News

Leeds United’s World Cup winning heroes are being remembered by the city’s librarians as England's current crop prepare to kick off their bid for glory this summer.

An inspirational photograph of 1966 legends including Jack Charlton and Norman Hunter being welcomed back to Leeds after The Three Lions’ historic triumph is going on display at Leeds Central Library alongside a book featuring their signatures alongside other Elland Road icons.

A pair of antique library books written by a renowned 19^th century geologist have finally been returned 50 years late.

Volumes I and II of the esteemed Rev. William Buckland’s Geology and Mineralogy, written almost 200 years ago, were due back at Leeds Central Library in March 1976, but were instead discovered by staff in a charity shop in Beverley, East Yorkshire.

Intrepid young adventurers can go on an epic journey from the far reaches of space to the depths of the ocean floor as they explore the magic of storytelling.

Story Explorers, a new free exhibition at Leeds Central Library, includes eye-catching features such as a giant cuddly octopus and a spectacular model of the moon as part of an immersive, family friendly event running from February 19 until May 30, 2026.

The much-loved Leeds Tapestry celebrating the city’s history has received an inspiring new panel, completely designed and stitched by residents to explore ideas of freedom.

Leeds Storytelling Festival will return from Saturday 14 February to Sunday 8 March, bringing a citywide celebration of stories especially for children and families.

A key support hub for Leeds residents has received a full refurb, including new glass panelling to make sure it’s warm and inviting in the winter months.

This is the most recent move from the council in its commitment to continue investing in Leeds Kirkgate Market and its future.

An audacious bid to rescue King Charles I from imprisonment in Leeds is among the timeless tales discovered amid the pages of the city’s earliest written history.

The remarkable plot, told for what is believed to be the very first time within the centuries-old text, saw the notorious monarch offered a chance of escape from Red Hall in the city centre in 1647 by donning women’s clothes, which he politely declined.

More than 500 years of in-depth knowledge cultivated by green-fingered gardening gurus through the ages has taken root in a new exhibition in Leeds.

Unearthed: The Power of Gardening at Leeds Central Library explores the story, impact and legacy of gardening and the positive role it has played in the lives of thousands of people past and present.

Vintage Victorian music hall tunes have been brought back to life this week for a series of historic performances more than a century in the making.

The corridors of Leeds Central Library are being filled with the sounds of once popular ballads which last entertained audiences in the city’s theatres and concert venues at the turn of the 19^th century.

Leeds Libraries are inviting residents to help create an inspiring new tapestry that will become a lasting part of the city’s cultural heritage. As part of the national campaign Our Freedom: Then and Now, the Threads of Freedom project has received funding to work with communities across the city to produce a collaborative textile artwork. This new piece will be displayed alongside the much-loved Leeds Tapestry on the first floor of Leeds Central Library. 

Visitors to parks in Leeds are being encouraged to listen to stories while they take a stroll this summer through the new ‘Walking Books’ project.

The hope is to introduce reading to new audiences with free eAudiobooks and promote wellbeing.

They were the boisterous barroom ballads that once rattled the rafters of Victorian music halls across Leeds.

Now librarians are calling on the city’s modern-day musicians and singers to help them bring an incredible collection of vintage sheet music to life for the first time in more than a century.