As many of you will know already, the Manchester Central Library has just turned 90 years old.
To celebrate reaching this significant milestone, the library team have come together to produce a brand-new, Self-Guided Audio Trail across the library.
The tour invites members of the public to journey across every floor of the library and discover secrets from its past, as well as explore different pockets of its vibrant present use.
There are 17 locations altogether, each represented by an orange “bus stop”. Simply scan the QR code at each stop to hear one of our staff experts unlocking history, facts and more, about the significant section of the library you are standing in.
It begins with an introduction in Shakespeare Hall, with audio stops as follows across all floors of the library:
- Introduction (Ground Floor)
- Shakespeare Hall (Ground Floor)
- The Reading Girl (Ground Floor Stairs)
- Exhibition Hall (1st Floor)
- Henry Watson Music Library (1st Floor)
- Wolfson Reading Room (1st Floor)
- Second Floor & Business & IP Centre (2nd Floor)
- Third Floor & Chief Librarians Office (3rd Floor)
- 4th Floor View Of The Dome (4th Floor)
- Reference Library (4th Floor)
- The City Library (Lower Ground Floor)
- The Children’s Library (Lower Ground Floor)
- Archives + and Film Pods (Ground Floor)
- The Historic Stack (Ground Floor)
- Manchester Visitor Information Centre (Ground Floor)
- Peterloo Memorial / Library Walk (Ground Floor)
A poster for the trail can viewed below, and printed flyers are available at the Manchester Visitor Information Centre desk on the ground floor.
Launching on the 90th Anniversary of the Central Library opening on 17th July, the audio is available to hear at each location now, with many members of the public (and staff!) interacting with the trail already.
For those wanting to hear the full trail in sequence, listeners can tune in to the playlist here.
A special thanks to all of the staff who contributed their voices for the tour, including: Tracy, Andrea, Andrew, Jackie, Gary, Chris, Alan, Antonio, Nick, Jenny, Matt, and Thom.