Libraries Update – July 2026
Visit Your Library on Sunday
Sunday opening is returning to Manchester libraries for the first time since 2011, with eight libraries set to open on Sundays by January 2027. The change is part of a £1.7m investment in the city’s library service, which is also funding extended staffed hours at nine additional libraries, alongside increased investment in books and events. The improvements will make library services more accessible and support our role as welcoming community spaces for learning, culture, wellbeing and connection.
Find out more at our Manchester Libraries blog.
Digital Inclusion Handbook
Over the last few months, we have worked collaboratively with our Digital Inclusion Working Group and NHS colleagues to design a Digital Inclusion Handbook for residents. This will be available across our libraries, GP practices, family hubs and community centres across Manchester. The guide is a one-stop shop for DI, covering access to devices and data, work clubs and skill sessions, and staying safe online. The first print run of 400 copies is being distributed in July. There is also a practitioner version for front line staff such as front desk teams, social prescribers and social workers. The resident version is also available to view online.
Summer Reading Challenge: Read to the Beat Launches Across Manchester
The Summer Reading Challenge got off to a fantastic start across Manchester, with three exciting launch events for local pupils. Libraries across the city also hosted themed class visits and school assemblies, inspiring children to take part in this year’s challenge. The Summer Reading Challenge runs from 1 July to 12 September and encourages children and families to keep reading over the summer holidays.
The first launch took place at The Forum Library, where more than 200 primary school children and The Lord Mayor enjoyed Sophia Hatfield’s energetic Footy Fairy Tales show. Her imaginative storytelling and football-themed fun created plenty of excitement and laughter, and classes were joined by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Shaukat Ali.
The celebrations continued with Dommy B, who toured Manchester libraries and schools over two days with his new show and book, The Dinosaurs Are Back! An incredible 590 children joined performances packed with storytelling, dancing, tongue twisters and dinosaur facts. Each participating school received a copy of the book to continue the adventure. Our third launch featured Ilaria the Storyteller, who delighted 83 Key Stage 1 children with a musical puppet show. In total, 880 children were introduced to the Summer Reading Challenge, making the launch a tremendous success.
Business Showcase Day – Generator
Generator hosted a range of workshops and support sessions this month for entrepreneurs and small businesses, covering topics including e-commerce, website design and podcasting. One of its members, Ramona, also hosted a successful AI Roundtable Breakfast Club, sparking valuable discussions on the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence for small businesses.
A highlight of the month was the Business Showcase Day at Royal Mills Enterprise Hub, which gave businesses supported through Generator the opportunity to showcase their products and services. Exhibitors included Seifa’s spicy muffins and cocktails, Vedit Media, members of the Hong Kong business community, Rehab Fitness CIC, Volcan Coffee and Kay’s Podcasting.
The event also welcomed Tom Stannard, Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, who met with exhibitors and heard how support from Generator, the Business & IP Centre and the Build A Business Programme has helped local businesses overcome challenges and achieve growth.
Harpurhey Day Parade – North City Library
Harpurhey was alive with celebration on Sunday 28 June, as residents came together for a fantastic day dedicated to the local community. The event began with a lively community parade from North City Family & Fitness Centre to Queens Park, where families enjoyed a wide range of activities and entertainment. Highlights included performances from local theatre groups, dancers and singers, alongside attractions such as a carousel and climbing wall. Manchester Libraries were on hand to promote the Summer Reading Challenge, give away free books, and host a popular craft activity where children made their own hand puppets. With brilliant weather and a great community atmosphere, the event was a wonderful success enjoyed by all.
Build a Business Launches New Workshop: Funding Your Business Idea
Build a Business is delighted to announce the launch of a brand new workshop, Funding Your Business Idea, which has now been added to our core programme of support for aspiring entrepreneurs and start-up businesses. The new workshop joins their popular start-up favourites further strengthening the support available to individuals looking to start and grow successful businesses.
The workshop is packed with useful insights and expert advice, giving attendees the confidence to navigate the funding landscape and make informed decisions about financing their business journey. The response to their first session has already been extremely positive. One participant commented: “It gave me a lot more confidence that I’m making the right choices when it comes to expanding my business. Very helpful in breaking down what type of funding I should go for.”
