Libraries are the diamonds of any town for book-lovers, students, and anyone looking for a quiet place to work. These hubs of literary discovery, computer access and peaceful ambience are hugely precious, and Brighton has a fair few for us to enjoy. Read on to find out the best spots to browse brilliant books, to search the internet in peace, or to work ‘from home’ – from the library.
Jubilee Library
The biggest and most well-known library in Brighton is the iconic Jubilee Library in the heart of the city. Despite being centrally located just moments away from the bustling Laines and city centre, Jubilee Library is a peaceful oasis where you can escape the business of everyday life.
In addition to three floors of workspaces, thousands of books, and dedicated children and young people areas, Jubilee Library also offers a café and a Booklover gift shop. Choose from a selection of delicious coffees and cakes to sustain your work session, or to sip on while you immerse yourself inside a new novel. The Booklover gift shop offers a huge range of perfect presents for the literary enthusiast in your life, ranging from quirky bookmarks, beautiful stationery, to novel-themed homeware and much more.
Guests looking to work can make the most of free Wi-Fi to surf the web, and make use of the IT facilities, including computer, printer, photocopying and scanner facilities. For collaborative work or business events, guests can book a range of conference rooms, including flipcharts, drinking water, air conditioning and upgrade packages offering tea, coffee milk and biscuits. The rooms range from 1:1 to seating 70, meaning business events of all sizes and natures can be accommodated.
With dedicated spaces for children and young people, the whole family can get together to read, find new books and nurture a love of reading for pleasure. And with regular community events such as Baby Boogie, Story Time and Mindful Colouring, people of all ages can get together and bond over books in the peaceful world of Jubilee Library.
Address: Jubilee Library, Jubilee Street, Brighton, BN1 1GE
Telephone: 01273 290 800
Hove Library
For bookworms and workers looking for a library in Hove, then Hove Library is the perfect place to read, work or just enjoy the peace and quiet. In addition to a large range of borrowable books and audiobooks, Hove Library also offers perusal of rare books and special collections. Literary afficionados will enjoy these special and unique collections, which are well worth a browse.
As well as computers, a printer, scanner and photocopier, guests can enjoy free Wi-Fi and a range of newspapers and magazines to thumb through in this magical hub. The library café will also give you another excuse (if you needed one!) to stay and let the world go by with a novel and a flat white.
Also offering a good range of community events, the whole family can enjoy Baby Boogie sessions, packed full of songs and rhymes for pre-school children and their grown-ups. Aspiring authors will enjoy the many writers groups which meet regularly at Hove Library, including Hove Writers Group, Hatchery Writers Group and Phoenix Writing Group.
Whether you’re an amateur author looking to meet like minded writers, a parent or carer wanting to get your little one hooked on words, or you have an eye for rare and collectors’ books, Hove Library is a warm and peaceful place to meet all of your literary needs.
Address: 182 – 186 Church Road, Hove, BN3 2EG
Telephone: 01273 290 800
The Queery
Centrally located on George St in Brighton, The Queery is a volunteer owned co-op, offering a safe, sober space for the queer community.
This wheelchair accessible space is home to a range of supportive and exciting facilities, including a bookstore, a vegan pay as you feel café, and a small library. Wednesdays to Sundays between 12pm and 6pm, visitors can enjoy this safe and welcoming space, with events including pottery workshops, drama and art groups, and yoga sessions.
The small library on offer is the perfect place to explore diverse, queer, and inclusive fiction and non-fiction. You can also join the onsite queer bookclub, to explore new and exciting queer fiction with like-minded folks. And if you find something you’d like to keep on a permanent basis, why not visit the radical queer bookstore on site?
So whether you’re after a supportive queer bookclub to help you find exciting queer-friendly fiction, a peruse of the library or a visit to the bookstore, The Queery is a supportive and inclusive place for bookworms of all walks of life, backgrounds and identities.
Address: The Queery, 46 George St, BN2 1RJ, Brighton, UK
Website: https://thequeery.co.uk/about-us/
Email: hello@thequeery.co.uk
St Luke’s Church Community Library
St. Luke’s Church is a library with a difference. As a community collection, visitors can enjoy small collections of adult and children’s fiction, centred in crucial community venues, such as the beautiful St Luke’s Church.
Conveniently located in the Queen’s Park area of Brighton, every Saturday, between 10am and 12pm, St Luke’s Church becomes a community library. Visitors can enjoy browsing the collection of books for all ages, in the stunning surroundings of an Anglican Church.
Like all community libraries, Brighton and Hove Council regularly review use of the library to see if the demand is sufficient to justify the continuance of the centre. So, make use of this cute and quirky community library, to support these small collections for all who may need them!
Address: St Luke’s Church, Queens Park Road, Brighton, BN2 9ZB
Telephone: 01273 290 800
Hollingdean Community Centre
Another great community library is located at Hollingdean Community Centre, offering books for guests of all ages. Hollingdean Community Centre is a buzzing hub in the heart of Hollingdean, offering a huge range of events, activities and facilities such as free skateboarding lessons for kids, art workshops, and musical jam sessions.
Every Thursday between 2pm and 5pm, visitors can enjoy access to Hollingdean Community Library, and its small collection of great books for all the family. The library offers a special children’s book corner, and a good range of both adult fiction and non-fiction, in a bright and colourful environment. Keep an eye out for the regular library activity sessions, including activities such as printmaking. The centre also offers monthly Library Sessions on the first Thursday of the month, where visitors can enjoy free refreshments, information about the library and local events.
If that’s not enough, then why not visit the on-site Real Junk Food Café before your visit, open from 12:30 to 13:45 every day? Guests can enjoy delicious home-cooked food made from wholesome, healthy ingredients on a pay-as-you-feel basis. Perfect for giving you the energy you need for an intense reading session at the library.
Address: Hollingdean Community Centre, Thompson Road, Hollingdean, Brighton, BN1 7BH
Telephone: 01273 236 160
Coldean Library
Conveniently located for Coldean residents is Coldean Library, a venue offering books, audiobooks and IT facilities including computers, a printer and a scanner, which can be booked in advance.
Coldean Library’s special features include the option to borrow a small collection of toys, in addition to the wide selection of books. This means families can enjoy bringing home and trying out a range of children’s toys, to support at-home playtime. The library itself also offers dedicated children’s areas for your little ones to explore and broaden their book collection.
In addition to the calm feel of the entire library, Coldean library also offers a dedicated quiet room, with a non-stimulating environment. Guests of all ages and needs can enjoy a break from sensory overload, or just to reconnect with their inner peace.
Some days and times at Coldean library operate as Libraries Extra, where the library may be unstaffed and operate on a self-service basis. Guests with a Libraries Extra card and PIN can enjoy access to the library despite it being unstaffed on a Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, as well as at weekends.
So whether you’re after a chance to broaden your at-home toy collection, the access to a huge range of books and audiobooks, or just a calm place to relax, Coldean Library is the place for you.
Address: Coldean Library, Library Court, 24 Beatty Avenue, Brighton, BN1 9ED
Telephone: 01273 290 800
So, whether you’d like to pay a visit to a huge bustling library with corporate booking options, or a small and cosy community library, Brighton has something for booklovers of all types. Explore your local community library or inclusive queer space to find new and exciting fiction for all the family, as well as getting stuck in to a whole host of book-based events and groups. And let’s keep these precious spaces supported and funded for generations of readers to come.
