Public Libraries
London public libraries offer a wide range of materials:
- Find magazines, newspapers and journals - foreign language, regional, national and local newspapers downloadable from the City Business Library website (pdf document) - click here
- Music collections - orchestral and vocal sets for performance and for loan; pop, jazz and world music as well as classical music on CD
- Great reads in paperback, in audio and other accessible formats for blind and partially sighted readers
- Online resources, many accessible remotely from home if you are a library member
Opening hours
- Sunday opening - To find libraries open on a Sunday visit this page and type in "Sunday"
- Late opening - Most London libraries have at least one branch open till 8pm one night a week - use the A-Z libraries link on the right of the page to check details
Work in a library or train to be a librarian
- Visit our FAQs to find out about job vacancies or visit Your London for jobs across the public sector
Special collections and activities
- Events in libraries, many of them free
- Reading and Writing Groups
- Local studies collections - worth a visit if you are interested in researching your family history or findng out the history of your local area
- Rooms for hire
- Homework clubs and study space
- Storytime for the under fives
- Free access to the Internet
Most library services have their own websites with more detailed information - click on the names of the boroughs listed below to find out more.
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Barking & Dagenham | Barking, Becontree, Chadwell Heath, Creekmouth, Dagenham, Marks Gate, Rush Green, Thames View... |
| Barnet | Burnt Oak, Childs Hill, Chipping Barnet, Church End, East Barnet, East Finchley, Edgware, Friern Barnet, Golders Green, Grahame Park, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Hendon,Mill Hill, North Finchley,Osidge, South Friern. |
| Bexley | Bexley Village, Bexleyheath (Central), Blackfen, Bostall, Crayford, Erith, North Heath, Sidcup, Slade Green, Thamesmead, Upper Belvedere, Welling |
| Brent | Alperton, Cricklewood, Harlesden, Kensal Rise, Kilburn, Kingsbury, Neasden, Sudbury, Wembley, Willesden Green |
| Bromley | Anerley, Beckenham, Burnt Ash, Biggin Hill, Chislehurst, Coney Hall, Crystal Palace, Hayes, Locks Bottom, Mottingham, Orpington, Penge, Petts Wood, Pratts Bottom, Shortlands, Southborough, St Mary Cray, St Pauls Cray, West Wickham |
| Camden | Belsize Park, Camden Town, Chalk Farm, Hampstead Heath, Highgate, Holborn, Kentish Town, Kilburn, Queen's Crescent, Regent’s Park, Swiss Cottage, West Hampstead |
| City of London | Libraries covering the Square Mile of the City of London: Barbican, Camomile Street, City Business Library, Guildhall Library and Shoe Lane Library |
| Croydon | Ashburton, Addiscombe, Bradmore Green, Coulsdon, Kenley, New Addington, Norbury, Purley, Sanderstead, Selsdon, Shirley, South Norwood, Thornton Heath, Upper Norwood, Waddon |
| Ealing | Acton, Ealing Central, Greenford, Hanwell, Jubilee Gardens, Northfields, Northolt, Perivale, Pitshanger, Southall, West Ealing, Wood End |
| Enfield | Edmonton, Palmers Green, Ponders End, Bush Hill, Southgate, New Southgate, Winchmore Hill |
| Greenwich | Abbey Wood, Blackheath, Charlton, Claude Ramsay, Coldharbour, East Greenwich, Eltham, Ferrier, New Eltham, Plumstead, Slade, West Greenwich, Woolwich |
| Hackney | Clapton, Dalston, De beauvoir, Haggerston, Homerton, Hoxton, Kingsland, Leabridge, London fields, Manor house, Newington green, Shoreditch, Stamford hill, Stoke newington |
| Hammersmith & Fulham | Askew Road, Barons Court, Fulham, Hammersmith, Sands End, Shepherds Bush. |
| Haringey | Highgate, Hornsey, Muswell Hill, Stroud Green, Tottenham, Wood Green |
| Harrow | Hatch End, Queensbury, Kenton, Pinner, Rayners Lane, Roxeth, Stanmore, Sudbury, Wealdstone, Belmont, Canons Park, Edgware |
| Havering | Romford, Collier Row, Gidea Park, Harold Hill, Harold Wood, Upminster, Cranham, Hornchurch, Rainham, Elm Park, Wennington, North Ockendon, Havering-atte-Bower |
| Hillingdon | Eastcote, Harefield, Harlington, Harmondsworth, Hayes, Heathrow villages, Hillingdon, Ickenham, Ruislip, Ruislip Gardens, Uxbridge, Yeading, Yiewsley, West Drayton |
| Hounslow | Beavers, Bedfont, Brentford, Chiswick, Cranford, Feltham, Grove Park, Hanworth, Heston, Hounslow(Central), Isleworth, Osterley. |
| Islington | Archway, Central, Finsbury, First Steps Learning Centre John Barnes Library, Lewis Carroll Library, Local History Centre, Mildmay, N4 Library, North Library, South Library, West Library. |
| Kensington & Chelsea | Brompton, Central (Kensington High Street), Chelsea, Kensal, North Kensington, Notting Hill Gate |
| Kingston upon Thames | Kingston, Surbiton, New Malden, Hook & Chessington, Tolworth, Old Malden, Tudor Drive. |
| Lambeth | Brixton Tate (Central), Carnegie Herne Hill, Clapham, Durning Kennington, Minet, South Lambeth Stockwell, Streatham, Waterloo, West Norwood. |
| Lewisham | Bellingham, Blackheath, Brockley, Catford South, Crofton Park, Downham, Forest Hill, Grove Park, Ladywell, Lee Green, Lewisham Central, Perry Vale, Rushey Green, Sydenham, Telegraph Hill, Whitefoot |
| Merton | Colliers Wood, Mitcham, Morden, Pollards Hill, Raynes Park, West Barnes, Wimbledon |
| Newham | Beckton, Canning Town, East Ham, The Gate, Green Street, Manor Park, North Woolwich, Plaistow, Stratford (Central) |
| Redbridge | Snaresbrook, Wanstead, Woodford, Chigwell (part), Hainault, Barkingside, Ilford, Gants Hill, Newbury Park, Seven Kings, Goodmayes |
| Richmond upon Thames | Barnes, Castelnau, East Sheen, Fulwell, Ham, Hampton, Hampton Hill, Hampton Nurserylands, Hampton Wick, Heathfield, Kew, Mortlake, North Sheen, Petersham, Richmond, St Margarets, Strawberry Hill, Teddington, Twickenham, Whitton |
| Southwark | Borough, Bermondsey, Camberwell, Peckham, Rotherhithe, Dulwich, Walworth, Nunhead, Surrey Quays |
| Sutton | Beddington, Belmont, Carshalton, Carshalton Beeches, Cheam, Clock House, Hackbridge, Middleton Circle, North Cheam, Ridge Road, Roundshaw, Wallington, Worcester Park |
| Tower Hamlets | Bethnal Green, Cubitt Town, Dorset, Idea Store Bow, Idea Store Canary Wharf, Idea Store Chrisp Street, Idea Store Whitechapel, Local history library, Watney Market |
| Waltham Forest | Walthamstow, Leyton, Leytonstone, Chingford |
| Wandsworth | Balham, Battersea, Clapham Junction, Earlsfield, Putney, Roehampton, Southfields, Tooting, Wandsworth |
| Westminster | Charing Cross; Church Street; Maida Vale; Marylebone; Mayfair; Paddington; Pimlico; Queens Park; St James’ Park; St John’s Wood; Temple; Victoria, Westminster Reference Library. |