Creative Space Highlights – Wythenshawe Library
Creative Space built on a busy May programme which included live performances, exhibitions and youth activity. Highlights included a first fashion show focused on sustainability, the “It’s a Shawe Thing” exhibition celebrating local artists, and a Battle of the Bands attracting 150 attendees and raising funds for Music Evermore. Youth provision also expanded with new weekly sessions and partnerships supporting DJing, music and creative skills. Read more at the Manchester Libraries blog.
Creative Space is hosting Malandra Jacks’ award-winning play Census on 13 June for Festival of Libraries, alongside a pre-show workshop, check out tickets on Eventbrite. As part of the festival, Reform Radio is running a DJ workshop at Wythenshawe Forum on 11 June for ages 19–30. Rock School Music Evermore will also deliver a hands-on band workshop, giving participants the chance to try instruments and learn a song in 30–60 minutes, showcasing beginner-friendly music-making.
Detective Day – Central Library
For Share a Story Month, Central Library celebrated its first-ever Detective Day with 3 Manchester schools, focused on crime and mystery stories. The event began with a brilliant virtual visit from author Sharna Jackson, who inspired children with her High Rise Mysteries.
Soon after, a precious library book was “stolen,” launching an exciting investigation. Children searched for clues, cracked codes, explored forensics with Love Science, and examined the scene of the crime. Thanks to their detective skills, the children revealed the culprit! A child said, “I loved how Sharna explained where her ideas come from. It made me want to write my own stories!”
Wall of Hope Event in Withington – Archives+
Archives+ team enjoyed a fantastic day on 18 June, when Withington Library came alive with local schoolchildren celebrating the Marcus Rashford Wall of Hope Education Resource. This inspiring digital resource helps children and young people explore how communities can come together to tackle racism and support one another. England’s World Cup win the night before, with a goal from Marcus Rashford, made the event especially timely, highlighting how Withington responded to division during the 2020 UEFA Euros with positivity and care.
Co-hosted with Withington Walls, founder Ed Wellard led children and guests on mural tours, with a stop for ice cream from the Iceshack. Back at the library, activities included exploring original archives, making Lego bees, watching a film about the project, choosing free books from Read Manchester and adding messages to the Wall of Hope. The day concluded with an open session for the public, with refreshments and a chance to explore the collection and resource. Thanks go to Ed, AkseP19, Withington Walls, and participating schools for their enthusiasm and valuable feedback.
Space Activities with Planetarium Go – Central Library
Central Library delivered two days of space-themed activities to complement the Planetarium Go offer held outside the building. Activities included creating aliens and headbands, space science sessions, Alien Attack, Space Ranger badges, astronauts and rockets.
There was plenty of fun during the space games, with children racing on space hoppers, passing molten moon rock and playing with floating planets. A space-themed film was screened, alongside a story about Little Bob saving the world by children’s author Tessa Singh. In total, 200 children joined in the activities.
Baby Week – Read Manchester
Read Manchester alongside Literacy Champions and partner colleagues from Manchester Libraries, supported the Manchester Baby Week launch event at Manchester Art Gallery on Monday 15 June. With attendance of around 1,500 families and their little ones, it was a wonderful opportunity to share family resources packs which included Share Stories With Me booklets and Talking Tip cards. Read Manchester gifted board books and signed up an incredible 141 babies as they launched the brand new ‘My First Library Card’. The day was packed full of never-ending stories, rhymes and hands on interactive sessions.
Manchester Libraries Podcast!
July’s issue of Full Volume features an exclusive interview with author David Nolan in honour of ‘Punk Day’ at Central Library (the 50th Anniversary of Sex Pistols’ iconic gig at the Lesser Free Trade Hall), World Cup predictions from the Manchester Libraries team, the low-down on this year’s ‘Read To The Beat’ themed Summer Reading challenge, archive clips from the Piccadilly Radio Archive, and more…
Listen to Episode 17: Punk Day, World Cup, & Summer Reading Challenge
Festival of Libraries – Avenue Library
Avenue Library recently celebrated the Festival of Libraries with a lively Family Fun Day. Families enjoyed a range of creative activities, including making their own monsters and decorating tote bags. Face painting proved popular before everyone joined in a silent disco. Visitors also received a free book to take home, along with a handmade “worry worm” crocheted by library staff.
