shops so isn't great and is limited to 2 hours. They have a lot of activities on in the summer for children.

Well, I couldn't possibly recall how many visits I made to the Harold Cohen Library when I was a…read morestudent. This was many times for me, the quiet escape I needed to study alone or to use one of their hundreds of computers available. By now, I guess there will have been much more improvements to the centre not that it was previously poor. In fact, there's nothing much I could fault, certainly in terms of their service at reception, where friendly staff will be willing to help you find the book(s) you're seeking amongst the miles of shelves there is. Believe me, it can be a headache looking up those digits corresponding to that specific book - not something you can do in a rush! If any improvements, I would suggest they need brighter lighting on their book floors as it can be dull in places. Plus, there's so many books that aisles are narrower than they ought to be. Anyway, its a big library to say the least, plenty of resources available and many hidden suites for you to discover!

The sciencey yin to Sydney Jones' artsy yang, the Harold Cohen library always seemed imperceptibly…read moreweird to me. On the few occasions I used to come here, normally to meet a member of the technical side of the university's undergraduates, I'd find the hairs twitching on the back of my neck. I'm not sure what my hackles are but they definitely raised themselves too. Even the man the library was named after tried to get out of the deal, dying on the day he was supposed to lay the foundation stone. The Harold Cohen library is a sprawling rat's nest of a building with no clear layout and rooms upon rooms of students on computers who will stop dead and stare at you as you enter. They could tell I was an Arts student. They didn't like that. I was half-expecting one of them to stand and point at me, howling like a banshee before being joined by the others until they formed a haunting, all-encompassing wail. But they didn't. Weirdos.