London’s literary landscape has influenced some of the world’s most celebrated authors, with Virginia Woolf, Jane Austen and William Shakespeare all drawing inspiration from the capital. Travelling from Bethnal Green to Peckham and St James’s Square to the South Bank, we pinpoint the finest libraries in London. Expect specialist collections covering film, music and poetry, neighbourhood hangouts with seriously impressive events calendars, and landmark locations like The British Library and The London Library. Read on to discover London’s literary roots and where to find your next page-turner.
11 of the best libraries in London
1. BFI Reuben Library
Just beneath Waterloo Bridge – near the London Eye, National Theatre and Southbank Centre – BFI Reuben Library is dedicated to texts on film, television and digital moving image. Its extensive collection includes articles, scripts, press cuttings, books, costume designs and animations. The low-lit space is free to enter but study desks equipped with table lamps and sensory assistive equipment require advance booking. There’s an impressive lineup of year-round events too, with upcoming highlights featuring a celebration of ITV at 70 and new writings from emerging and established filmmakers.
Address: Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XT
Opening times: Tuesday to Saturday 11am to 7pm.
2. Bethnal Green Library
Set overlooking Bethnal Green Gardens, this library is housed in a striking Victorian Grade II-listed building with a red-brick exterior. Inside, elegant Neo-Georgian interiors see chequerboard wood floors, period panelling and a statement arched ceiling adorned with stained glass and ornate plasterwork as the setting for a tranquil reading room. Bethnal Green Library has been a local institution since 1922 and remains a vital hub for east Londoners with its well-curated selection of fiction, non-fiction and eclectic children’s section. The library has an ever-changing roster of exhibitions charting everything from transport, architecture and culture.
Address: Cambridge Heath Road, London E2 0HL
Opening times: Monday to Wednesday 10am to 6pm, Thursday 10am to 8pm, Sunday 9am to 5pm.
3. British Library
The British Library ranks as the largest national library in the world, housing more than 100 million items including newspapers, maps, manuscripts, photographs and books dating back as far as the 11th century. The oldest item in the library is a 3,600-year-old Ancient Egyptian limestone stela, intricately inscribed with a hymn to Osiris, god of the underworld. Spread across 14 floors, the space was purposefully designed by architect Colin St John Wilson to resemble a ship – a clever nod to Wilson’s navy past and an effort to maximise storage capacity. You'll find white stairwells bathed in natural light, while The King’s Library takes centre stage with its 89,000 floor-to-ceiling books at the core of the St Pancras building. The British Library is set to undergo a 12-storey extension by 2030, featuring new galleries, library spaces and learning resources.
Address: 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB
Opening times: Monday to Thursday 9.30am to 8pm, Friday 9.30am to 6pm, Saturday 9.30am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm.
4. Peckham Library
Peckham Library underwent a major £1.5 million facelift in 2023, with the building equipped with energy-efficient technologies such as low-carbon heating and cooling systems, LED lighting and upgrades including new flooring and windows. The library still has its renowned copper-clad turquoise exterior, while the rear of the building features multi-coloured glass panels. Inside, three timber pods sit above passageways brimming with books, which are used as reading rooms and a playroom for little ones. You’ll find all the essentials, as well as titles in other languages and a dedicated section on African culture.
Address: 122 Peckham Hill Street, London SE15 5JR
Opening times: Monday to Thursday 9am to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday 12 to 4pm.
5. Wellcome Collection Library
A red staircases lined with plush cushions and cosy corners invite readers to sink into an armchair and while away the afternoon with a page-turning title at Wellcome Collection Library. The leading museum and library is dedicated to past, present and future health, so you’ll find a cutting-edge collection of fiction, memoirs and graphic novels on alchemy, witchcraft, herbal medicine or even surgery. Be sure to explore the free museum and discover historic artefacts like the world’s first MRI scanner, Alexander Fleming’s original penicillin mould and Napoleon’s toothbrush.
Address: 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE
Opening times: Monday to Wednesday 10am to 6pm, Thursday 10am to 8pm, Friday 10am to 6pm, Saturday 10am to 4pm.
