page_title: Liverpool Central Library
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Liverpool Central Library / History
caption_attribution_description: This file was uploaded with Commonist. Liverpool Central Library rebuild December 13 2011
context_page_description: Liverpool Central Library is the largest of the 22 libraries in Liverpool, England, situated in the centre of the city.
context_section_description: The library is located in several adjoining historic buildings on William Brown Street. Its first building was the William Brown Library and Museum building which was completed in 1860 to the designs of John Weightman Surveyor to Liverpool Corporation, (not to be confused with his near contemporary John Grey Weightman) and which it has always shared with the city's museum, now known as World Museum Liverpool. The library was then extended further to the right with the addition in 1879 of the Picton Reading Room and to the rear with the Hornby Library in 1906. All three of these are Grade II* listed buildings and are built in a classical style similar to other buildings on the street.
  Previous to the creation of this public library was England's first subscription library (1758-1942), latterly known as The Lyceum, Liverpool, but often referred to as the Liverpool Library.
  750,000 people visited the museum in 2017. In 2018, the library won The Bookseller’s Library of the Year Award.
caption: Liverpool Central Library during rebuild
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