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We're working From Home!December: we still can't welcome you in person now, but we're still Working From Home! You can still 'Contact Us' too. We're redesigning our tours, deep-cleaning, and looking forward to seeing you when it's safe. X

Chetham’s Library has been in continuous use as a public library for over 350 years. It is housed in a beautiful sandstone building dating from 1421 which was built to accommodate the priests of Manchester’s Collegiate Church.

The entire collection at Chetham’s Library has been designated as one of national and international importance. You can find out about our collections here and in our catalogues. Chetham’s Library is currently closed to readers visiting in person, following government advice that working from home is preferred where possible. Staff are still working, however, and if you’d like to see what aspects of the Library you can explore from your screen, please start with our From Home page. We can be contacted on the email addresses on our Contact Us page : do feel free to be in touch and we’ll do our best to help with the resources to hand.

The Library is also an accredited museum, attracting visitors from all over the world.

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Delve into our wonderful collections online

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Chetham's Library is currently closed

Visiting the library

Chetham's Library currently closed to visitors

We’re sorry that Chetham’s Library is still currently closed to visitors and readers. We’re working on new tours that we’ll advertise here and elsewhere when it’s safe to re-open. Library staff are still working from home;

Please visit our blog, From Home pages and social media (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) for regular highlights from our collection; we will endeavour to keep posting things of interest!

All our Tours are currently suspended

Need to get in touch? Please contact us here.

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Humphrey Chetham

Humphrey Chetham (1580–1653), the most successful gentleman merchant of seventeenth-century Lancashire, was born in Crumpsall Hall, near Manchester, and later lived at Clayton Hall near Droylsden. His fortune was...

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Blog

  1. Chetham’s Library receives lifeline Culture Recovery Fund grant

    Chetham’s Library has been awarded £66,400, as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund...

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  2. Blindingly good news

    Some of you will remember the recent blog post covering conservation and how we care...

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  3. Authors and Readers in Humphrey Chetham’s Parish Libraries

    Since my last blog post on the Gorton Chest Library back in February 2019, I...

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