Due to major building activity at the Library you may hear some intermittent construction noise during your visit. We apologise for the inconvenience and we are grateful for your understanding. Some of our collection is also temporarily unavailable. This means we may not be able to fulfil some requests for deliveries of Library items to the Reading Rooms. At the moment, this includes the Pictures Collections - Hanging Art Works (until September 2024) and Asian Collections – general books and serials (until June 2025). Please check the catalogue carefully to find out if your selection is impacted. Learn more about these temporary changes.

Access the Library’s world-class collections and services through our modern and comfortable reading rooms.

Please note that there are no collection deliveries in evenings or on weekends and that delivery times vary throughout the week. Check delivery times before you visit.

Within the reading rooms you can:

  • request and access collection items
  • speak to expert staff
  • search and access electronic resources including journals, ebooks, indexes and databases
  • use our computers and internet for free
  • browse our reference collection
  • photocopy, scan and print

As we are a reference library you can use collection items in our reading rooms but not take them home. We are also a closed stack library, meaning our collection storage areas cannot be visited by the public.

Man holding book at desk in Special Collections Reading Room

Instead, you can conveniently request items through our online catalogue, and we will deliver them to one of our reading rooms for you to use:

Items are kept on reserve for 7 days from date of request. Items with special storage conditions are held for 1 day only.

The time it takes for items to be delivered varies between rooms, so be sure to check our collection delivery times and login to your account before you visit. Don't have a Library login? Apply for one online.

Using the reading rooms
The Main Reading Room at the National Library of Australia

Our reading rooms offer a comfortable and modern space for you to research and study.
Main Reading Room

Access a range of services and the Library's general collection in our Main Reading Room
Special Collections Reading Room

Visit our Special Collections Reading Room on Lower Ground 1 to view material from the Asian, pictures, manuscripts, maps, oral history, music, ephemera and rare printed collections.
Petherick Reading Room
Woman sitting at a long desk using a computer. Behind her, another woman sits on a yellow armchair and reads.

The Petherick Reading Room provides facilities and privileges for a select group of readers who are undertaking advanced research and require intensive access to the National Library’s collections.
Acceptable use of information and communication technology

The National Library of Australia acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples – the First Australians – as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land and gives respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Cultural Notification

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website contains a range of material which may be considered culturally sensitive including the records of people who have passed away.

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