The revamp of the historic library will be fully funded by Manchester City Council and will be the library’s first full refurbishment since 2011.
Didsbury Library will receive a fresh coat of paint, new carpets throughout, and the addition of new furniture, including to the Children’s Library. The library will be temporarily closed from February 14 till Monday 28 March whilst the redecoration works are carried out.
Whilst the library is closed, the very popular Storytime will continue at the Didsbury Good Neighbours community building in Didsbury Park. Councillor surgeries will also be temporarily relocated here.
The library opened in 1915 with a golden key, and was a gift from the famous Scottish- American benefactor Andrew Carnegie to the city of Manchester. It was also designed by the City Architect, Henry Price – who designed Chorlton Library and Victoria Baths. Since then, the historic library has become one of Didsbury’s most loved buildings. It celebrated its centenary anniversary in 2015 and, attracted over 96,000 visitors in 2019/20.
Serving the local community for over 100 years, the building has provided generations of Didsbury villagers with a beautiful space to read, study and develop their love of literature and stories.
The redecoration is part of a wider Manchester City Council £500,000 Library Renewal scheme. Most recently, libraries such as Withington Library, Wythenshawe Forum Library, and Hulme High Street Library have also benefitted from a revamp, and they are now better equipped to serve the local community.
The Council funded library renewal programme aims to ensure that all the libraries in Manchester will be fit for purpose to continue to serve Manchester’s diverse communities and their needs.
Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, Executive Member for Libraries, said:
“The redecoration of Didsbury Library is a particularly exciting project, it is one of the oldest libraries in the city and has such a rich history. The building is unique and it is an asset to the city and has been at the heart of the Didsbury community for generations.
“After the face-lift, we hope that the library will be better equipped to serve the local community and will continue to be well- loved. Once it has been revamped I encourage library lovers to head down to Didsbury and enjoy the new space.”
