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Where the books were written, set, sold, printed and buried: from the Globe to the graves, the bookshops to the presses.
This season's book talks, festivals and exhibitions are in What's On: Books & writers
The City's own library of London, from a 1425 bequest, free to anyone who walks in from Aldermanbury.
Libraries & archivesGo insideFree
Richard Whittington's executors founded a library at Guildhall in 1425, Protector Somerset carted the books away in 1549, and the City refounded it in 1828; what has grown since is the best collection on the history of London anywhere - the parish and livery company records, Pepys, John Wilkes, Thomas More, Charles Lamb's library, London directories back to the 1670s, the Lloyd's marine collection and the libraries of the Clockmakers and Gardeners. Anyone can read here, and the reading room is quiet in a way the streets outside never are.
| Monday | 10:00 – 16:00 |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 10:00 – 16:00 |
| Wednesday | 10:00 – 16:00 |
| Thursday | 10:00 – 16:00 |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours from the page that lists them, checked 5 September 2026.
Free; manuscripts and rare books are booked in advance by email.
Submit a correction for this listing.
Data is compiled from public sources including OpenStreetMap, under the ODbL. Hours change often, so check before making a journey.