Stockroom, Stockport: Where the Future of Libraries Lives

Let’s be honest, not many people wander into a library and come out saying, “I was genuinely impressed.” But that’s exactly what happened last week when we finally made time to pop into Stockroom.

We’d been meaning to go since it opened. Life had been busy, as it always is when you've got kids, and we were doing the usual town centre run while they were at school. Grabbing bits we needed, ticking off to-do lists. The sun wasn’t blazing, the streets weren’t packed, but there was that quiet sense that Stockport’s town centre is turning a corner. A few years ago you wouldn’t have used "cool" and "library" in the same sentence. Now? You just might.

Stockroom is tucked right into Merseyway, with entrances off the main drag and another near the post office, which is now covered over properly by the way. It’s easy to find and even easier to want to step inside once you spot it. We’d heard a lot about it online. People were saying it wasn’t just another library, it was a proper community space. A place that felt new but useful, not just shiny for the sake of it. We were curious, and within about five minutes of being in there, we were sold.

A New Kind of Library

From the moment you walk in, it’s clear this isn’t your usual library setup. There’s a gentle hush, sure, but it’s not stiff. You don’t feel like you’ll get shushed for breathing too loud. The ground floor opens up into a bright, open-plan space with the café and children’s section off to the same side at the back. The lift and stairs are in the middle of the building, giving you easy access to both floors. The staff were around but not hovering, and you could tell people already felt comfortable, whether they were just grabbing a coffee or settling in for a few hours.

Upstairs, you’ll find more books, computer access, and two large rooms that look like they could host anything from creative writing groups to council Q&As. There’s also the Stockport Archives, which for us at GR8R is a goldmine waiting to be tapped. You can’t help but imagine a quiet winter’s afternoon spent leafing through old records, piecing together the bits of the borough that have faded into memory.

But we’ll get to all that. Let’s talk about what really stood out.

A Family-Friendly Game Changer

The children’s section is tucked away at the back, past the café, if you come in through the front entrance. It’s not just a few shelves and beanbags. It’s a proper kids’ corner, complete with little reading nooks, soft rugs, a tiny climbing frame, tables and chairs, and a big space clearly marked out for story time. Low shelves make it easy for little ones to pick out their own books (or throw them on the floor, let’s be honest), and the whole area is enclosed enough that parents of toddlers can breathe easy knowing their kids aren’t going to leg it into the lift.

And then, tucked away nearby, there’s the sensory room. Now, this was the bit that really hit home for us. We’ve got an autistic daughter, and it’s rare to find somewhere in a town centre that she can retreat to when things get a bit much. Stockroom’s sensory space is long and narrow but thoughtfully designed. There are rugs with different textures, a large bubble tube cycling through soft colours, a light projector showing calming visuals on the wall, and fibre optic lights to run through your fingers. We’ve paid to visit sensory rooms with half as much kit. This one? Free, no booking needed, and just quietly there for anyone who needs it.

You don’t realise how rare that is until you need it.

Tech, Tetris and Quiet Surprises

We didn’t sit down to do any serious reading that day , 30 minutes was all we had, but we did have a bash on the retro arcade machines upstairs. They’re next to a photo booth (ideal for passport snaps, just check your nan doesn't walk away with one of the Liverpool team of 04... if you know, you know). The machines are packed with games, not just classic arcade stuff but N64, Gameboy, even PS1. The kind of thing you might not expect to find in a library but makes total sense once you do.

Alongside the gaming area, there are loads of computers, and you can borrow tablets to use while you’re there, something that’s now standard across Stockport libraries. It feels future-ready without shouting about it. Nothing’s overcomplicated, nothing feels like it’s trying too hard.

We didn’t see much in the way of events on our visit, but it was early doors and one of the staff members was setting up for a kids’ story time session. We did speak to one of the managers about the sensory space, and she was warm, helpful, and clearly proud of the place. It wasn’t a PR moment, just someone who cared about where she worked and what it offered.

Café Culture (Library Edition)

We didn’t stop for a brew, but the café looked inviting. Not a faceless chain, but a small setup serving decent-looking pastries, sandwiches, and the usual hot drinks. Prices seemed fair, nothing eye-watering, and we could definitely imagine grabbing a coffee during a working session or between meetings.

Honestly, that’s what’s so impressive about the whole place. It’s a space you can see yourself using for all sorts. A quiet hour to get your head straight. A place to work when home’s too hectic. A pit stop on a town centre trip with the kids. A social spot without the pressure of spending money. Somewhere that feels like it belongs to everyone, not just the people who know their Dewey Decimal from their ISBN.

The Bigger Picture

If you’d told us five years ago that Stockport would open a community library that rivalled anything in the city centre, we’d have raised an eyebrow. But Stockroom might just be that place.

It’s not perfect, nothing is, but it’s ambitious in a quiet, confident way. It doesn’t try to be all things to all people, it just offers the right kind of space and lets people make it their own. There’s art on the walls, QR code treasure hunts for kids, and seating that encourages lingering. It’s the kind of library that understands that learning, connecting and resting all have equal value.

And crucially, it feels Stockport. Not in a nostalgic way, but in a forward-facing, community-focused kind of way.

Final Thoughts

We’ll be back. For work, for research, for a coffee, or just to take a breather in a space that actually welcomes people in.

To anyone thinking of visiting, don’t wait for a reason. Just go. Have a wander. Let your kid loose in the children’s section. Try the arcade machines. Sit with a book you’ve never heard of. Or just soak it in.

Because if libraries were invented today, they’d look like this.