The Melbourne Athenaeum Library will be closed from 2:30pm on Monday February 10, 17, and 24 for routine pest control being undertaken throughout the building. Building access will be restricted at this time so no returns will be possible.

The library will be open on these dates from 10:00am until 2:30pm and regular hours on other days during this period.

The Melbourne Athenaeum Library will be closed from 2:30pm on Monday February 10, 17, and 24 for routine pest control being undertaken throughout the building. Building access will be restricted at this time so no returns will be possible.

The library will be open on these dates from 10:00am until 2:30pm and regular hours on other days during this period.

News and Events

Friday 21 February 2025
Flinders Quartet Performance
The Flinders Quartet has chosen two evocative pieces of music for its next performance in the library, on February 21. The quartet will perform Deborah Cheetham Fraillon's powerful string quartet,...read more
Friday 28 February 2025
Mick Harvey and Amanda Acevedo
Musician, singer-songwriter, composer and record producer Mick Harvey will be joined by Mexican singer and filmmaker Amanda Acevedo to perform songs from his recent albums on February 28. Mick is...read more
Play Video

Library

A range of cultural activities are held in the beautiful surrounds of the subscription library.
The library holds a 30,000 strong collection and hosts regular music performances, talks, book and screen clubs, and artist and writer-in-residence programs. Members enjoy the historic atmosphere and quiet haven in a bustling city.

Browse the collection

New Acquisitions

General Fiction
Liars / Sarah Manguso
General Fiction
River east, river west / Aube Rey Lescure
General Fiction
The mighty red / Louise Erdrich
General Fiction
The proof of my innocence / Jonathan Coe
General Fiction
The secrets of the Huon wren / Claire Van Ryn
Crime Fiction
Leave the girls behind / Jacqueline Bublitz
Crime Fiction
A case of matricide / Raymond Brunet
Crime Fiction
The undiscovered deaths of Grace McGill / C.S. Robertson
Crime Fiction
The portrait / Iain Pears
Crime Fiction
The burnt house / Faye Kellerman
Non Fiction
My sister Jill / Patricia Cornelius
Non Fiction
On James Baldwin / Colm Toibin
Non Fiction
Ideas to save your life / Michael McGirr
Non Fiction
More : more recipes with more veg for more joy / Matt Preston
Non Fiction
Splinters : a memoir / Leslie Jamison
Other Genres
Juice / Tim Winton
Other Genres
Don't let go / Didier Cassegrain and Fred Duval
Other Genres
Onyx storm / Rebecca Yarros
Other Genres
The duke gets desperate / Diana Quincy
Other Genres
The strangers we know / Pip Drysdale
Ebooks
Famous / Blake Crouch
Ebooks
Capture the Sun / Jessie Mihalik
Ebooks
Starter Villain / John Scalzi
Ebooks
And Put Away Childish Things / Adrian Tchaikovsky
Ebooks
The Friday Afternoon Club / Griffin Dunne

About us

The Melbourne Athenaeum enriches Melbourne’s cultural and educational life by fostering public engagement with the arts and culture, and supporting creativity.
A Management Committee of volunteers is responsible for the organisation’s governance. Every member joining the Melbourne Athenaeum becomes a custodian of a rich part of the city’s living history.
history image
State Library Victoria, www.slv.vic.gov.au, Alfred Martin Ebsworth, June 29, 1885.

History

The story that unfolds here is about a unique organisation that continues to contribute to the city’s culture in a building first completed in 1842.
crosschevron-down