The Melbourne Athenaeum Library will be closed on Tuesday November 4 for the public holiday.

The library will be open regular hours on Monday November 2 and Wednesday November 5.

The Melbourne Athenaeum Library will be closed on Tuesday November 4 for the public holiday.

The library will be open regular hours on Monday November 2 and Wednesday November 5.

News and Events

Saturday 31 October 2026
Haiku Writing Workshop

BOOKING INFORMATION HERE

Join our haiku writing workshop in the library to explore this Japanese short-form of poetry. Haiku consists of three lines, with five syllables in the first line, seven in the...read more
Saturday 14 November 2026
Workshop: Watercolour Pencil Sketching

BOOKING INFORMATION HERE

 

Join Alissa Duke for an inspirational class/workshop with watercolour pencils amongst the bookshelves, and learn tips and techniques along the way. No previous experience is required – just bring your...read more
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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
The Moroccan daughter / Deborah Rodriguez
General Fiction
Phantom days / Angela O'Keeffe
General Fiction
Chronicle of a death foretold / Gabriel Garcia Marquez
General Fiction
Benjamin's crossing / Jay Parini
General Fiction
All them dogs / Djamel White
Crime Fiction
Unsound / Heather Critchlow
Crime Fiction
How to kill a crime writer / Sarah Lotz
Crime Fiction
My inner child wants to murder mindfully / Karsten Dusse
Crime Fiction
Bad neighbours / Joanna Jenkins
Crime Fiction
Claire DeWitt and the bohemian highway / Sara Gran
Non Fiction
The courage to be ordinary / Ichiro Kishimi
Non Fiction
For and against a united Ireland / Fintan O'Toole, Sam McBride
Non Fiction
Murray Ball : a cartoonist's life / Mason Ball
Non Fiction
A training school for elephants / Sophy Roberts
Non Fiction
Jan Morris : a life / Sara Wheeler
Other Genres
Time travel for beginners / Jaclyn Moriarty
Other Genres
The weekend / T.M. Logan
Other Genres
Dungeon crawler Carl / Matt Dinniman
Other Genres
The friendship paradox / Aska
Other Genres
Land / Maggie O'Farrell
Ebooks
Taken / Dinuka McKenzie
Ebooks
Death by Dickens / Penelope Cress, Steve Higgs
Ebooks
No Longer a Gentleman / Mary Jo Putney
Ebooks
A Murder Worth Dying For / Russell Cooper
Ebooks
Your Steps on the Stairs / Antonia Munoz Molina

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.
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