Honley Library

Standing on the corner of West Avenue and Thirstin Road, Honley library has been providing Honleyers with reading material since before the war. One of the ‘Carnegie’ libraries, Honley Library was built with funds donated by the Scottish-American philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie, and first opened its doors in 1936. Over the years, the library has been a focal point for the village and remains a hive of activity today.

A team of volunteers from the charity Friends of Honley Library run 2 of the 5 library sessions each week and organise various events and activities. These hardworking volunteers support the Kirklees Library Service staff who run the remaining 3 sessions.

Events and activities

The library hosts regular weekly and monthly events for all ages. There’s the Tuesday afternoon Knit and Natter, where experienced knitters share their tips and advice with novice knitters over a cuppa. Book groups are held on the 4^th Thursday evening and 2^nd Wednesday morning of each month. As books are chosen from the Kirklees Library Service list they can be borrowed free of charge.

Every Saturday morning the library welcomes children for the weekly Lego Club, which even has Duplo for very young children. During term-time, parents, babies and toddlers meet every Friday afternoon for the Story and Rhyme session.

The regular events are punctuated by special events, including author visits and poetry readings. You can find all upcoming events at Honley library in our What’s On section.

A community hub

There’s a warm welcome – and usually a jigsaw on the go – for visitors to the library, which has ramp access and automatic doors. There’s a handy photocopier for public use in return for a small fee, and you can also hire time on one of the 4 computers. It’s wise to book computers in advance as they’re popular and usually in high demand`.

As well as all the events and the facilities, there’s also the small matter of a huge number of books available to borrow, including an excellent children’s section. If the book you want isn’t available just ask and the friendly team will be happy to help.

Kirklees also have an online library www.kirklees.gov.uk/beta/libraries/e-library.aspx. All you need is your password and library card and you can download books to read at home. The next time you’re passing the library, why not pop in and take a look?