About this toolkit
This toolkit is put together by the team at Manchester City of Literature.
It contains everything you need to get involved in Festival of Libraries 2026, whether that’s putting on your own event or celebrating your library online.
We’ve tried to think of everything you might need to get started. From branding, to engagement ideas, to digital tips and tricks. But think of this as a work in progress – if you spot something missing, get in touch to let us know.
A library is a focal point, a sacred place to a community; and its sacredness is its accessibility, its publicness. It’s everybody’s place.
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– Ursula K. Le Guin
About the festival
Festival of Libraries is a county-wide celebration of Greater Manchester’s libraries – all 133 of them. From our rich tapestry of heritage libraries, to our vital local libraries that support and serve their communities. It’s for everyone!
Now an award-winning icon in the Manchester festival calendar, Festival of Libraries champions everything that’s great about our libraries: culture, community and creativity, digital skills and information, wellbeing, and, of course – reading!
We’re putting together an exciting programme of performances, exhibitions, concerts, art, film, writing classes, residencies, public debate and more. We’d love for you to get involved.
Library partners include: Ahmed Iqbal Ullah RACE Trust, Archives+, Manchester Central Library, Chetham’s Library, John Rylands Research Institute and Library, Manchester Poetry Library, NHS Libraries, The Portico Library, Working Class Movement Library, the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University and Greater Manchester libraries (Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan), Z-arts, Levenshulme Old Library, Manchester Cathedral and more.
To add your library to that list, use this toolkit to tailor your activity. Then let us know what you’re up to so we can add you to the festival programme.
We can’t wait to celebrate #FestivalofLibraries with you.
Header image: Inspired by Libraries: Shirley May and Mike Garry, The Portico (photography © Samantha Guess