The yearly celebration of Manchester’s libraries is back, for its second year, with approximately 100 free events across Greater Manchester that will take place from 15 June to 19 June.
The Festival of Libraries, organised by Manchester City of Literature and supported by Manchester City Council, offers residents from all corners of Greater Manchester the opportunity to discover a world of culture and creativity right on their doorstep.
This year, there are roughly 100 vibrant events happening in Greater Manchester’s public libraries and special libraries. 20 of these events will take place in Manchester’s public libraries.
From porcelain painting workshops, multilingual story sessions for children, to archive handling sessions. The Festival of Libraries gives residents of all ages, regardless of background, a chance to engage with exciting cultural activities for free.
The Festival of Libraries programme this year will take place in internationally renowned institutions from Manchester’s rich tapestry of heritage libraries, including Central Library, with its impressive status as the busiest public library in the country, in addition to Chetham’s, The Portico, and John Ryland’s and Manchester Poetry Library.
In tandem with this, Family Fun Days are taking place on Saturday 18 June in Forum Library, Longsight Library and North City Library. On 19 June, to coincide with Manchester Day, there will be a See Myself in Books Sunday Funday at Manchester Central Library.
See Myself in Books is an initiative launched by Read Manchester and Manchester City Council to increase the diversity of children’s literature and to ensure characters come from a wide range of backgrounds.
Councillor John Hacking, Executive Member for Employment, Skills and Leisure, said:
“In Manchester we love our libraries, which is what makes this festival so special. The Festival of Libraries was a brilliant success for Greater Manchester last year. This year, there will be even more events celebrating our libraries and the outstanding contribution they make to local communities.
“This year’s festival has a jam-packed schedule and there are almost 100 events planned for people of all ages to take part in. From Family fun days and hands-on workshops, there’s a multitude of opportunities for residents to engage with culture and the library right on their doorstep. I hope everyone has fun!”
For more information on the Festival of Libraries and to find an event near you, please visit: https://manclibraries.blog/2022/06/07/festival-of-libraries-2022-events/
