Photo of the Rotary Reading Garden showing lush plants and trees. blue muskoka chairs, wooden chairs and table and a red umbrella.

Visit Central Library

Central Library is London's vibrant centre for culture, learning, community connections and creativity. Come for a visit!

Whether you're meeting friends, taking in a great concert, spending time with your family, browsing for good books, researching local history or looking for a good place to study, Central Library is your destination.

Photo of the front exterior of Central Library

 

How to get here

 

Central Library is located at 251 Dundas Street, on Dundas Place in Downtown London.

 

The Library is attached to Citi Plaza (north side) and the Library Passageway connects Dundas St. to Citi Plaza. The Library Passageway is open when Central Library is open.

 

 

Pedestrians:

Central Library can be accessed directly from Dundas Street or from Citi Plaza (north side), which has entrances on the corner of King and Clarence, and Wellington and King.  All of these entrances are accessible.


Cyclists:

Bike racks are located in front of Central Library on Dundas Place.


Transit Riders:

Find the closest bus stops and schedules using the London Transit website.

Find Bus Routes & Schedules


Drivers:

Underground parking is available at Citi Plaza with entrances to the north parking garage off King St, east of Clarence St. and Wellington St, south of Dundas St. Parking validation is available for 2 free hours while the Central Library is open. Bring your ticket to the Library's main floor desk to validate. Street parking is also available in downtown London and is free after 6pm.

 

Find up to date information about road construction and closures on the City of London website.

Find Road Closures

 

Photo of the backs of a full house at Wolf Performance Hall. The audience is standing and waving their arms in the air. Blue and yellow lights shine brightly from the stage into the audience.ising their arms up

Wolf Performance Hall

Not-to-be-missed concerts, films, talks and performances fill the calendar at the Library's Wolf Performance Hall. This 369 seat state-of-the-art venue is also available to book for your event.

Experience Wolf Performance Hall
Photo of the back of two boys placing colour foam blocks on the large interactive wall in the Children's Library.

The Children's Library

Looking for things to do with your family? Drop in to the Children's Library for creative activities, places to play and a chance to meet other parents and caregivers!

 

PLAY AREAS! This bright, beautiful Library includes a baby play area, activity stations such as a wind tunnel, interactive wall and always-changing play equipment for every age. There's even an outdoor garden space in warmer weather for picnics.

 

BOOKS! Our friendly staff will help you find great books for your family and for school projects from the large collection at the Children's Library

 

PROGRAMS! Open Monday to Saturday, the Children's Library offers free programs for children from birth through school years and fun family events.

Find Children's Library Programs
Photo of a smiling man sitting in the audio recording studio. Beside him is a keyboard and monitor. In the back are speakers and in front is a microphone.

The Labs

Unlock your creativity with a visit to The Labs at Central Library. This area on the 2nd floor includes an audio recording studio, media lab for photography and video projects, 3D printing and Cricut vinyl cutting machines, sewing machines, digitization technology, and much much more. Take a class or book time to use these no-cost spaces.

Check out The Labs
Meeting Rooms smaller image on Page

Meeting & Event Spaces

Whether you’re hosting a meeting, workshop or information session, Central Library offers a variety of function spaces, including our Wolf Performance Hall, right in the heart of downtown London.

Explore Meeting & Event Spaces
rEADING gARDEN NEWS

Rotary Reading Garden

The Rotary Reading Garden is closed for the season.

 

Sink into a Muskoka chair and let the sights and sounds of nature transport you as you catch up with friends or enjoy some quiet time in the Rotary Reading Garden at Central Library. The Garden is typically open from late April to late October each year,

 

Enter the Garden from the Reading Lounge or Children's Library on the main floor. Tables, chairs and umbrellas make the Garden a perfect spot for lunch and the Library's wifi is available if you want to stay connected. Open when Central Library is open, weather permitting, the Garden closes one hour before the Library closes, or dusk.

Photo of a woman sitting at a table in the London Room looking at papers. In the front are wooden tables and chairs and on the walls are old prints.

London Room

Dig deep into local history using the resources available to you in the Ivey Family London Room at Central Library. Explore your family tree, learn more about the history of your home and connect to the stories that are waiting to be shared. 

Discover the London Room
Photo of 3 adults sitting at a table in a study room at Central Library. On the table are laptops notebooks and water bottles. On the wall is a monitor. Large windows look out onto Dundas St.

Study Rooms

 

In addition to lots of tables and chairs with places to plug in, Central Library has study rooms for small groups available on the second and third floors.  Study rooms can be booked for up to 2 hours a day. Call 519-661-4600 or visit Central Library to book up to 7 days in advance.  Study rooms are also available at most branch library locations.

Photo of a Bermese Mountain Dog with St Johns Therapy Dog bandana lying on floor at Central Library. Her leash is held by her owner in a red St Johns golf shirt.

Welcome Centre

 

Meet with a CMHA Social Worker Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm for friendly conversation and connection to community wellness programs. The Welcome Centre is located on the second floor of Central Library, right beside the elevators.

 

Learn More about the Welcome Centre

 

On Wednesdays, from drop in to spend time with a St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog from 10:30-11:45am.

Keyboards

 

Don't have room for a keyboard at home? A keyboard with headphones is available to use on the 2nd floor of Central Library - ask staff at the desk for assistance. Digital pianos  with headphones are also available to use at Landon, Stoney Creek and Masonville Branches.

Computers and Assistive Technology

 

At the Central Library on the Second Floor, there are computers with specialized software and hardware.

 

Find More Information Here

Central Library Floor Directory

 

Central Library has three floors, which you can access by stairs and elevators. This Floor Directory lists the location of our most-used resources. Washrooms are available on the main floor in the Passageway. Feel free to call us at 519-661-4600 before you visit if you need more information.

 

Library Passageway

  • Friends Book Store
  • Meeting Rooms
  • Wolf Performance Hall
  • Washrooms
  • CBC London

 

Main Floor

  • Front Desk: Checkout, Return, Parking Validation
  • Holds Pick Up
  • LPL Express & New Books
  • Library Commons and Big Screen
  • Children's Library
  • Reading Lounge
  • Rotary Reading Garden (Closed for Season)

 

Second Floor

  • Fiction
  • Computers
  • The Labs
  • CMHA Welcome Centre
  • Assistive Technology
  • Study Rooms
  • Keyboard for use (ask staff)
  • Teens
  • Large Print
  • Languages other than English
  • Visiting Library Service

 

Third Floor

  • Non Fiction
  • London Room
  • Study Rooms
  • Volunteer Services
  • Board Room
  • Library Administration

 

What's On at Central Library?

Find Central Library Programs & Events