As part of the Yorkshire Evening Post’s Leeds Reads campaign, which aims to get the city once again immersed in books, the YEP were invited for an exclusive look behind the scenes at the Leeds Library’s historic collection of priceless books.
Founded in 1768, the Leeds Library on Commercial Street is the oldest surviving subscription library in the country, and it is now working with schools and colleges across the city to encourage youngsters back into reading.
One especially rare book in the collection is Mandeville Travels - dating back to 1483. Take a look behind the scenes...
1. Behind the scenes at the Leeds Library
Ian Harker stands on a fully functional spiral staircase that dates right back to the 1800s. | Gerard Binks
2. Behind the scenes at the Leeds Library
Founded in 1768, the Leeds Library on Commercial Street is the oldest surviving subscription library in the country. | Gerard Binks
3. Behind the scenes at the Leeds Library
First occupying a back room at Joseph Ogle’s bookshop on Kirkgate, the Leeds Library later moved to Commercial Street in 1808, where it remains to this day. | Gerard Binks
4. Behind the scenes at the Leeds Library
The New Room at the Leeds Library has changed a bit over the years, including the addition of an upstairs. | Gerard Binks
5. Behind the scenes at the Leeds Library
Behind the library's historic façade sits a stunning collection of over 140,000 books. | Gerard Binks
6. Behind the scenes at the Leeds Library
Dedicated volunteers clean the books at the Leeds Library. | Gerard Binks