London Live

The London Library

The London Library is a home for book lovers with one million books to borrow and a central London sanctuary for readers and writers. Anyone can join from under £23 per month.  

With access to over a million books and periodicals, a superb online offering and an unforgettable building in beautiful St. James's Square, The London Library is a magical place that has been at the heart of literature for over 175 years.

Founded in 1841 we are the world’s largest independent lending library - a place of creativity and curiosity, where we seek to inspire and support readers, writers and scholars of all kinds. Today, 6,500 members of all ages and backgrounds, including some of the most familiar names in the literary world, find the Library’s resources invaluable. 

Elegant reading rooms and memorable architecture combine with an extraordinary history to make the Library a unique place in which to study, to write and to discover.

Members have access to:

  • an incredible collection of 1 million books, with 6,000 more being added every year, almost all of which are available to browse on open shelves and borrow;
  • a postal loans service anywhere within Europe;
  • subscriptions to thousands of journals and periodicals and a wide range of digital resources;
  • expert staff, always on hand to assist with enquiries;
  • beautiful and practical spaces in which to read and write, including five reading rooms and a large number of individual study areas, open six days a week with late night openings.

View all of the benefits of membership.

--

Newsletter

If you're not ready to join but you want to stay in touch, our e-newsletter is a great way to receive regular updates on news and events taking place at the Library.

To subscribe, please enter your email address.

email:


The London Library promises to respect and protect any personal data you share with us. Your information is used to administer your membership, personalise your experience of the Library and communications, and provide you with the goods or services you have requested. If you are over 18 we may, in some instances, analyse your data and obtain further publicly available data to help us make our communications more appropriate and relevant to your interests, and anticipate whether you might want to support us in the future.

You can opt-out of most communications or the ways in which we process your data by contacting This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For full details of how we collect, store, use and protect your data, see our Privacy Policy at www.londonlibrary.co.uk/privacypolicy.