7 Libraries To Visit In Kolkata To Fall Back In Love With Reading

Bangiya Sahitya Parishat, also known as Bengal Library Association in English, is a literary society based out of Padmapukur in Kolkata. It was founded during the British Raj in 1925 under the presidentship of Poet Rabindranath Tagore, and the first Secretary of the Association was Mr. Sushilkumar Ghosh and is dedicated to promoting Bengali literature. Not only does it maintain its own heritage library and museum, but it also translates works into Bengali and supports originally written Bengali scriptures. It's more than just a mere library; it's a cultural paradise for anyone who wants to acquaint themselves with Bengal's rich cultural and literary history. Their community organises talks, lectures and exhibitions.

Timing: 1:30 PM - 8:30 PM Monday through Wednesday and Friday through Saturday, 10 AM - 4 PM on Sunday, and Closed on Thursdays.

Fee: INR 150 for ordinary membership

Google Rating: 4.4/5

The Aurobindo Bhavan was initially established to spread the rich teachings of Sir Aurobindo to the world, mainly to address cultural and spiritual issues going on during that time and the times to follow. As another one of Kolkata's heritage libraries, the Aurobindo Bhavan Library has over 40,000 books and 100+ periodicals on various topics. You can also borrow books and other items for a reasonable fee. They also have a children library for the little ones.

Timing: 12:30 PM - 7 PM from Monday to Saturday, Closed on Sunday

Fee: INR 100 monthly membership fee

Google Rating: 4.6/5

British Council Library not only houses thousands of books, DVDs, and periodicals but also has an extensive online digital library of books and films, which you can find when you can’t leave home. Watch out for the plethora of events they host throughout the year, including film screenings, talks by eminent personalities, summer camps, and much more. They have excellent magazines on sports, cricket, art, design and travel. We love the annual sale they hold where they clear out stocks —you’ll find books for as low as INR 50 and DVDs for INR 20.

Timing: 9 AM - 6 PM from Monday to Saturday, Closed on Sunday

Fee: INR 1,800 for individual membership, INR 3,800 for family membership, INR 1,400 for online membership and INR 10,000 for corporate membership.

Google Rating: 4.3/5

We’d go to The National Library just for the amazing green and open 30-acre space. It is the biggest library in Asia (and one of the oldest). Established in 1936, it boasts a collection of more than 21,00,000 books, including digitised books, maps, periodicals, manuscripts, and more. The best part is that membership here is free of cost; you just need to be above 18 years of age to register in the lending division and access the huge archive of books. Some of their digitised resources are even accessible online.

Timing: 9 AM - 8 PM from Monday to Friday and 9:30 AM to 6 PM on Saturday and Sunday 

Fee: Free

Google Rating: 4.6/5

You will find everything you need here, from American history, international relations, economics, business, and social sciences to American literature. The American Library, or United States Information Services (USIS), stocks thousands of publications, periodicals, and even US government (and think tank) reports. They also have eLibraryUSA, a virtual library with digital access to databases like Gale, Encyclopedia Britannica, eBrary, CQ, and others. 

Timing: 10 AM - 5:30 PM from Monday to Friday, Closed on Saturday and Sunday

Fee: INR 400 annually and INR 700 for two years

Google Rating: 4.5/5

Searching for rare manuscripts and historical archives? Head to the Asiatic Society. Situated in the heart of the city at Park Street, it is one of the oldest libraries in India. Don’t be put off by the gloomy and drab interiors; it has books, periodicals, manuscripts and some rare museum objects too. The books range from the latter half of the 15th century A.D. (some are works unavailable elsewhere) to ones from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Unfortunately, they are not open to memberships, but you can always seek special permission to access their reading rooms for a definite period of time.

Timing: Monday to Friday (10 AM to 6 PM), Closed on Saturday and Sunday

Fee: Upon request

Google Rating: 4.5/5

Not only does this library have books, rare archives, and journals stocked in the thousands, but it is also the place to come if you wish to access an extensive database of lectures and music recitals recorded and archived over the years. This library has three wings: the General Library, Children’s Library, and Junior Library, all with different membership rules, fees, and privileges. 

Timing: 10 AM to 8 PM from Monday to Saturday, Closed on Sunday

Fee: INR 240 for the annual general library and INR 3,000 for the lifetime fee.

Google Rating: 4.5/5