Chorlton Library

I really like this library. It’s small and always seems fairly busy so it’s got a good atmosphere. Plus I wouldn’t expect to be shushed too much as the staff are always busy talking to customers. It’s still easy to get a seat or book yourself a computer the times I’ve been though.
They seem to have plenty of stuff going on, they’ve got a reading challenge on this week with people manning a desk to encourage the kids. It’s also a sure start centre and my local polling station.
They’ve got cds and dvds, cds cost 50p to take out though. They’ve also got books in urdu, large print books, learning a language books, etc… the usual I guess. They’ve got a coin operated photocopier, 10p a sheet which came in handy this week.
It’s just nice. It gives me a cosy feeling.

I think since the last review it has improved quite a lot with more selection of books and computing facilities. I love Chorlton any way so come to the library quite often to read books and newspapers

Back when I lived in Chorlton, Chorlton Library was one of my favourite places to spend an hour or two. Not only did it have a great selection of books and a wonderfully comprehensive DVD and CD library, but the staff there were always incredibly friendly (and good looking) to boot!
This is a library which prides itself on being at the heart of the local community. It regularly holds writing workshops and literature related events (it forms one of the key venues of the Chorlton Literary Festival), and the noticeboard in the foyer is also good for finding out useful bits of information, from the dates and times of local MPs surgeries to knitting groups, guitar lessons, yoga groups and much more. It also has a good sized bank of computers which you can use to print off documents and access the internet — and you can use them for free if you’re a member.
Best of all, it’s open every day until 5pm and has late night opening hours on Mondays and Thursdays. And it’s wonderfully family friendly, meaning you can take your sprogs along with you and dunk them in the kids section whilst you have a good old browse. All in all, this is a great little place, and a real cornerstone of Chorlton life.

I used to love visiting the local library as a kid, but my university’s library gave me a bit of a libraryphobia (there is probably a real word for that). It was silent, eerie and musty with librarians who looked like they had never been outside and would ‘shhhhhhh’ people for rustling paper.
Therefore when I moved to Chorlton I didn’t visit the library for several months, despite the fact that I walked past it every day.
One day I agreed to teach an English lesson to a Polish beginner. I had some material, but I was afraid he’d think I was unprofessional with my scrappy notes. It was time for the inevitable — a visit to the library. I found some really great TEFL material including a picture book which was great for teaching new vocab. Since then I have made several visits to the library and borrowed novels and travel guides, both of which they have a good range of. They also have language learning materials, foreign literature, CDs and DVDs and a small number of PCs with internet access, which I took advantage of when our router was bust. The only downside is that there is usually a wait of at least 10 minutes to use the PCs.
The staff look like real people. They’re mainly young and quite friendly and don’t mind you talking. It’s really quick, easy and free to register, and the library card allows you to borrow materials and use the internet at all of Manchester’s libraries.