The London Library hires four rooms for private events at 14 St James's Square in central London: the Reading Room for up to 200 guests at a standing reception, the New Room for up to 60, the Study for up to 30 and the Art Room for up to 50. The library, founded in 1841, describes the spaces as suitable for a wedding celebration or a board meeting, a book launch or a birthday party.
Seminars and company events
The New Room is the room set up for work. It is temperature controlled, fitted with up-to-date AV equipment and has its own private foyer. The library lists it for meetings, book launches and hybrid or streamed events, and it seats 55 in theatre style. It can be hired during the library's opening hours, which suits a daytime meeting without waiting for the evening.
The Reading Room works for presentations, receptions and dinners. It seats 130 in theatre style and 100 at a seated dinner, and the double-height walls and balustrades give speakers a clear stage for talks or small performances. The Study, a smaller room with an original fireplace, takes 30 guests in theatre style and suits a board-level gathering or a small presentation.
For a company event with a literary angle, the library offers a private tour of the backstacks for VIP guests. It can also display books related to your event or your organisation.
Weddings and receptions
The library names wedding celebrations among the events it hosts. The Reading Room is the main reception room: 200 standing, 100 seated for dinner. The New Room suits a smaller dinner for 25 or a reception for 60, and the Study seats 12 for a dinner. The Art Room, with 50 guests standing, can be hired alone or together with the Reading Room or the New Room.
Rooms and capacities
The Reading Room: 200 standing, 100 seated dinner, 130 theatre. It looks over St James's Square, with book-lined walls and ironwork balustrades.
The New Room: 60 standing, 25 seated dinner, 55 theatre. Panelled, with a private foyer.
The Study: 30 standing, 12 seated dinner, 30 theatre. A Georgian-style room with an original Adam fireplace.
The Art Room: 50 standing. A double-height room that holds part of the library's art and architecture collection.
Catering
The library's hire page does not name a caterer or describe a menu. Ask the events team how food and drink are arranged for your room and date.
History and setting
The London Library was founded in 1841 and describes itself as the largest independent lending library in the world, with about one million volumes. It is a membership library, and the building contains five reading rooms and 160 desks among the bookstacks. The backstacks, with their grilled floors and seventeen miles of shelving, and the Times Room, which holds the newspaper archive back to 1816, are offered for filming and photography.
Getting there
The library stands at 14 St James's Square, London SW1Y 4LG, in St James's. Green Park and Piccadilly Circus stations are within walking distance. The library does not state its own transport advice on the hire page, so confirm arrival and loading arrangements with the events team.
