the london library
founded 1841
About
The London Library is one of the UK’s greatest literary institutions, providing a centre of creativity, inspiration and ideas for over 180 years. It has had a unique impact on the country’s literary and artistic output and continues to do so today. Well known members and frequent borrowers have included Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, George Eliot, Bram Stoker, Virginia Woolf, Angela Carter, Daphne du Maurier, Stanley Kubrick and Ian Fleming. Current writers in membership include Kazuo Ishiguro, A S Byatt, Raymond Antrobus, Simon Schama, Jessie Burton and Sarah Waters.
The Library is a place of community with beautiful spaces including over 150 reader spaces across 7 reading rooms and many desks throughout the stacks. The Library has a lively and varied public events programme open to everyone.
Building
The Library stands at the north-west corner of St James's Square, as it has since 1845, after briefly occupying the first floor of the Travellers Club in Pall Mall. The building was entirely reconstructed in 1896-98, as one of the first steel-frame buildings in London, when the present eclectic façade, the Main Hall and the Reading Room above it, and the grille-floored bookstacks above and immediately behind were erected. The listed (Grade II) building has since been extended several times, in the 1920s, the 1930s and the 1990s. In 1995, the Anstruther Wing - a new building fronting Duke Street - was completed with five floors of book storage designed for the safe housing of 25,000 of the Library's rarest and most vulnerable volumes. In 2004 premises adjoining the Library in Mason's Yard, off Duke St, were acquired to accommodate the ever-growing collections; planning permission to incorporate this annex and refurbish the existing buildings has been obtained; and the Library's largest development project in over a century has recently been launched.
Collection
Nearly all of its collection of one million books can be borrowed; it offers a vast eLibrary including eBooks and operates a postal loans service.
When the Library opened its doors in 1841 the collection consisted of only 3,000 books. Today we hold over 1 million volumes and continue to add around 6,000 new ones every year.
Three broad areas form the heart of the collection where subject coverage is particularly strong:
History
From ancient to modern: political, ecclesiastical, topographical, constitutional, social, economic, military
Cultural expression
Including literature, language, fine & applied arts, performing arts
Thought & life
Including philosophy, religion, folklore, social science, political science, political economy.
Contact information
Felicity Nelson, Membership Director
14 St James's Square, London SW1Y 4LG
tel: (020) 7766 7400/ email: membership@londonlibrary.co.uk
Website
www.londonlibrary.co.uk
Social media:
Twitter: @TheLondonLib
Instagram: @thelondonlibrary
Open Mon-Sat including late evenings Monday and Tuesday
Membership is open to all. With various types of membership from Day or Week Tickets; Remote Access to Young Person’s Membership; Supported and Full memberships available. See here for full information: https://www.londonlibrary.co.uk/join/join-online