The London Library

The chief instigator in the Library's foundation was Thomas Carlyle.He had become frustrated by the facilities available at the British Museum Library, where he was often unable to find a seat (obliging him to perch on ladders), where he complained that the enforced close confinement with his fellow readers gave him a "museum headache", where the books were unavailable for loan, and where he found the library's collections of pamphlets and other material relating to the French Revolution and English Civil Warsinadequately catalogued. In particular, he developed an antipathy for the Keeper of Printed Books, Anthony Panizzi (despite the fact that Panizzi had allowed him many privileges not granted to other readers), and criticised him, as the "respectable Sub-Librarian", in a footnote to an article published in the Westminster Review. Carlyle's eventual solution, with the support of a number of influential friends, was to call for the establishment of a private subscription library from which books could be borrowed.
The Earl of Clarendon was the Library's first President, William Makepeace Thackeray its first auditor, and William Gladstone and Sir Edward Bunbury sat on the first committee. The Belgian freedom fighter and former Louvain librarian Sylvain Van de Weyer was a vice-president from 1848 to 1874. (Van de Weyer's father-in-law Joshua Bates was a founder of the Boston Public Library in 1852.)

A vigorous and long-serving presence in later Victorian times was Richard Monckton-Milnes, later Lord Houghton, a friend of Florence Nightingale. Dickens was among the founder members. In more recent times, Kenneth Clark and T. S. Eliot have been among the Library's presidents, and Sir Harold Nicolson, Sir Rupert Hart-Davis and the Hon Michael Astor have been Chairmen.

(Sir) Charles Hagberg Wright, who served as Secretary and Librarian from 1893 to 1940, is remembered as "the real architect of the London Library as it is today". He oversaw the rebuilding of its premises in the 1890s, the re-cataloguing and rearrangement of its collections under its own unique classification system, and the publication of its catalogue in 1903, with a second edition in 1913–14 and later supplements.

In 1957 the Library suddenly received a demand from the Westminster City Councilfor rates (despite being registered as a tax-free charity), and the Inland Revenue was also involved. At that time, most publishers donated free copies of their books to the library. The final appeal was turned down by the Court of Appeal in 1959, and a letter in The Times of 5 November from the President and Chairman (T. S. Eliot and Rupert Hart-Davis) appealed for funds. An auction of manuscripts from many authors on 22 June 1960 raised £17,000 and £25,000 respectively; enough to clear debts and legal expenses of £20,000. At the sale T. E. Lawrence items from his brother fetched £3,800, Eliot's The Waste Land fetched £2,800, and Lytton Strachey's Queen Victoria £1,800, though 170 inscribed books and pamphlets from John Masefield fetched only £200, which Hart-Davis thought "shamefully low". The Queen and Queen Mother both gave some rare and valuable old books.

In the 1990s, the Library was one of a number of academic and specialist libraries targeted by serial book thief William Jacques. The identification of several rare books put up for auction as having been stolen from the Library led the police to investigate Jacques and to his eventual prosecution and conviction. Security measures at the Library have since been improved..

A little bit eerie because of old books, but definitely be loved by bookworms/book lovers because of miles of miles of books to read.

The most excellent library in all of London, and so perhaps the country. This place is like a second home. The level of service that one receives for the price of membership is incredible. I would be happy to pay twice the price that I do. It is an excellent place to work, to read, to relax, etc. The collection is very interesting and one always comes away with books far more useful than could have reasonably been expected. It's possible to keep books for basically an unlimited amount of time, so long as nobody else request them. The staff go above and beyond to do their jobs, and uncommonly in the modern day they use common sense in all things rather than referring to 'policy'. I would recommend anyone involved in any kind of academia in London take up a membership.
My only suggestion for improvement is to extend the opening hours. Currently there is a very strange policy where one has to check in advance the opening hours on Wednesdays. I only really go on Mondays and Tuesdays, when the library is open until 21:00. On other days, it closes at 17:30, which means coming out of the serene library into rush hour in central London. Even being open until 18:30 or 19:00 would be immensely better for me. However I understand that (like everything) the library is finding ways to cut running costs so that I understand that this may not be an option.

The best place to research and work. Magical place. Great staff and fantastic atmosphere.

You can’t even enter without an annual membership being paid of 600 pounds. No good for visitors at all.

A beautiful quiet space in the noisy over populated metropolis that is London.
Make sure you're a member prior to attending.
I fancied a laugh and picked up 'The Curse of Dutch Courage' book by comic Lazza Ogden.
I was shushed about twenty times within the first hour of reading as it was laugh out loud funny. Well worth a read people (Currently £10.99 on Amazon I think)
I also recommend the tea served. Simply divine.
Great visit, its like a trip back in time with its chic decor. So much variety of book to choose from. I will be back & have been.

A beautiful space in central london, so much literature history contained in one building!!! Founded in 1841 by Thomas Carlyle as an alternative to the library in the British Museum. They have a huge range of books, private members library although they do run tours.
Wondering the stacks and getting lost is half the fun. Praises can not be sung loud enough about the staff just utterly lovely!

Large spacious architecture for the archive of antique books and rare written papers. You need to sign up for a pass in order to access some more hands on parts of the library.