York Explore Library and Archive

York Explore Library and Archive Flagship public library at the cultural heart of the city of York and home of the city archives.

The flagship public library for the city of York and home of the city archives. Designed by the York architect Walter Brierley in 1928, today York Explore is a welcoming and accessible place for people of all ages to enjoy. With a range of events and activities, and a delicious menu on offer in our Reading Cafe, there's more to York Explore than you might expect.

We're excited for these Arts Council England funded events to start this October! Follow the links in the comments below...
01/09/2026

We're excited for these Arts Council England funded events to start this October! Follow the links in the comments below to book a free place đŸ«¶

Looking for something new to try this autumn?Creative Café, History Misbehaves and Digital Making Youth Club are all bac...
01/09/2026

Looking for something new to try this autumn?

Creative Café, History Misbehaves and Digital Making Youth Club are all back, this year at York Explore, starting in October!

From local history and digital making to creative activities and meeting new people, there are plenty of ways to get involved.

Supported by Arts Council Englandthrough our National Portfolio Organisation programme.

Take a look below and see the links in the comments to find out more 🍂

Opening hours today - bank holiday Monday 31 August☕Rowntree Park CafĂ© open as normal.📚Libraries, archives and other caf...
31/08/2026

Opening hours today - bank holiday Monday 31 August

☕Rowntree Park CafĂ© open as normal.
📚Libraries, archives and other cafes closed.
âšœCommunity Stadium library open for self-service borrow and return.

Tuesday 1 September: All sites open as normal.

With 2 weeks left of the Summer Reading Challenge, here is a stack of board books that might just be the ticket to get y...
29/08/2026

With 2 weeks left of the Summer Reading Challenge, here is a stack of board books that might just be the ticket to get your tiny reader/s dancing to the beat of a finished challenge!

Join us at York Explore for an afternoon with author and former journalist John Wheatcroft as he discusses his latest bo...
27/08/2026

Join us at York Explore for an afternoon with author and former journalist John Wheatcroft as he discusses his latest book, The Strange Death of Football.

Through 11 interconnected short stories, Wheatcroft explores love, friendship, family and life's challenges, with football running through each tale.

"A beautiful album of short stories that performs the rare feat of using football as a stage, a structuring device and a metaphor. Wise and moving." Jonathan Wilson, award-winning football writer for The Guardian and founder/editor of The Blizzard

Following the talk, there will be an opportunity to ask John your questions in a Q&A session.

📅 Monday 21 September
⏰ 3pm to 4.15pm
📍 York Explore Library and Archive, Library Square, York, YO1 7DS

Copies of The Strange Death of Football will be available to purchase on the day, with your ticket price deducted from the cost of the book.

Follow the link in the comments below to book your ticket đŸŽ« âšœ

York Explore Library and Archive and York Explore Reading Café will be closed on Saturday 12 September and Sunday 13 Sep...
27/08/2026

York Explore Library and Archive and York Explore Reading Café will be closed on Saturday 12 September and Sunday 13 September while we carry out essential ICT upgrade work.

These improvements are part of a major project to modernise our systems and will help us provide an even more reliable service in the future. We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience while this work takes place.

Summer Reading Challenge participants: if you're taking part in the Summer Reading Challenge through York Explore, please complete the challenge and collect any rewards by Friday 11 September, as the library will be closed over the final weekend of the challenge.

Returning books or collecting reservations?
‱ No library items will be due back during the closure period.
‱ Reservation collection dates will be adjusted to account for the closure.

Only York Explore Library and Archive will be affected by this closure. We anticipate that all other Explore libraries will remain open during their normal opening hours and will let you know as soon as possible if there are any further closures.

We look forward to welcoming you back when York Explore reopens on Monday 14 September.

The next meeting of Read and Relax our reading group with a twist is next week, Wednesday 2 September - 6.30pm and it is...
26/08/2026

The next meeting of Read and Relax our reading group with a twist is next week, Wednesday 2 September - 6.30pm and it is our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

In this anniversary edition our bookish chat will focus on 'Book to Film: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.'

There is no booking required, it is a drop in session, EVERYONE is welcome.

Hope to see you there - we're excited to see and hear about all the reading everyone has been doing plus thoughts on the bookish topic!

'The garden through time' by Thomas Rutter brings 45 extraordinary gardens to life in a beautifully illustrated journey ...
25/08/2026

'The garden through time' by Thomas Rutter brings 45 extraordinary gardens to life in a beautifully illustrated journey across the world and through the centuries.

Take a journey through gardens and time by placing a reservation today.

The bank holiday is a week away!Monday 31 August☕ Rowntree Park CafĂ© open as normal.📚 Libraries, archives and other cafe...
24/08/2026

The bank holiday is a week away!

Monday 31 August
☕ Rowntree Park CafĂ© open as normal.
📚 Libraries, archives and other cafes closed.
⚜ Community Stadium library open for self-service borrow and return.
Tuesday 1 September: All sites open as normal.

As the Summer Reading Challenge continues for young and little readers you might want to with them.This pile of books ...
23/08/2026

As the Summer Reading Challenge continues for young and little readers you might want to with them.

This pile of books might just sing to the tune of music themed adult fiction!

Address

York Central Library, Library Square
York
YO17DS

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 8pm
Tuesday 9am - 8pm
Wednesday 9am - 8pm
Thursday 9am - 8pm
Friday 10am - 6pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm

Telephone

+441904552828

Website

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