The London Library

Open to all, we’re an independent library with around one million books and open access shelving – inspiring writers and readers for over 180 years.

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

This year's London Library Christmas Card is now available to purchase (in packs of 8 cards, for £8.00) from our online shop or in person at Reception. To celebrate our 185th anniversary, we're issuing a reprint of a popular past design by Quentin Blake! https://t.co/oUZ8eCDKK8

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

Inspiration above, inspiration below, inspiration all around. Immerse yourself in your research and pursue your projects with everything from reference volumes to short story collections within reach. Explore membership of The London Library today https://t.co/Q6gN0wAUO4

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

Can't make it to St James's Square? Have a Remote membership? All London Library members benefit from our Postal Loan service. Get a postage voucher from our shop, tell us the books you want, and when you're done pack them up (carefully!) and post them back.

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

The Autumn 2026 issue explores tales of script, screen and song, dystopias, aeronautics, lives lived in the Library, new books, old books, most-borrowed books and more.

The magazine is available exclusively to members as part of London Library membership.

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

The clocks may have gone back but the Lightwell Reading Room still catches what daylight there is to snare! Find our more about our five reading rooms and other unique spaces for reading, writing and inspiration at https://t.co/L3Dy7Ys0ID

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

Pop in to the Times Room on your next visit to see the display of records relating to some notable American members of the Library: legendary costume designer Edith Head, poet Ralph Waldo Emerson & the father of American letters Mark Twain. Visit https://t.co/odsYF9GHit for more.

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

The London Library's unique cataloguing system, in which books are organised by subject and volumes from 100+ years ago sit side by side with volumes published this year, gives curious researchers a unique browsing experience - whether they're looking into golf or goldwork.

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

There's still time to join us this magical event to hear Dr Sarah Clegg and Dr Kate Lister discuss all things faerie - from thousands of years of oral tradition to the pages of romantasy books and beyond. Find out more and book your ticket at https://t.co/Y3BR0qGLYn

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

Set up for the day at a desk in the stacks overlooking St James's Square, and let the volumes pile up around you as you follow your curiosity wherever shelfmarks and serendipity take you. What better way to spend a working day?
https://t.co/Is0uDMp4Gg

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

The London Library is a unique world designed to help you read, write, and be inspired. Coming in day after day? Hold your pile of books for easy access and stay on track using books aside slips. Find out more about membership at https://t.co/5zbTOe1a4W

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

For the inaugural event in our new Translation Salon series we're hosting a fascinating discussion on the incredible translators who preserved the works of Franz Kafka for posterity, in partnership with @jlfbookweek Get your tickets at https://t.co/mabN0JbBIa

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

Spend a perfect Saturday morning tucked into a Reading Room armchair with a stack of every paper, journal and literary review you'd love to be subscribed to but sadly aren't. Find out more about how you can live your magazine dreams at https://t.co/Is0uDMp4Gg

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

Three steps to cure a fractured attention span:
1. Leave your phone in your Library locker
2. Follow your heart through the stacks to the perfect book
3. Find a chair, sit in it, start reading, keep going
Visit https://t.co/Is0uDMp4Gg to start your brain recovery plan

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

For the curious browser, the determined researcher, and those on a quest, our unique catalogue is accessible online. Non-members can see what the Library has to offer. Members can plan their borrowing and access online resources. To find out more visit https://t.co/Ob40ufutqO

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

Working at one of the desks scattered throughout the London Library's endlessly-unfolding stacks is the perfect way to soak up nearly two centuries of ambient intellectual inspiration and fine tune your focus.

Find out more at https://t.co/3TXGUbbtKw

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

How many books can you borrow at The London Library? 📚

London Library members can borrow up to 15 books at a time – more than many public libraries. Most books can be kept for at least a month and renew automatically.

Become a member today to explore almost 1 million books.

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

Looking for your next summer read? 📚

Take a look at the new and newly returned titles in the Issue Hall – there’s plenty to discover.

Why not pick up a new book for the summer?☀️

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

A quiet corner. A desk by the window. A few uninterrupted hours to focus. 📚

Find your place to work in the Reading Rooms, surrounded by the quiet hum of ideas and the inspiring atmosphere of The London Library. #TheLondonLibrary

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

Did you know the toilets in TS Eliot House feature floors designed by Turner Prize-winning artist Martin Creed? Commissioned as part of a mid-2000s redevelopment, each tile is unique, using marble and materials sourced from around the world. Discover more at The London Library.

[The London Library @TheLondonLib]

With our unique classification system and 17 miles of open shelves, you never know what you might discover at The London Library.

Since 1841, our collection has inspired 185 years of serendipitous discovery for readers, writers and thinkers.