Library: Wrocław

Libraries in Wrocław range from a media library with VR headsets to a travel library and a Różewicz archive. Find where to read, study and meet.

Which Wrocław library is worth choosing if you want more than shelves of books?

Start with the Mediateka, branch no. 58 on Plac Teatralny. Instead of a classic lending desk you get audiobooks, films, music, board games and books in foreign languages, from English and French to Russian and Ukrainian. There are e-ink readers and a virtual reality headset station, and self-service machines handle loans and returns. On Fridays the library runs computer consultations, and Language Cafe is a meetup for practising languages.

A few hundred metres from the Market Square, at Szewska 78, you will find the Tourist Library (branch no. 57). Its collection of about 64,000 items focuses on travel and stands out for current guidebooks, maps and city plans in several languages. It is a handy stop before a trip around Lower Silesia and after coming back from one.

If you prefer a place with history, the University Library at Joliot-Curie 12 was formed in 1811-1815 from the collections of the Jesuit Leopoldina university (founded in 1702), the Viadrina University of Frankfurt and secularised monastery libraries. The Lower Silesian Public Library named after Tadeusz Mikulski on the Market Square at number 58 has been the voivodeship public library since 1945. It offers e-books, academic databases and interlibrary loans, so it suits a long day with a laptop.

Which city branches have a character of their own?

The Tadeusz Różewicz Municipal Public Library runs a network of neighbourhood branches, and each has its own profile. These stand out the most:

• Branch no. 5 in Ołbin, nicknamed Biblioteka Grafit, holds an archive of the poet Tadeusz Różewicz: his works in many languages and dedications from people in the world of culture. It also has a quiet study room.
• Branch no. 22 in Nowy Dwór has the biggest fantasy collection in Wrocław and a reading room in the garden. It stands next to the Nowy Pafawag Culture Centre.
• Branch no. 14 in Jagodno combines a regular collection with manga, comics and board games, and runs film evenings called Napisy Końcowe Horror Show.
• Branch no. 44 in Borek has a mezzanine for comics readers, while branch no. 12 sits on the second floor of the Main Railway Station and also focuses on manga.
• Branch no. 55 in Przedmieście Świdnickie keeps themed collections of crime novels, romances, horror, fantasy and books about the Second World War.

Branch no. 6 in Gajowice and branch no. 23 by the Ikar boulevard both run galleries of local art, and the second also offers weekly technical help for seniors. Branch no. 46 in Księże has put together a collection about Wrocław and Lower Silesia.

Where are the academic and specialist libraries?

Some libraries mainly serve universities, yet their history is interesting even from the outside. The Medical University Library, founded in 1946, collects books on medicine and pharmacy. The Library of the Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics operates at Uniwersytecka 7-10, and the Main Reading Room inside the Wrocław University of Science and Technology library serves students and researchers.

On Plac Katedralny stands the Archdiocesan Library, founded in 1947. Since October 2020 it has occupied a new building together with the Chapter Library and the Archdiocesan Archive. Next to it works the Library of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology. The Lower Silesian Pedagogical Library on Worcella street has branches in Wałbrzych, Jelenia Góra, Legnica, Strzelin and Świdnica.

The Wolna Biblioteka (Free Library) in Nadodrze has a very different feel. It is run by a collective of activists, and its collection covers anarchism, anti-globalisation, ecology, feminism and social movements.

Are there accessible libraries and options for families?

Yes. The Biblioteka Bez Barier (Library Without Barriers) label is carried by branch no. 46 in Księże, adapted for wheelchair users, and by branch no. 17 in Ołtaszyn. Branch no. 7 in Maślice is friendly to people on the autism spectrum and delivers books to readers who cannot come in. Branch no. 12 at the Main Railway Station has a lift for wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs.

With children, pick branch no. 54 in Krzyki-Partynice. Since 2000 it has hosted Bajkowa Biblioteka (Fairy-Tale Library), a puppet theatre for children aged 3 and over, shown on selected Saturdays. Entry is free for library card holders. For more ideas for a day out together, see Wrocław for families.

How do you combine a library visit with the rest of the day?

Libraries work well when the weather turns, so many of them also appear on the Wrocław in the rain list. If you are travelling alone, check Wrocław for solo visitors: a reading room, a comics shelf or a VR headset is a calm way to spend time without company.

A library in the Old Town pairs easily with sightseeing. After the Mediateka, visit the museums in Wrocław or look at the city's architecture. For the wider picture, see attractions in Wrocław, and for libraries across the whole region, open the Library category.

Frequently asked questions

Where in Wrocław can I borrow books in foreign languages?

The Mediateka has the widest choice: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian and Ukrainian. Branches no. 17, 18 and 40 also keep books in English and Ukrainian. Guidebooks and maps in several languages are available at the Tourist Library.

Which library has something for children?

Branch no. 54 shows a puppet theatre for children aged 3 and over, branch no. 45 has a renovated children's corner, and branch no. 4 in Huby runs family activities.

Can I see anything related to Tadeusz Różewicz in a library?

Yes. Branch no. 5 in Ołbin holds the poet's archive: his works in many languages and dedications from people in the world of culture.

Which library helps me learn about the region?

Branch no. 46 in Księże has a collection about Wrocław and Lower Silesia and a programme promoting local artists.