Housing a unique collection of archives, books, images and artefacts, the Library is recognised both at home and abroad as one of Britain’s most important collections of working class history, and is open for everyone to use without charge. It’s as important today as it was to founders Ruth and Eddie Frow that working people should be able to explore and value their history to help them shape a better future.
Last year a record 2,900 people used our reading room, came to a Library event, dropped in to see an exhibition or had a tour of the building, and 1,000 people emailed us with enquiries about our collection. Keeping the Library open and accessible and preserving the collection costs around £120,000 a year. Salford City Council currently provides an annual grant of about £23,000, but for the remainder the Library is dependent on donations. Without the generosity of our broad range of supporters we would not be able to keep this vital connection to working class heritage alive for future generations.
Every donation counts. The Library has been able to preserve items that would otherwise have been lost as a resource available for everyone to discover. If you want to be part of keeping this collection alive for the future there are lots of ways you can help: by donating online or through standing order, becoming a Library Friend, joining in our fundraising appeals, or leaving a legacy through your will.
Support our work:
* £25 will provide acid-free packaging to preserve 50 unique historical pamphlets, from satirical songs of the 1770s to the 1984 miners’ strike.
* £60 will go towards materials for restoring rare books which supporters have donated to the collection.
* £500 will help bring working class history alive by staging part of an exhibition from our archives and collection. You can find out more about our exhibitions here