If you’re looking for a spot to read in Sydney, why not go to the oldest library in Australia? The State Library of NSW features old materials and manuscripts you won’t find anywhere else and the beautiful Mitchell Library Reading Room with its walls lined in old wooden bookcases. This iconic building goes way beyond just being a repostory of books, with the State Library offering up a host of great events, activations and even function spaces.

Three levels of bookish goodness, the Woollahra Library in Double Bay offers more than you’d expect. Vertical plants and hanging vines adorn the library’s walls creating a space of tranquillity that is the perfect spot to take in a book or sit in front of the fireplace in those colder winter months. What makes this Sydney library so special is the long list of events, talks and workshop on offer to members.

Housed in a spiralling birds nest, The Exchange Darling Square features a new library spread out over two levels. The state of the art library offers free WiFi, public use computers, study spaces, meeting rooms, couches to sit and read and even a dedicated children’s area making it one of the best Sydney Libraries. If all that studying and reading gets your tummy grumbling, check out the restaurant area on the ground level.

When it comes to the best Sydney Library, Customs House springs to mind. Housed in a beautiful historic building and right at the heart of Circular Quay, this Sydney Library is a pleasure to relax in, meet friends and read or study. The unique space spans two floors of the iconic building and features over 50,000 items in a multicultural collection. In ourhumble opinion, this is the best library in Sydney for Australian historical information and documents.

If you’re looking for a Sydney Library with modern and spacious design, ample seating areas and a place to enjoy a coffee then check out Marrickville Library and Pavillion. The well-stocked shelves are sure to have your favourites and new releases that you can enjoy in a quiet space. From the moment you walk up to this immaculately designed space, you’ll find a warming sense of community.

If you’re in the Glebe area then check out Glebe Library. A beautiful and popular library with free WiFi, self-service computers, rooms for hire and children’s area. You can even take a stroll in the garden and find a nice spot in the sun to read. This spot is much more like the cosy village libraries we’re used to seeing in the English countryside and as a result, it has a more relaxed, community feel.

This Sydney library is award-winning and underground! Green Square Library features open and spacious sitting areas for you to read and study in, meeting rooms, computer lab and even a music room for hire. In this room, you’ll find baby grand piano, acoustic and electric guitars, keyboards and recording equipment, all available for use when hiring. While part of it is underground there’s also a green garden you can sit in and read.

If you’re after free WiFi and spacious areas to do your studies or read a book quietly then Kings Cross Library is the perfect spot if you’re in Potts Point. Here you can peruse the books, study on the computers and even take a glimpse at the old archives. As far as Sydney libraries go, the Kings Cross institution is perhaps the best for primary school students, due to its enormous range of self-service computers and the dedicated children’s area.

This Sydney library is just off King Street and is a popular spot with students and locals alike. The Newtown Library offers a hefty inventory so take a book upstairs to the amphitheatre which overlooks the whole library, bring the kids for story time, or make use of one of their self-service computers to study. In our opinion, this Sydney library is the best for film and TV, with a massive collection of shows and releases available to stream for free through Kanopy and Beamafilm.

It might sound a little weird, but you can actually collect and return your books at this library without ever seeing another person. A non-staffed service at the Pyrmont Community Centre, Pyrmont Link is the perfect option for people on the go who might not have time to peruse bookshelves all day, if you just want to get in and out with your books then this is the best library in Sydney for you.

Surry Hills Library combines beauty and functionalism as a place for the community. Winning a ton of architectural awards for the design and spanning over two floors the impressive building is the perfect spot to get some work done, study or read a book. As the library is located in the diverse suburb of Surry Hills, the space is home to a wide range of collections across much more than just books.

Perhaps epitomising the modern library, Town Hall Library Express is a small but cosy spot to grab a coffee nearby and peruse the selection of books and magazines for you to borrow. Here, you’ll find a series of great activations and initiatives across the calendar, including talks, classes and book clubs. The Town Hall Library Express also houses dedicated makerspace workshops in the Ideas lab, so you can get your creative juices flowing.

Located on the first level of the Ultimo Community centre is the popular and local favourite, Ultimo Library. If you want a calm and quiet Sydney library with ample spaces to read, study and peruse the large collection of books, magazines, DVDs, CDs and newspapers them Ultimo Library is a perfect choice.

The beautiful Waterloo Town Hall is a heritage-listed building that has housed the Waterloo Library since 1972. Historical inside and out, take a look at the Koori collection, comprised of over 1,250 fiction and non-fiction items on Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander topics.

One of the newest libraries in Sydney, the Parramatta Square library is a fantastic hub for book lovers in Western Sydney. While it is set a little outside the Harbour City, this library made a big splash when it opened in April 2022, courtesy of its enormous floor space. The six-storey building houses not only a state-of-the-art library but also cultural heritage spaces, exhibition areas, cafes, live performances and creative spaces plus more.