The original Leeds General Infirmary opened on Infirmary Street in 1771. The two storey building was extended with a third floor in 1792 and by then it could cater for 108 patients. When the hospital transferred to the new building on Great George Street, Leeds Public Libraries opened the Reference Library here in 1871 and the Central Library in 1872.
Over more than a century, the Society has built up a number of special collections, notably its archive, map and image collections, which have recently been re-catalogued to make them more accessible. These collections are housed in the Society’s library, based at the Leeds Library, 18 Commercial Street, Leeds LS1 6AL.