Chetham's Library

Happy ! Our volunteers are at the heart of Chetham's Library, taking tour groups around the library, helping with cleaning and conservation, and assisting with our school visits! Thank you to everyone who makes our library such a special place ❤️

Support Chetham's Library for generations to come by becoming a Library Patron 💡

For a monthly donation you can play a vital role in securing our future while gaining access to exclusive events and benefits so you can enjoy what our medieval library has to offer.

Help preserve a sanctuary of learning and knowledge and support the oldest public library in the UK 📚

Find out more about becoming a Library Patron on our website 🔗 library.chethams.com/support-us/becomeapatron

After the First Crusade, many Europeans encountered Muslims for the first time and were exposed to the rich cultures of the eastern Mediterranean 🌍

Join us for a free talk by PhD researcher Saaleha Iqbal on how northern Europeans perceived and depicted Muslims in written texts from the twelfth century by comparing two texts from the medieval manuscripts collection at Chetham’s Library: The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, and the Flores Historiarum by Matthew Paris.

Part of MCRCityofLit Festival of Libraries 2026 🌟
📅12 June, 6pm

New blog alert! 📣 What secrets lie hidden in the rafters of our medieval building? 😲

Our latest blog on our Lost and Found theme uncovers the eerie discovery of a mummified cat found during renovations at Chetham’s, and explores the centuries-old beliefs, superstitions, and protective rituals that may explain why it was hidden there in the first place.

🔗 Read more on our blog: library.chethams.com/blog/the-mummified-cat-in-the-library-roof

A reminder that we will be closed on Monday 25 May for the Bank Holiday. We will be open again as usual on Tuesday 26 May 📣

Today marks 9 years since the devastating attack on Manchester Arena in 2017. We send our love and support to all affected by the terrible events that took place that day, and remember the 22 people that lost their lives. Never forgotten ❤️🐝

Did you know that the UK's oldest public library is hidden away in Manchester City Centre, just a stone's throw from Victoria Station? 📚

If you've never come across Chetham's Library before, we are a centuries-old library and museum looking after hundreds of thousands of precious books, artefacts, and other incredible pieces of history 🌟

Drop us a visit and explore our impressive building dating all the way back to 1421! 🔗Book a guided tour on our website: tinyurl.com/chethamslibrary

New blog alert! 📣 'Thomas de la Warre’s Trans-Atlantic Manuscript'
A manuscript that has survived religious upheaval, civil war, private collections and an attempted export campaign - this remarkable story traces one of medieval Manchester’s earliest books from its origins with Thomas de la Warre to its home today at the The Huntington Library.
🔗Read more on our blog: library.chethams.com/blog/thomas-de-la-warres-trans-atlantic-manuscript

Upcoming free talk at Chetham's Library! 🌟 Muslims in the Medieval European Imagination: With Saaleha Iqbal

After the First Crusade, many Europeans encountered Muslims for the first time and were exposed to the rich cultures of the eastern Mediterranean.

In this talk, PhD researcher Saaleha will introduce how northern Europeans perceived and depicted Muslims in written texts from the twelfth century, and how these developed throughout the later medieval period 📚

📅12 June, 6pm
🔗Book on our website: library.chethams.com/whats-on/muslims-in-the-medieval-european-imagination-with-saaleha-iqbal