Zentralbibliothek Zürich

The Zentralbibliothek Zürich is the central library serving the City and Canton of Zurich and the University of Zurich. Its main building on the Limmatquai occupies a former Augustinian monastery and dates from the early 20th century.

The library offers large public reading rooms and reference services, a music library, and research-oriented special collections that include historical manuscripts and early printed material. Reading rooms and on-site collections are the main attractions for researchers and the public.

The site on the Limmatquai was adapted from the former monastery; the present library building was completed in the early 1900s and the institution grew from earlier municipal and university collections. Holdings and services expanded through the 20th century to serve both academic and public needs.

The Zentralbibliothek sits on the Limmat river in Zurich’s Old Town, within walking distance of the University of Zurich and the city’s central tram routes.

• Access & services: Serves both the city/canton and the University of Zurich, so lending and access rules differ for public and academic users.

What to See #

• Main reading room: The main reading hall occupies the historic early 20th-century building on the Limmatquai and provides public reading rooms and reference services.
• Special collections: Holds historic manuscripts, early printed books and local archival material in a closed-stack special collections department for research use.
• Music library: A dedicated department for scores, recordings and music research that supports university courses and public listening/research.