Leeds Library

Leeds Library is a subscription library housed in a Greek Revival building with high ceilings, wooden shelves, and reading rooms spread across multiple floors on Commercial Street. The space was expanded recently through the addition of adjacent premises, creating a larger unified facility for its collection.

The library was established in 1768 and remains the longest-operating subscription library in the British Isles. Its original collection of approximately 140,000 books from that period formed the foundation upon which later acquisitions have been built.

The library houses collections from multiple centuries that visitors can explore while browsing the wooden shelves and reading rooms. These materials reflect the tastes and interests that shaped intellectual life in the region over generations.

Visitors can gain access to books, magazines, and audiovisual materials through membership. The building is centrally located in Leeds and easy to reach, with multiple floors offering reading spaces and access to the collection.

The library has remained an independent subscription-based institution while many similar libraries across Britain were closed or absorbed into public systems. This continuity as a privately operated membership-based collection is uncommon in the modern landscape.

Location: Leeds

Inception: 1768

Architectural style: Greek Revival architecture

Address: The Leeds Library,18 Commercial Street, Leeds, LS1 6AL

Website: http://theleedslibrary.org.uk

GPS coordinates: 53.79750,-1.54440

Latest update: December 12, 2025 07:53