Rochdale Central Library

My first visit here. A huge library. Lots of activity today, to celebrate Sensory Awareness Day. Guide dogs and wonderful information booths. Free phones to use in library and I borrowed a device for work. Michelle Haigh was terrific, helpful, professional and friendly. What a star! Thank you!

Beautiful building inside and out, however I can’t really say this is a library. only half the floor is a library area most of which are desks and computers. Feels very open and not your typical library cosy atmosphere.There aren’t a great selection of books and I don’t think the books are in a great order. Everything seems to just be as if someone has said “heres a space, lets erect a shelf and add books” all quite randomly placed.Childrens area is small and boring. not a great selection of books which is sad, especially for a childrens area.I asked a staff member for more colouring material for a child, she went to see if they had any more but didnt come back. When going to check where she had gone, I found her sat on her phone on the front desk. When asked her if they could provide some, she said she already told me they didn’t have any? quite rude and snappy. My 5 year old asked “why is she shouting”Why are staff so miserable and rude? If they don’t like being there or talking to people, why be in that job?Anyway, if I could, i’d go elsewhere, but out of convenience and to get my children to love being around books i bring them, even though its not great. 2 starts for the location and lovely area its in. not the library itself

I want to thank Daniel in the library for being so kind and helpful as I went online to get a birth certificate for a passport application. I had no help from registry.you are a star you are

Saturday morning visit with my 5 yr old and they had a Lego club setup to keep the youngsters entertained, which was great.It wasn't busy and there's plenty of computers to access, however I was a little disappointed with the volume of books.Modern space, and a nice place to occupy.

Computers difficult to use because of excessive restrictions, staff who work" to the minimum work standard

The Rochdale Central Library is a beautifully designed minimalistic space, with a smart yet friendly cafe unfortunately some of the staff that work the on the front desk are not which loses a star, as we are living in a now unjudgemental world it appears that as always council staff are still in the 80s where the financially challenged are concerned

One stop shop. Citizens advice, library, housing and so on.

Saw the library staff falsely accuse two young people of kissing. sat right next to them my self and nothing happened between them. The security need to step up their game and stop falsely accusing students trying to study.

I really like the children's part the most.But I can't consider this a library, everybody talks, nobody respects that others are working or studying, every time I sit at a round table to study I have to leave because it seems that people come here to talk to their friends. Where I used to live if someone talked loudly the workers would call their attention to them and if they continued like that they would be expelled from the library, here even though there are people working as security they are useless, they even talk to the people at the tables a few metres away disturbing the others.

More of a noisy community centre than library