CATEGORY · RAINY DAY APPROVED

Libraries in Leeds

Leeds does libraries a bit differently once you look past the shelves of novels. The Leeds Library, right in the city centre, is a working subscription library with over 140,000 historic books, and non-members can look round at set times each week rather than just borrowing to read. Out in Headingley, Buy Nowt LS6 flips the idea entirely: it's a volunteer-run Library of Things, where you borrow tools, camping gear and household kit for a small donation instead of buying new. If you want the atmosphere of an old reading room, head into the centre for the Leeds Library and its set viewing times. If you actually need a drill or a tent for the weekend, Buy Nowt LS6 is the one to join, and membership means you can keep going back rather than paying full price each time. Between the two, it's a reminder that a library can mean books or borrowing almost anything else.

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