Explore York Libraries and Archives
Directory of Co-operatives
Library Square
Explore runs 15 libraries in York, including York Explore – our flagship library and home of the City Archive – 5 Reading Cafes, a mobile library, and a home library service. We employ more than 80 people. We provide public libraries and archives under a contract with the City of York council. But Explore is a different kind of public service – a mutual society governed by a board of directors and owned by members of the community and the staff who work here.
Our libraries, archives and cafes are places where people of all ages know they belong, and where they can connect with each other or with the history of York, and discover stories and ideas. Explore challenges imaginations and brings artists into our spaces to ignite creativity for old and young. Our spaces are free and open to everyone. Collaboration and co-operation is at our heart.
Explore came into being in 2014 as a mutual industrial and provident society with charitable status owned by our staff and our community members. All members own one share in Explore. Anyone over the age of 16 can become a member. Following a competitive tendering process in 2018, Explore was awarded a new 15-year contract to run libraries and archives for City of York council from April 2019 to March 2034.
We are firmly rooted in York with a board of directors who are all local people and understand the city’s needs. Our board takes overall responsibility for everything we do. Our staff, community members, library users and partner organisations also have the chance to get involved in various ways to help us develop and grow in response to the needs and wishes of local people.
We have worked with the Cabinet Office and the Department for Culture Media and Sport to share our learning and expertise in the mutualisation of services and contributed to a toolkit on alternative delivery models for public libraries.
We are registered with the Financial Conduct Authority and recognised as having charitable status by HMRC. We are governed by a set of rules which define what we do.