6. Guildhall Library
Located near top landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral and Sky Garden, Guildhall Library is tucked away on the City's quieter Aldermanbury Street. The library specialises in materials related to the history of London with books, pamphlets and directories focused on family history, food and wine. It also holds collections dedicated to notable figures like Thomas Moore, John Wilkes and Samuel Pepys, as well as pieces from The London Archives. Guildhall is a research library, which means most of its collection is unavailable to borrow, but there is a great mix of online events such as a deep dive into the Great Plague and The Great Fire of London.
Address: Aldermanbury Street, London EC2V 5AF
Opening times: Monday to Thursday 10am to 4pm.
7. Barbican Library
With a cinema, conservatory, restaurants and galleries, it’s little surprise that the Barbican’s Library impresses with its vibrant collection of books, recordings, spoken word, DVDs and CDs. The library is set on level two of the brutalist building, with sections organised into an adult library, music library and children’s library. The library specialises in music, offering listening facilities and practise pianos free to access. Be sure to check out the event's calendar for sock worm-making workshops, storytelling with children’s authors, reading challenges and secret film clubs. It’s worth noting that borrowing items and access to some online resources requires a membership – which is free for residents and those who work or study in the City of London.
Address: Silk Street, Barbican, London EC2Y 8DS
Opening times: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9.30am to 5.30pm, Tuesday and Thursday 9.30am to 7.30pm, Saturday 9.30am to 4pm.
8. Canada Water Library
It’s hard to miss Canada Water Library with its striking bronzed aluminium exterior and hexagonal shape anchored right on the edge of Surrey Quays dock. The two-storey library, which was designed by British architect Piers Gough, impresses with zigzagging bookshelves and a central wooden staircase offset by colourful geometric carpets. As well as a vast collection of books, DVDs and CDs, visitors can enjoy bookable desks and photocopiers, children’s activities and regular music and author events too.
Address: 21 Surrey Quays Road, London SE16 7AR
Opening times: Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 12 to 4pm.
9. National Poetry Library
Step inside the Southbank Centre and head straight to the fifth floor to explore the colourful shelves of the National Poetry Library. Founded by the Arts Council in 1953 and originally opened by poets TS Eliot and Herbert Read, the library moved to its current home at Royal Festival Hall in 1988. Today, it showcases more than 200,000 works of modern British poetry, making it the largest public collection of its kind in the world. Membership is free and available online, granting literature lovers access to an extensive range of digital and print poetry collections. Families should check out the Little Library, a dedicated space where children can discover and engage with books in a cosy setting. Meanwhile, a roster of thrilling events such as poetry readings, experimental performances, panel discussions and book launches from emerging voices and celebrated authors are worth swinging by for.
Address: Belvedere Road, Southbank Centre, London SE1 8XX
Opening times: Tuesday 12 to 6pm, Wednesday to Sunday 12 to 8pm.
10. National Art Library
The National Library is housed within the V&A, overlooking the stunning John Madejski Garden. It’s considered the UK’s largest library collection dedicated to art and design, with holdings available to the public since 1866 and items dating from the 8th century to present day. The light-filled space is defined by walnut bookshelves, duck-egg blue walls and an upper terrace balcony wrapped in books flooded that are flooded by natural light pouring in from an ornate ceiling window. It’s the perfect place to explore ceramics, textiles, art and fashion with back editions of British and American Vogue, as well as historic pieces such as three Shakespeare First Folios.
Address: Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Opening times: Tuesday to Thursday 10am to 5pm.
11. The London Library
Right in the heart of St James’s Square, The London Library has inspired writers and researchers since its inception in 1841, with past members including Virginia Woolf, Charles Dickens, Bram Stoker and Harold Pinter (to name but a few). While a membership is required to access the library, visitors can book a 15-minute prospective member tour. Celebrated for its distinctive shelfmark system – which organises more than one million books by subject – the library spans 3,000 subjects in 55 languages. Each year, a new cohort of emerging writers is enrolled into The London Library Emerging Writers Programme, where they can enjoy a free membership, writing development masterclasses and networking opportunities. Memberships start from £26.45 per month.
Address: 12 St James’s Square, London SW1Y 4LG
Opening times: Monday and Tuesday 9.30am to 9pm, Wednesday to Saturday 9.30am to 5.30pm.
If you’re looking for more inspiration for art and cultural experiences in London, be sure to check out our guide to the best museums in London and don’t miss what’s on in London this weekend for fresh ideas. Download the Visit London App for exclusive offers and on-the-go inspiration.