Central library

Interior of Central Library
Interior of Central Library
Central Library viewed from The Headrow
Central Library viewed from The Headrow

Central Library 
Municipal Buildings
Calverley Street
Leeds
LS1 3AB.

Information enquiries: Tel. 0113 247 6016

Opening times 

09.00 - 20.00 Monday
09.00 - 20.00 Tuesday
09.00 - 20.00 Wednesday
09.00 - 17.00 Thursday
09.00 - 17.00 Friday
10.00 - 17.00 Saturday
13.00 - 17.00 Sunday

Facilities 
Disabled access, free Internet access in I.T. Suites, assistive technology, quiet study room, meeting room for hire, black and white photocopiers, Fax.

IT and online resources in Central. 
There are computers on every floor of the Central Library to use free of charge. Surf the net, word process, send e-mails or do research, it’s your choice! Book a session online at http://librarybookings.leedslearning.net or telephone 0113 2478270 to book. There is an extensive range of online resources available, some from home and some from the Central Library.

Services and resources 

Ground floor - Central Lending Library 

Tel 0113 2478270

Adult and children’s popular fiction and non-fiction books for loan, including collections of talking books, large print books and books in other world languages. Book a Learning session.

First Floor – The Arts Space. Some of our art and music collections are currently inaccessible due to a refit in the stack area. Please ring us first to make sure items are available to avoid an unwanted journey. Thank-you

Art Library 
Tel: 0113 2478247.

One of the few specialist art libraries open to the public in Yorkshire. The Art Library stocks books, journals and catalogues for loan or use in the library on all aspects of art and design, including architecture, sculpture, ceramics, costumes, fashion and photography. Several CD Roms are available to help you find information, including the Art Index and the Design and Applied Arts Index.

Music and Audio Library 
Tel: 0113 2478273

A large collection covering all aspects of music including theory, composers, instruments and popular and classical music. There are books, journals, music scores, sheet music and orchestral sets for loan or reference use.

Whether you prefer pop or classical, the Music Library stocks over 12,000 CDs for you to hire for a week. You’re bound to find something to your taste! Or why not hire a DVD or video from our collection to complete that relaxing evening at home.

Leeds Tapestry 

16 panels of extraordinary work of art. A visual record of the history and evolution of a great city and, at the same time, being a contemporary record of the vitality of Leeds at the start of the twenty first century. In the panels of the tapestry many familiar aspects of life in Leeds today is recognisable.

Second floor – information services 

The Information Centre 
Tel 0113 2478282 or 0113 3951833.

As well as online resources, reference books, newspapers and journals, the Information Centre has comprehensive information collections and includes the following:

  • Health
  • Law and rights
  • Jobs and careers
  • Education and learning
  • Government information
  • Statistics
  • European information 
  • Business and enterprise information to support individuals and companies e.g. extensive databases and online information, company and product information, market research publications, trade and professional directories, British Standards online and Building Regulations.

You can also consult our special collections of older, rarer books, including the Gascoigne collection of militaria, the Gott bequest of early English gardening books and the Porton collection of Judaica.

Local and Family History Library 

Tel 0113 2478290
The largest collection of books, maps, directories, journals and pamphlets on Leeds and West Yorkshire in the region, for use in the library. You will also find everything you need for researching your family tree – the International Genealogical Index, parish registers and census returns for Yorkshire and the GRO Registers of Births, Marriages and Deaths. Free access online to family history resources Ancestry.com and Origins.

Third Floor 

Study Space. A place for you to sit and study in peace and quiet, away from computers and mobile phones.

Meeting Room. To hire, or for more information, phone 0113 247 8911.


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