Literary activities, reading, multilingual libraries
Are you an avid or occasional reader living in Luxembourg? Are you looking for books to escape into your native language or improve your reading skills in a foreign language? We have selected libraries and multicultural centers in Luxembourg for you. You will find books and magazines in multiple languages.
Libraries where you can consult or borrow books
BNL – National Library of Luxembourg
The National Library of Luxembourg welcomes the public in an ultra-modern building located on Avenue Kennedy in Kirchberg. The BNL is located right next tothe Bibliothèque Nationale tram stop.
Founded in 1899, the National Library of Luxembourg is a public library, open to all.
Who can visit the BNL?
Anyone residing in the Grand Duchy or the Greater Region and aged over 14 can register for free at the BNL and borrow books. Borrowing books is very easy, via an automatic terminal. Books can be returned 24 hours a day, thanks to a reception system outside the building.
Students at a higher education institution approved by the Luxembourg government can also borrow books.
What books and publications can be found at the BNL?
The BNL has more than 200,000 publications and over 20,000 media documents available . Since its creation, the BNL has been the go-to library for scientific works. It also has all publications on Luxembourg, in both print and digital formats.
A true cultural meeting place, the BNL also organizes conferences and exhibitions on various topics.
Where is the BNL located, and what reading rooms does it have?
It has bright and spacious facilities that are conducive to reading.
Visitors have access to numerous reading rooms with computers, scanners, and printers, as well as a media library. Access to the precious reserves and other rare works is possible by prior appointment.
Free Wi-Fi. Food court, café, and outdoor terrace.
Opening hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Library on wheels: Bicherbus service
Since 1982, a Bicherbus service, or library on wheels, has been serving around 100 towns and villages in Luxembourg once a week.
Cité-Bibliothèque de la Ville de Luxembourg
The Cité-Bibliothèque is the municipal library and media library of the City of Luxembourg. It is located on Rue Genistre in the Ville-Haute district.
Who can visit the Cité-Bibliothèque?
The Cité-Bibliothèque is open to the general public for reading and consulting books or media. Its aim is to promote culture and encourage reading among young and old alike.
Registration at the Cité-Bibliothèque is free for all Luxembourg citizens and residents of neighboring countries. All you need to do is present a form of ID. Registration entitles you to borrow 4 books, 2 audio recordings for a period of 1 month, 2 DVDs for a period of 1 week, and 2 language learning methods for a period of 1 month, free of charge.
The Cité Bibliothèque spaces
The Cité Bibliothèque has several sections, including:
- Luxembourgish, French, German, and English literature
- a youth section with books for children and teenagers, children's activities on Saturday mornings
- study room with dictionaries and encyclopedias, twelve workstations with free internet access and printer (limited to 1 hour/day).
- media library area with DVDs and Blu-rays in Luxembourgish, German, French, and English, audiobooks, and language learning resources. Films can be viewed on site.
Literary Tuesdays at the Cité Bibliothèque
Literary Tuesdays offer readings and presentations of authors' works. Visitors can pre-register to meet their favorite writers and chat with them.
Home delivery service
Senior citizens in Luxembourg City can take advantage of a home delivery service for books. No need to go out to borrow books, e-books, or videos! Simply call this service and have your books delivered to your home.
Library of the city's two museums
Since 1996, this library has been open by appointment only to researchers, students, and museum staff.
The Library of the 2 Museums has a collection of 6,000 books on art and history. This library also houses a collection of valuable works, including the first book on the history of Luxembourg written by Jean Bertels, Historia de principibus Luxemurgensibus.
The works can be consulted via the a-z.lu computer network by prior appointment with the documentation service.
Address: 15, rue du Saint-Esprit L-1475 Luxembourg.
Conservatory of Music Library
Created in 1906, the Music Conservatory Library contains more than 28,000 works.
It includes works on theater, instruments, music history, music philosophy, and music therapy.
The library is located on Rue Charles Martel in Luxembourg.
Municipal libraries
Luxembourg municipalities also have local libraries. These offer books for children and adults to their residents.
Ask your local authority for information about municipal libraries.
Multilingual cultural centers in Luxembourg
CID Fraen an Gender for diversity and inclusion
CID Fraen an Gender specializes in diversity and inclusion in all its forms. Its goal is to combat all forms of discrimination. It also offers a selection of books on anti-racism.
Located at 14 Rue Beck in Luxembourg, the CID offers a wide range of educational works on LGBTQ+ issues and feminist topics. These include works such as Simone de Beauvoir's The Second Sex and Mona Chollet's Reinventing Love .
