Not just "a" library – "the" library
5
5
Date of visit: July 2025
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: a hidden impairment and moving around.
Overall Rating
Excellent
When I was first researching my trip to Leeds, I was slightly confused to find that there was a place named The Leeds Library, which was different from Leeds Central Library. I was intrigued by that confidence and the apparent historicity of this place, so it went on my list of placed I wanted to see. By chance of timing and geography, it ended up being the first place I visited after dropping off my luggage and having a bite to eat. I was also lucky that one of the board members of the library happened to see me looking interested outside the building and not only showed me their new accessible entrance but also gave me a tour of the whole library! It really turned into “the” place to be. The Leeds Library is a subscription library, which means that members pay a monthly fee to use the premises and the collections. Not living in Leeds myself, it obviously did not make sense for me to become a member, but that had no impact on the warm welcome I received. Alas, not everyone can have my luck and run into their tour guide in front of the building, so if you are not a member and keen to visit, I recommend getting in touch to arrange someone to let you in and show you around. I was very taken with the historic charm of the place and how well the modern extension had been integrated to allow for better accessibility. Apparently many members use it as a calm and cosy place to work, study and – of course – read as well as a chance to make social connections with fellow members. There are even events and clubs and the Heritage Society has their own room to meet and research in. They also curate the little exhibition in the foyer of the main entrance. The building that houses the library was built for it over 200 years ago and while not necessarily practical for a wheelchair user (looking at you, spiral staircases), it is certainly gorgeous. (And only the librarian is allowed up on the spiral staircases and mezzanines.) I really enjoyed learning about the history, for example that the first two librarians were mother and daughter. Also the library’s collection is apparently so big that there is no one who knows exactly what it all is they have! You could barely engineer a place that aligns more with my interests.
Disabled Access In and Around
Good
The main entrance has non-automatic double doors that open to the inside. To get to the reading rooms, you need to get up to the first floor. There is a wide turning staircase with contrast markings on the steps and a railing on the right leading up from the main entrance hall. There is also a chairlift going along the left side of the staircase. The display cases in the foyer are at a good height for wheelchair users and not too deep, so I could see the flat-laid exhibits fairly well. The wheelchair-accessible entrance is through a power-assisted door to the right of the main entrance. It is not open to the public, so members need to scan their card to open the door or you need to be let in. The door opens to the outside left. There is a slight incline on the first half of the corridor to the lift, which is carpeted and has handrails on either side. The second half of the corridor is level and smoothly tiled. The call button for the lift is on the left wall of the corridor. The buttons inside the lift have Braille labels and light up. The button for the ground floor is raised. The lift is not very large, but I found it comfortable enough. The floors in the reading rooms and meeting room are smooth wood. There are no steps except for two shallow steps up to the women’s bathroom in the old part of the library, but there are gender-neutral toilets and an accessible bathroom in the new extension. There are tables and moveable chairs throughout the reading rooms, all with backrests and some with armrests. The shelves go all the way to the ceiling, but considering that there are many books on the mezzanine and in the basement that only the librarian has access to, I reckon it is very common to ask for help getting a book out. The atmosphere is calm and quiet, but people also chat to one another – but possibly only in some agreed rooms. The meeting room has rows of moveable chairs with upholstered seats and backrests. The library has two portable hearing loops and a large collection of audio books.
Accessible facilities: Lift to some areas, Step-free entrance, Seating at regular intervals, Step-free access to most areas
Parking & Transport
Average
I travelled to this place by walk or wheel
There is no on-street parking in the area, as most of it is pedestrianised, but the paid multi-storey car park Q-Park Albion Street is very close. It is a 0.3-mile/6-minute walk or wheel from the train station and a 0.4-mile/10-minute walk or wheel from the bus station. The closest bus stops are for Trinity on Boar Lane or for City Square on Park Row.
Accessible Toilets
Good
There are two gender-neutral toilets and one accessible bathroom in the modern part, close to the lift. The accessible bathroom is at the end of the small corridor and the doors to the other toilets are on the left, all opening inwards. The door opens to the inside. No key is needed to access the bathroom. There is a motion-sensor door opener on the wall to the right. There is no handle on the outside. There is a handrail on the back of the door as well as two coat hooks at different heights and a vertical metal bar handle. The door locks with another motion-sensor button on the wall to your left as you come in. There is a large mirror and a baby change to your right when you come in. The sink, toilet and bin are to your left. There is a fixed vertical and a horizontal handrail to the left of the toilet that can be lifted and moved out of the way and a fixed horizontal handrail on the wall to the right of the toilet. The flush is buttons on the wall behind the toilet. The toilet paper holder is to the right of the toilet. There is space for a right-side transfer. The red cord is to the right of the toilet. There are vertical handrails on either side of the sink. The sink is a small wall-mounted sink and the tap is motion-activated. There is a mirror above the sink. There is also a wall-mounted soap dispenser on the wall slightly to the left between the mirror and the sink. There is only a hand dryer, no paper towels. The hand dryer is next to the baby change on the left. There is a narrow foot-pedal bin by the back wall next to the toilet. The red cord was still tied up from having been recently installed, but I promptly let it down and made sure the mention that it should not be tied up.
Facilities: Accessible toilet
Staff
Excellent
The person who showed me around was absolutely lovely and we had some great conversations about access. It was quite clear to me that the interest in being more inclusive was genuine and they were very happy to hear my feedback and even noticed some things themselves that could be improved just by navigating the space with me.