Empathy Day Festival – Wythenshawe Library
Manchester Libraries celebrated Empathy Festival with a vibrant and inspiring session on Empathy Day, with poet and author Oliver Sykes. Despite the rainy weather, the event was filled with joy as 122 primary school children from St Anthony’s RC and Old Moat Primary enjoyed an engaging poetry performance and powerful messages about empathy and kindness. The children responded enthusiastically, sharing how much they loved the experience, with many feeling inspired to return to school and start writing their own poetry.
Polish Heritage Day – Central Library
Polish Heritage Day was celebrated at Central Library on 28 May. With funding from the Polish Consulate in Manchester, a craft-filled afternoon for families was delivered. The event featured information stalls and free books for children.
The Polish school performed traditional dances, providing entertainment and a vibrant showcase of culture. Everyone who attended had the opportunity to learn more about Polish heritage.
Business Events – Generator
The Generator Hub provides entrepreneurs, start-ups and small businesses with a supportive and productive environment to develop their ideas and grow. Through a wide range of free workshops, hundreds of businesses have already been supported, building skills in areas such as website design (including e-commerce), basic accountancy, marketing strategies and effective use of social media. Enterprise Officers Emma and Philip have also delivered extensive one-to-one support sessions, working closely with clients to map out the wide range of free resources and services available across Greater Manchester. This includes access to more than £5 million worth of business databases, available through libraries thanks to the Business & IP Centre (BIPC).
At the heart of the Generator Hub offer are two centrally located, affordable co-working spaces in St Peter’s Square and Ancoats. Open Monday to Friday, 9–5, the hubs provide fully equipped, bookable workspaces with ergonomic chairs, height-adjustable desks, monitors, meeting pods and refreshments to support a productive day. The hub was also recently showcased at a successful open day, welcoming partners from Build a Business, the Growth Hub and NatWest Accelerator, alongside presentations from a number of member businesses.
Armed Forces Day – Central Library
On 27 June, Manchester City Council paid tribute to serving personnel, veterans, cadets and their families with a special Armed Forces Day event in St Peter’s Square. The celebration gave residents and visitors the opportunity to show their support in the heart of the city.
Manchester Central Library took part with a display of First and Second World War photographs from Archives+. Visitors could also learn more about the Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society and this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.
With the 2026 Summer Reading Challenge theme, Read to the Beat, library staff combined music and Armed Forces Day creativity by inviting children to make their own drums from cardboard boxes.
For more information about the event, visit Manchester marks Armed Forces Day with city-centre celebration | Manchester City Council.
Dragon Boat Festival – Central Library
On 20 June Manchester Central Library celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival with an engaging workshop delivered by Chinese Music Classroom (Chetham’s School of Music). Traditionally observed on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar, the festival is an important part of Chinese culture and heritage. During the workshop, participants learned how to create traditional mugwort sachets. These handmade sachets are filled with aromatic mugwort leaves, which are traditionally believed to help ward off insects and promote wellbeing. Families also enjoyed a colourful kite-painting session, adding to the day’s creative activities.The free workshops were delivered as part of a collaboration between Chinese Music Classroom and Manchester Central Library, helping to share Chinese culture and traditions with local communities.
Refugee Week – Central Library
Refugee Week, the world’s largest arts and culture festival celebrating the contributions, creativity and resilience of refugees and people seeking sanctuary, took place from 15 to 21 June. This year’s theme was Courage. As Libraries of Sanctuary, Manchester Libraries provide welcoming spaces for refugees and people seeking sanctuary while hosting activities that promote understanding, inclusion and support.
At Manchester Central Library, volunteers Sohaila and Ghazal delivered special storytimes in Arabic and Farsi, while charity Migrant Support joined us for a Conversation Club session. The library also hosted a community Persian calligraphy taster workshop led by Iranian artist Sareh Moradi, inviting participants to explore the beauty of calligraphy through shared creativity and cultural exchange. For more information about activities held across Manchester’s branch libraries, visit the Manchester Libraries blog.
Music Makers – Avenue Library
For three sessions, the Music Makers team from the Bridgewater Hall brought a lively twist to story time at Avenue Library. Families thoroughly enjoyed the sessions, which combined storytelling with music in a fun and engaging way. The experience didn’t end there, some families were inspired to attend a follow-up Music Makers session at the Bridgewater Hall later that week, extending the impact beyond the library.
With smiles all around and glorious sunshine adding to the atmosphere, it was a wonderful series of events that left both children and adults with lasting memories.
