Liverpool Central Library

History

The library is located in several adjoining historic buildings on William Brown Street. Its 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, (not to be confused with his near contemporary John Grey Weightman) and which it has always shared with the city's museum, now known as World Museum Liverpool. The library was then extended further to the right with the addition in 1879 of the Picton Reading Room and to the rear with the Hornby Library in 1906. All three of these are Grade II* listed buildings and are built in a classical style similar to other buildings on the street.

Previous to the creation of this public library was England's first subscription library (1758–1942), latterly known as The Lyceum, Liverpool, but often referred to as the Liverpool Library.

750,000 people visited the museum in 2017. In 2018, the library won The Bookseller’s Library of the Year Award.

Rebuilding

In May 2008 it was announced that some of the complex of buildings that hold the Central Library were to be demolished and replaced with modern buildings suitable for use with modern IT services. The historic buildings in the complex would be refurbished to provide modern facilities and was designed by the Architects Austin-Smith:Lord. In October 2009 the proposed rebuild was shown to the public.

The main library building on William Brown Street closed on 23 July 2010, while closed, a temporary service operated from next door, on the second floor of Liverpool World Museum. The refurbished 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. It re-opened to the public on Friday 17 May 2013. 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.

Library group

It is a member of the Libraries Together: Liverpool Learning Partnership (evolved from Liverpool Libraries Group) which formed in 1990. Under which, a registered reader at any of the member libraries can have access rights to the other libraries within the partnership.

Gallery

File:Liverpool Central Library Picton Reading Room.jpg|The Picton Reading Room inside the library File:Main entrance to Liverpool Central Library.JPG|Main entrance to Liverpool Central Library File:Liverpool Central Library atrium staircase.jpg|The atrium staircase of the Liverpool Central Library, view from the bottom File:Liverpool Central Library atrium.jpg|The atrium staircase of the Liverpool Central Library, view from the bottom File:Liverpool Central Library staircase.jpg|The atrium staircase of the Liverpool Central Library, view from the top File:Liverpool Central Library glass fixture.jpg|The atrium staircase of the Liverpool Central Library, rooftop glass structure File:Liverpool Central Library Roof Terrece,17 May 2013 (3).jpg|Liverpool Central Library Roof Terrace File:Liverpool Central Library Roof Terrece,17 May 2013 (2).jpg|Liverpool Central Library Roof Terrace

References

References

1. . (19 October 1860). ["The Brown Testimonial"](http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001316/18601019/037/0007). *Evening Mail*.
2. "Liverpool Central Library: The "wow factor"".
3. (18 July 2018). "Liverpool Central Library wins The Bookseller's Library of the Year Award 2018 - Liverpool Express".
4. (16 May 2008). "£50m rebuild for Liverpool's Central Library". Liverpool Echo.
5. (30 October 2009). "£50m transformation for Liverpool's Central Library (VIDEO)". Liverpool Echo.
6. (23 July 2010). "Libraries and archives". Liverpool City Council.
7. (17 May 2013). "Liverpool's Central Library reopens after £50m facelift". BBC News.
8. [https://liverpoolexpress.co.uk/literary-detectives-uncover-library-secret/ ''Literary detectives uncover library secret''] [[BBC. BBC News]] 23 October 2013; retrieved 11 May 2019
9. [https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/liverpool-central-library-red-letters-riddle-puzzle ''Liverpool Central Library Entrance Riddle''] at atlasobscura.com; retrieved 11 May 2019
10. "About". Liverpool Libraries Together.