Prosper North: Chetham's Library

Chetham’s Library is the oldest public library in the UK and one of the oldest in the world. Founded in 1653 in buildings dating back to the 1420s, the Library is an Accredited Museum and Designated as of national and international importance for the whole of its collections under the ACE Designation scheme. In ‘normal’ times we welcome visitors and readers from across the world to see the buildings, furniture, art work and books, or to work on the collections for research.

The books and manuscripts range from the 13th century to the present day, and are particularly strong on early modern scholarly books and local and regional sources for history. The four members of staff work to put this collection before the widest audience, to conserve it for the future, and to welcome those who come to see it.

Chetham’s Library joins the Prosper North community as part of Edition 3.