The library will close at 12 noon on Monday November 18 for our 185th birthday afternoon tea and not reopen for general library services until 10 am on Tuesday November 19.
The library of the Melbourne Athenaeum remains a subscription library, with very reasonable fees considering the high cost of books. Providing a peaceful and welcoming space in the centre of the bustling city, the library attracts people who love books and love to read — this is the library you wish was your own.
The library currently has over 30,000 books in its collection and a growing collection of ebooks through Overdrive, as well as subscriptions for many local and international magazines and newspapers. Although the library caters to as many tastes as possible, the biography and crime fiction collections are particularly impressive, among the finest and, particularly when it comes to long series, the most complete in the state.
Members are regularly invited to unique events held at the library: book launches, talks given by authors, travellers, or people with special interests. The library also participates in several literary and cultural festivals held in Melbourne including Rare Book Week, NiteArt, and White Night and regularly hosts artists in residence, allowing the artist a quiet space to work and members the chance to see the creative process at work.
Membership to the Athenaeum includes free tea and coffee whenever you visit the library and access to the internet on either one of the library's computers or on your own device using the free WIFI for members. For people outside the city, the library continues to offer country memberships.
The library caters to younger members too, with an extensive range of teen and young adult fiction, as well as a children's collection featuring both fiction and non-fiction suitable for members 10 years and under.
If you would like to become a member of the Melbourne Athenaeum the membership form is available here and to search the library catalogue click here.
