London Library

The London Library
Formation1841
FounderThomas Carlyle
TypeSubscription library
Location
  • 14 St James's Square, London SW1
Membership
c7,000
Patron
up until 2022, Elizabeth II
President
Helena Bonham Carter
Chairman of Trustees
Sir Howard Davies.
Director
Philip Marshall
Websitehttps://www.londonlibrary.co.uk

The London Library is an independent lending library in London, established in 1841. It was founded on the initiative of Thomas Carlyle, who was dissatisfied with some of the policies at the British Museum Library. It is located at 14 St James's Square, in the St James's area of the City of Westminster, which has been its home since 1845.[1] Membership is open to all, on payment of an annual subscription, and life and corporate memberships are also available. As of December 2021 the Library had over 7000 members.[2]

T. S. Eliot, a long-serving President of the Library, argued in July 1952 in an address to members that, "whatever social changes come about, the disappearance of the London Library would be a disaster to civilisation".[3]

  1. ^ "Libraries Archived 2009-05-08 at the Wayback Machine." City of Westminster. Retrieved on 21 January 2009.
  2. ^ London Library: 2014-2015 Annual Report and Financial Statements
  3. ^ T. S. Eliot, A Presidential Address to the Members of the London Library, July 1952: reproduced in McIntyre 2006, p. 33.

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