Books & reading

As a member of Westminster Libraries, did you know that you can now borrow up to 20 books at a time?

Join your nearest Westminster library today!

Books on shelves

To find out what we've got in stock, search the library catalogue. If you're a library member, you can also log in to the catalogue to renew and review items you've borrowed, and reserve others for future use.

Westminster has an enviable collection of lending and reference books in the following places:

• Ten lending libraries plus a small art lending collection in Westminster Reference Library
• Two reference libraries (find out about our specialist subjects)
• Westminster Music Library
• Westminster Chinese Library
• Westminster Archives & Local Studies Centre

For those unable to get to these centres, the Home Library Service can provide a comprehensive service. We also offer multiple copies of books for use by book groups, and sets of play texts for drama and play reading groups.

Books in the spotlight

In addition to special events such as author visits, Westminster Libraries provide:

• Many reading groups for adults (including one that meets purely online)
• Children's reading groups and storytimes for babies & children
• Feedback from reading groups, staff recommendations and more at Books & the City.
• Reading lists covering black writing, London, China, mood-boosting and awardwinning books. We also post lots of book lists in the Books section of our blog, including ones on Horror fiction, The Race to the Antarctic, The Queen, The Falklands War and The Sinking of the Titanic.
• Summer reading schemes for children and teenagers
• Writers' Groups for those who want to do it themselves!

Books online

The 24/7 Library includes access to free e-audiobooks to download at home and listen to wherever you want, plus exclusive online reference resources for Westminster Libraries members. Subjects include art, biography, books, business, law, learning and careers, music, news, and reference and encyclopaedias.

The following resources are especially useful if your query is about books (if you're not using a Westminster library computer, you will need to log in with your library card):

• “Literature” from Oxford Reference Online, including several major encyclopedias such as the Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature and the Oxford Encyclopedia to Children's Literature.
• Contemporary Authors - biographical (including contact details) and comprehensive bibliographical information on more than 100,000 modern authors, from novelists to screen-writers, poets to journalists.
• The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook from KnowUK – a practical resource for writers, including details of publishers, literary prizes and advice.
• List of book review sites - This list from the Complete Review site not only has links to a great many review pages but also tells you a little bit about each one.
• Science Fiction Encyclopedia - if sci-fi is your thing the web-based third edition of the Science Fiction Encyclopedia is the ultimate guide,

As part of the Gateway to websites, Westminster Libraries staff have selected a range of sites that are particularly useful and reliable on the subject of books and literature - pick a topic:

Choosing books | Book groups | Festivals, events & awards | Studying literature | Online books | For & about writers | Poetry | Plays | Languages other than English | Booksellers | Fun sites