Liverpool Central Library is located on William Brown Street in the centre of the city and is the largest of the 22 libraries in Liverpool.
The library is located in several adjoining historic Grade II* listed buildings, built in a classic style similar to others on the street. (
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Before becoming a public library it had been England's first subscription library from 1758 to 1942.
The first building was the William Brown Library and Museum building which was completed in 1860 to the designs of John Weightman Surveyor to Liverpool Corporation. The library was extended further to the right in 1879 with the addition of the Picton Reading Room and the Hornby Library was added to the rear of the building in 1906.
"The main library building on William Brown Street was refurbished and reopened to the public on Friday 17th May 2013.
The £50m restoration designed by architect Austin-Smith:Lord was the result of a decade of planning and took four months to re-stock. The building features a central atrium, with a series of open-plan floors. The atrium is topped with a glass dome, and the building has a roof terrace, with views out over the city centre.
At the entrance to the library is a 72 foot granite walkway, inlaid with the titles of literary classics. The titles contain a riddle, a series of letters picked out in red which spell out the title of a small but eye-catching item in the library's collection. The riddle was included to provoke the interest of visitors, and was presented as a competition at the museum's re-opening. 500 people took part, with 200 solving the riddle, and three winners were chosen in October 2013, five months after opening. The library has not revealed the answer to the riddle, in order to preserve the puzzle for future visitors." SOURCE: (
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"Liverpool Central Library has much more to offer than books.
Visitors can;
*Borrow a DVD, take out a CD, or play computer games for free on an Xbox 360.
*Carryout historical research, trace the family tree, or find out about the origins of the property where you live by accessing the archives where experienced staff are on hand to help with your enquiry.
The extensive collections range in date from the 13th century to the present day, and include records of local, national and international significance.
*Visit the historic collections of more than 15,000 rare books, collected over 150 years, in the impressive Hornby Library and Oak Room, or find a specialist book in the magnificent Picton Reading Room.
*The new children’s library is designed to engage, enthrall and allow the children to explore and discover." (
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