Chorlton, Longsight, Newton Heath and Withington will soon have something new in common, with residents able to visit their local library on Sunday afternoons from the end of September.
The four neighbourhood libraries are the first of eight to reinstate Sunday opening since 2011, with four more set to reopen on Sundays from January 2027. A staggered expansion of opening hours at community libraries has also been introduced.
Anticipation is already running high for Sunday openings, Richard, a member of a local coffee morning group at Longsight Library said:
It’s great that it’s now a seven day a week access to the library and the learning facilities, I hope it’s something that the local community will take advantage of.
Pop along on the first Sunday opening on 27 September between 12 - 4pm to any of the four libraries to celebrate this important milestone and enjoy refreshments, take part in a wide range of activities, including family crafts and LEGO. At Newton Health library dance the afternoon away at a silent disco and enter another world with Virtual Reality headsets.
Sunday openings have been made possible because of an improved financial budget for the Council which recently topped £1bn for the first time. It has been made possible through £1.7m of extra funding which has also seen increased investment in the libraries’ book fund, and events budget.
Councillor Shazia Butt, Executive Member for Culture, Libraries and Leisure said:
This is a major boost to our library service and the beginning of our programme to reopen on Sundays and expand opening hours in neighbourhood libraries and I am delighted that we are able to invest in services that people really value.
Libraries are not just engines of lifelong learning, but they are community hubs appealing to all ages, free and friendly, welcoming spaces with events and activities catering to all ages as well as providing cool spaces in the summer and warm spaces in the winter - they are an essential part of community life helping to bring people together.
One of our key priorities is to revitalise neighbourhoods and we know that when we had to reduce library access during austerity it was keenly felt by residents, by expanding the service and making it more accessible it is one of the ways in which we are helping to build back what was lost during that time.
The following libraries will be open on Sundays from September 27 each week from 12-4:
Chorlton Library
Longsight Library
Newton Heath Library
Withington Library
And three libraries operating in leisure centres will increase their library staffed hours:
Abraham Moss Library
Arcadia Library
Hulme High Street Library
The following libraries will be open on Sundays from January 2027 each week from 12-4:
Manchester Central Library
Didsbury Library
Forum Library (Wythenshawe)
North City Library
Since June, an additional six community libraries which have been operated in collaboration with a dedicated group of community volunteers have already expanded their hours of operation and are staffed for at least 30 hours a well. They are :
Barlow Moor Library
Burnage Library
Fallowfield Library
Miles Platting Library
New Moston Library
Northenden Library
