Brisbane Square Library

I love libraries. What can I say… Free books, DVDs, magazines and wi-​fi (which I am using now).
All you need to sign up is a letter with Brisbane address on it. Holds are 80c and you can preorder in your favourite author or tv series.
It reasonable quiet. There are plenty of comfy chairs and tables. There are areas dedicated to studying.
The staff can be helpful depending on who you approach. You can also book a computer to surf the web for an allocated time frame.
There are three floors of reading heaven. Highly recommended.

The Brisbane Square Library is not far from its prettier cousin, the State Library across the river. Nonetheless, it has its own virtues. Ample meeting rooms are available for reservations, and people use them. This one actually has old-​fashioned stuff you can check out. And it’s got a great row of seats with power outlets that look out over the river. English conversation groups, cooking classes, and live music have been among the events during my time spent there.
Their hours are even a bit weaker than the State Library’s (which aren’t amazing to begin with). I’ve had slightly less luck with the wi-​fi, the bathrooms are less ample and clean, and in general it’s just a notch down from the gold standard. But it’s still pretty nice.

Generally clean, modern facilities right in-​front of Queen Street. They have computers for use by the public, albeit whenever I’ve used them I’ve had the displeasure of sitting next to an old dude typing 3 words per minute.
There’s also free wifi if you would prefer to bring your own device, as-​well as small study cubicles available for booking if you would like to have a study-​sesh with your mates or conduct interviews or something similar. There’s a large range of books in many different languages available for hire including; Mandarin, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and the list goes on.
This library isn’t somewhere I would consider camping out for a long-​haul study day. It’s more of a get-​in, use the wifi and then get out sort of deal and some of the people using the computers are quite smelly.

I love coming here because it’s a change of scenery for my study marathons that often occur at uni. If you need to run some errands in the city, this is a great stop to rest your feet and read a book or check some out to take home with you.
When wanting to book a study room, the group meeting rooms require 2 – 4 people and you can just sign up when you get there. They have individual study rooms but only a few that are located on the third level. You can book for a maximum of two hours for the day. Keep in mind that if you are more than ten minutes late, you forfeit your reservation.
I love the different areas and wish that I could come and just pick a book off the shelf and read more often. The atmosphere really makes you want to do that so I love how welcoming the library is. There are different pockets to study and you’ll find people everywhere claiming their space.
Who doesn’t love free Wifi?! I’ve a great experience here and even went to a workshop that was booked in a meeting room. The facilities are great and the staff are so friendly and helpful. If they don’t know the answer, they try to guide you in some sort of direction. I also like how security walks around and checks if everything is in order. I feel very safe here and the bus stop if close as well when I am ready to head home. Great place to go study, read, have a meeting, spend a rainy day, and more!

This library is located in the heart of Brisbane city.
Three sentences of its best services!
–Free Wifi, not just there, it’s FAST!
–Rooms for study or meeting purposes (more available rooms than my university!)
–The customer help front table is very helpful, so drop-​by and ask them for any assistance!
Best of all: a perfect relaxation from the hot sun!

Libraries and I are old friends. Being surrounded by so many books and able to sit in silence, well, they’re small luxuries in this fast paced life we live. I even used to be a Library Monitor in Year 7. NERD ALERT.
Brisbane Square Library is at the top end of the CBD and when you need to sit in a peaceful spot and have a hot-​date with your laptop, this is one of my picks for a fine spot to laptop camp and make the most of the complimentary Wi-​Fi. There’s plenty of students with exactly the same idea, so during peak times finding a table can be tricky. In other words, be prepare to perch upon a low-​to-​the-​ground stool and make the best of the view overlooking South Bank.
Oh and books. Right, books. It’s a library, after all. Like most of Brisbane City Council libraries they’re linked throughout the network so you can have your books «ordered in» from other libraries. There’s a fairly decent range of fiction and non-​fiction at Bris Square but truth be told it’s not often I’m here looking for books, that’s generally reserved for my local, Toowong.
They also run a series of workshops and the like in the on-​site auditorium. Check their program out, they might just surprise you!

What a great big, lovely library!
I love libraries. Full of books. More than I could hope to read. It’s marvellous.
This one is all swish. You head up the escalators to find a couple level of books. There’s fiction and non fiction, also an area where you can watch tv, another where you can play console games, and you can borrow movies and music CDs too.
Librarians are pretty awesome people, and they are so helpful and friendly. If they don’t have what you’re after, they’ll do their best to find where you can get it, or get it in for you.
You can also put a hold on a book online and pick it up from the library entrance too.

I know libraries are not usually considered to be cool but the Brisbane Square Library really is. Not only is the architecture and the layout of the place breathtaking, but this library has an impressive range. It is a phenomenal library get your books from or to study and relax.
This range of things on offer for hire is not limited to books but DVDs, CDs, magazines as well. When I am not in the mood to hire books (honestly, I am not a huge book reader), I like to hire some of the CDs and DVDs they have here, it’s all free so if you do not like it, you do not have to feel like you have wasted your money.
This is also a great place to go to and study since there is plenty of room and if you really need space, you can even hire out one of study rooms which a great for groups. The free wifi means you can bring your laptop along and really focus on your work (since you know you’re just going to procrastinate if you stay at home).
The Brisbane Square Library is one of the best libraries I have seen. I would not only recommend this place to book worms but to anyone since this library does a whole lot more than offer books.

When they first tore down the Brisbane library (where 275 George St is now) I was a little annoyed. The old library wasn’t particularly nice but it was familiar. So the new library with the strange coloured blocks struck me as slightly pretentious. Or rather, the council’s attempt to be hip and «modern». So when I first went in to this library I was very impressed. Not only did it keep the library feel I loved, but it did so by looking so much more pleasant.
As a uni student I went here often to study (or pretend to) and I always felt comfortable. Sometimes it was difficult to find a seat but the whole area is inviting. I am so, so glad the council moved the library into this place. I would now classify it as an attraction, which is something I wouldn’t have considered for the previous.

Across the river from the State Library of Queensland lies another landmark library, recognisable by its colourful yellow and blue blocks extruding from the city skyline.
This three level Brisbane City Council library has an open, informal atmosphere compared to it’s scholarly cousin across the river.
The ground floor consists of a coffee shop, a Brisbane City Council general enquiries service desk and a magazine/​newspaper lounge.
As you take the escalator to the first floor, the library comes to life. There are individual work desks overlooking Southbank. There are also five spacious, self-​contained hubs perfect for group work which can be booked for two hour intervals.
There’s a kid’s corner with books and activities. During the school holidays, the library organises kids programmes such as 3d animation or cartoon drawing.
Despite all the activity on one floor, the noise level remains at a comfortable hum. Perhaps the space is designed to absorb high pitch noises. Whatever the reason, I’ve always enjoyed coming to this library to read or to do some work on my laptop.
The only thing that bothers me is the lack of bathroom facilities. There’s only one unisex toilet on each level so there’s always a queue. If you’re planning on bringing your kids to the library for holiday activities, make sure everyone’s gone to the bathroom at home.

I am in awe of this library.
For a self confessed book junkie,
I grew up on a diet of poorly funded ramshackle suburban libraries
(one’s that had one measly shelf in the YOUNG ADULT section.)
I thought I reached the apex of biblio institutions
But this library takes the cake.
3 (count ‘em!) levels of shelves, literature and resources make up this fantastic facility,
they have cool glass meeting rooms for hire (these make studying 10x more classy)
and a range of facilities on offer:
WiFi, DVDs, CDs, printing, scanners and heck even pedometers for hire!
Library cards are free and super easy to obtain
(just bring a proof of address)
so get on down and grab some wisdom!