Really beautiful library
5
5
Date of visit: November 2025
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets and moving around.
I use or have experience of: disabled toilet, wheelchair
Overall Rating
Excellent
This was a really stunning and huge library. I really loved the architecture inside, there was a beautiful large, glass domed roof inside the main entrance, an outdoor viewing platform, the absolutely stunning Picton Reading Room and even a brilliant Changing Places toilet. There were lots of different places to sit and different styles of seating, there were computers that could be used, so many books and lots of other facilities too. I also stopped and got something from the small café on the ground floor which was really lovely and had some lovely items.
Disabled Access In and Around
Excellent
The main entrance to the library had automatic sliding doors and inside was a really well-lit atrium with a large glass domed ceiling. It was really beautiful. As soon as you entered there was a tactile map of the ground floor. Just behind the map was the reception desk which had a lowered counter. To the right of the reception area was the children’s library which had a really cool domed layout. Just behind the reception and to the left slightly were two lifts which travelled to all the other floors of the library. There were also escalators that travelled between each floor which were closer to the main entrance. Most of the floors in the library were carpeted but it wasn’t carpet that seemed to create much resistance for my wheelchair. The only place I did notice some resistance was in the Picton Reading Room. The lifts were quite narrow but were longer than expected so there was room for people to stand behind my wheelchair. They had a mirror at the back of the lift and a grab rail went around most of the inside. The buttons were tactile and also had Braille. There was a sign with what was on each floor inside the lifts. On the top floor there was an outdoor viewing platform. The doors were opened with buttons on the side of the doors. There were glass barriers around the edge of the platform with a metal rail at the top. There were stone benches all around the area to sit on. There were lots of different places to sit, some larger group tables with power outlets available, banks of desks with computers to use, record booths for searching archives, and comfier seats with lower tables. The space between the shelves was all really good. There was one part of the library where some of the tables were a bit too close to the shelves but signs had been placed on one side of the table to tell people not to sit there so that wheelchair access was always available. This was really great to see and made me feel that accessibility is being made a priority. The Picton Reading Room was a large circular room which was covered with old books and had lots of places to sit and work. The main thing that was different in this room was that it was absolutely silent. To the point where I was even hyper aware of the noise my wheels were making on the carpet! The café on the ground floor was really nice and had some great options available. There were clear menus at the counter and items on display but not too high. The point to order and pay wasn’t too high either. The staff also offered to bring my items over to my table for me as well which I really appreciated.
Accessible facilities: Lift to all areas, Step-free entrance, Seating at regular intervals, Step-free access to most areas
Parking & Transport
I travelled to this place by walk or wheel
The Library is really close to Liverpool Lime Street Railway Station which is also connected to the Metro. In addition to being able to get metro trains on the Wirral line, you can also get services from East Midlands Railway, TransPennine Express, London Northwestern Railway, Northern, Avanti West Coast, and Transport for Wales at the station. There is also a bus stop just outside of the railway station, on Lime Street, where you can get the buses 10A, 14A, 14C, and 17. There are supposedly some public parking spaces, including accessible parking spaces on William Brown Street, just outside the library’s entrance but I didn’t see these as there was a Christmas market that had shut some of the roads.
Accessible facilities: Public or on street parking
Accessible Toilets
Excellent
There were accessible toilets on every single floor of the library which was great to see. My one main issue with the toilets was that all of them were through a very heavy fire door and none of them had buttons to make them open automatically. I found it a real struggle to open these fire doors and get through them on my own. The signs on the front of all of the toilets and baby-changing rooms had tactile symbols and Braille on them. The toilets all seemed really well-maintained and quite modern too. They had muted tones with warm wood panels, warm lighting, and cream walls. None of the standard accessible toilets required a RADAR key and just had a standard door handle to open them. The doors all opened outwards and had a horizontal grab rail on the inside to assist with closing the door. The locks were a small twist lock. There was transfer space by the toilets and I found that they were often kept clear from any bins or other obstructions. The toilets had cushioned backrests and grab rails around them, including a height-adjustable one. The flushes were handles mounted to the wall behind the toilet. The sinks were very small and had manual taps. They often had both a hand dryer and a paper towel dispenser. I also often saw colostomy shelves in them, although some were incredibly small, and some toilets also had dispensers for things like tampons or sanitary pads. There was also a Changing Places toilet on the ground floor. This needed a RADAR key to access it. Inside it was really large and was really well-equipped. It had the same style as the other toilets with the warm wood panels, warm lighting and cream walls. It also had a wet-room-style floor. As soon as you entered the ceiling hoist was directly in front of you in its charging position. There was a dock on the wall next to it where the remote and arms of the hoist were stowed away when it was not in use. Directly opposite the door was the height-adjustable sink. This had a vertical grab rail on either side of it, a manual soap dispenser on the right and a paper towel dispenser on the left and there was an automatic hand dryer next to the ceiling hoist dock. The sink was a medium-sized sink with a single, manual tap slightly on the left-hand side. There was a lever on the right-hand side which adjusted the height of the sink. On the far right-hand side of the room, as you entered, was a height-adjustable bench with shower facilities. There was also a privacy screen next to it that was folded away. The bench had a padded safety barrier that could be folded up as needed and the remote to adjust the height was hung just below the shower. The toilet was opposite the shower and was a standard toilet with a standard handle flush. There was a height-adjustable grab rail on either side of the toilet and there was also a vertical grab rail next to them. There was space on either side of the toilet to transfer. There was a sanitary bin placed against the wall which might slightly obstruct a left-side transfer but there was still plenty of space. Two emergency red cords hung freely down to the floor in the toilet, one was next to the toilet and the other was by the door. There were also signs with information and instructions on how to use the hoist and bench on the wall. A large mirror was just by the door as well.
Facilities: Closomat toilet, Accessible toilet, Changing Places toilet, Changing Places toilet with shower
Staff
Excellent
I only interacted with staff at the café on this visit. They were really lovely and helpful and offered to bring my items to my table so that I didn’t have to try to carry them and push my wheelchair.
