h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The city centre of Manchester has several large libraries which are open to the public.
The largest of these is the Central Library, in St Peters Sq. This in next to the town hall and is run by Manchester City Council as it's main reference and lending library. It's a large white circular building. The main reading room is in the middle and is like the building large and circular . Around the top is an inscription, but I can't remember what it says There is also a theatre in the basement.

The Chetams Library (that's pronounced cheetams) as was pointed out in another post the oldest public library in the world. Housed in what was initialy a hospital, but is now a music school.

The John Rylands Library. A part of the Manchester University Library this houses a large collection of rare manuscripts. The building worth going to see itself as it's a piece of late victorian gothic and from the outside does look like it should be a church.

Central library contains the Henry Watson Music Library, and I'm supposed to know some more about it but don't but its where most amateur groups in M/cr get their music from if they're not buying it... and me, who wanders round borrowing scores at random...

I guess that there'd also be a rather good music library at the RNCM as well but as that is one of the university libraries I didn't include it (and it's not realy city centre either)

The central library also has the local records archive stuff (or at least they are the ones to ask to get it) which means my mum went there looking for family history stuff.

my mother goes there for old maps of the area. Way way back when Wilmslow road didn't go right into town. and stuff.
The whole public library system is very good.

Oh yes indeed it is a good idea that works well as long as enough money is spent on them.