By appointment, it is possible to consult historical works on the Women's Liberation Movement in Luxembourg.
Find the CID Fraen an Gender at the Lux Film Festival
CITIM Third World Training Center
Here you will find books on the world, particularly countries and authors from the Global South, to help you better understand the world and its differences. CITIM is located on Rue Adolphe Fischer in Luxembourg, in the Gare district.
Luxembourg Center for Architecture
LUCA is located on Rue de la Tour Jacob in Luxembourg. It offers more than 8,000 works on the built environment and architecture.
In particular, you can consult monographs by Le Corbusier and books on the history of architecture and design. The Luxemburgensia section offers studies by local architects.
Circulo culturale e recreativo Eugenio Curiel ASBL
Located at 107 Route d'Esch in Luxembourg, it has more than 8,000 volumes, mainly in Italian, but also in Portuguese, Spanish, and Luxembourgish. These books cover a variety of topics, including current events and politics.
Circulo Cultural Antonio Machado ASBL
The Circulo Cultural Espagnol Antonio Machado offers a wide range of activities aimed at promoting Spanish culture in Luxembourg. It includes a library of books and a media center with Spanish media.
The Antonio Machado Cultural Center is located at 72 Grand-Rue, 1660 Ville-Haute Luxembourg
See also cultural centers in Luxembourg
Search, browse, and reserve books online bibnet.lu
Several libraries in Luxembourg are affiliated with the bibnet.lu network, coordinated by the National Library of Luxembourg. You can search for documents, consult them, or reserve them on the a-z.lu website.
This gives you access to the catalog of works held by the various libraries, cultural centers, schools, universities, and private or public libraries belonging to this network.
Reading and culture workshops for children
Introduce your children to literature and the joy of reading by taking them to libraries and reading workshops from an early age.
Children discovering the world at CITIM
On the first Saturday of every month, CITIM (Centre d'Information Tiers Monde) offers children a reading of a story about a Third World country and its inhabitants. Your children will be able to discover the world through the theme "Children discovering the world." Admission is free, but it is best to book in advance. The program is published a week in advance on the CITIM website.
Reading workshops in the mother tongue with the association "Il était une fois"
Committed to promoting the integration of foreigners in Luxembourg, the association "Il était une fois" enables immigrant children to maintain contact with their mother tongue. To this end, different cultures and languages are highlighted during the activities offered by the non-profit organization, particularly during the reading workshops. For more information, visit www.iletaitunefois.lu
"Raconte-moi encore..." (Tell me again...) a story
Since 2007, "Raconte-moi encore..." has been offering storytelling sessions in Luxembourg. Sylvie Beythan-Ory brings her characters to life and captivates her audience with the use of musical instruments, dolls, and puppets. Appropriate scenery adds to the magic. With games and crafts, she knows how to involve children in illustrating her stories. The themes chosen are varied, seasonal, or adapted to a particular universe. For more information, visit www.racontemoi.lu.
You can also visit the reading workshop at the Cité-Bibliothèque municipale de Luxembourg on Saturday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Festivals and reading events
Comic book festival
For more than 30 years, the village of Contern has hosted the International Comic Strip Festival every third weekend in July. Discover more than a hundred stands and meet around fifty authors.
D'Stad liest
This summer activity offers an open-air library in the streets of Luxembourg City. It's an opportunity to attend outdoor readings or read in a relaxed atmosphere.
Second-hand books: read in an eco-friendly way and recycle your books
Book cabinets or "Bicherschaf"
Book cabinets are accessible to everyone, adults and children, 24/7, free of charge and without registration. These book boxes are becoming increasingly common in Luxembourg. Some municipalities are recycling old telephone booths into self-service book depots.
Anyone interested can borrow one or more books and read them on site or at home. The aim is to return them to the cabinet after reading. Readers can also keep the books they have chosen and replace them with others.
You will find these book cabinets in many municipalities, including Luxembourg:
- Place de Gand – Luxembourg-Belair
- Place du Théâtre – Luxembourg-Centre
- Place Laurent – Luxembourg-Limpertsberg
- Place Quartier Stuff – Luxembourg Kirchberg
- Rue Léon Kauffman – Luxembourg Cents
Book recycling
Waste collection centers also have recycling areas where people can drop off unwanted items and leave them for other residents to take. These include books for adults and children, toys, and more. Anyone can help themselves.
Feel free to drop off any books you no longer read, such as school books, novels, etc.
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