Libraries in Florence

When exam period is creeping closer, it's high time you stopped going to parties. Libraries are the best places to concentrate on starting to work hard as a student again.They'll help you resist the temptations of studying at home: looking in the fridge every now and then, turning on the TV, opening a beer and catnapping whenever you want.

Biblioteca Oblate

Via dell'Oriuolo, 26
Phone:
055 261 6512
Fax:
055 261 6519
Open: 2pm-7pm Mon, 9am-midnight Tues-Sat, closed on Sun/holidays
(open 11am-6pm on Sundays in May, November and December)

This is, hands down, the coolest library in Florence. With your passport or valid I.D., you can enroll for free to use their WI-FI, desktop computers, or borrow materials. They mostly have books in Italian but newspapers in lots of languages. And the best part? On the top floor, there's an outdoor terrace and indoor bar (Caffetteria delle Oblate), with breakfast, lunch, aperitivo, live music, and tons of other special events - all in front of one of the best views of the Duomo in the city!

Harold Acton Library - The British Institute

Lungarno Guicciardini, 9
Phone: 055 284 031/032/033
Fax: 055 289 557
Open 9.45am-1pm 3-6.30pm, Mon-Fri

The British Institute of Florence was established in 1917 to promote the cultures and languages of Great Britain and Italy. It offers general and accredited courses including Italian and English as foreign languages, History of Art and cultural courses. Access is also available to the Library’s online catalogue.

Berenson Library - Harvard University

Villa I Tatti - Via Vincigliata, 26
Phone: 055 603 251
Fax: 055 603 383
Open: 9am-6pm Mon-Fri

Graduate students need a letter of presentation to gain access to 110,000 books held in Harvard's exclusive library.

Kunsthistorisches Institut Library

Via Giusti, 44
Phone: 055 249 111
Fax: 055 249 1155
Open: 9am-6pm Mon, Wed, Fri; 9am-7pm Tue, Thu

One of the largest collections of art history books in Florence is held by the German Institute. To get your card to borrow books, you need a reference photocopy and photo, or a letter of presentation.

National Libraries (Inside the City Center)

Biblioteca Marucelliana

*Website in Italian
Via Cavour, 43
Phone: 055 210 602/055 216 243/055 294 393
Open: 9am-7pm Mon-Fr; 9am-1pm Sat

The library has a large selection of books, including a section in English. To borrow them, only an ID is required.

Biblioteca Nazionale

*Website in Italian
Piazza Cavalleggeri, 1/a
Automated information in Italian: 055 2491 9300
Phone: 055 243 341/055 263 8293
Open: 9am-7pm Mon-Fri; 9am-1pm Sat

The second largest library in Italy after the National Library in Rome.

Biblioteca Gabinetto G.P. Vieusseux

*Website in Italian
Piazza Strozzi
Phone: 055 28 342
Fax: 055 239 6743

Biblioteca Medicea-Laurenziana

Piazza S. Lorenzo, 9
Phone: 055 210 760

Biblioteca Riccardiana

Via Ginori, 10
Phone: 055 212 586 /fax 055 211 379

Biblioteca dei Ragazzi - Children's Library

Via Tripoli, 34 (Next to Biblioteca Nazionale)
Phone: 055 247 8551

Biblioteca Orticoltura

*Website in Italian
Via Vittorio Emanuele II, 4
Phone: 055 486 743

Biblioteca Palagio Di Parte Guelfa

*Website in Italian
Piazza Parte Guelfa, 1 (Next to Piazza Repubblica)
Phone: 055 214 740

Biblioteca Pietro Thouar

*Website in Italian
Via Mazzetta, 10 (Next to Piazza S. Spirito)
Phone: 055 239 8740

Municipal Libraries (Outside the City Center)

Biblioteca Buonarroti

*Website in Italian
Viale Guidoni, 188 (NOVOLI)
Phone: 055 432 506

Biblioteca Nova Isolotto

*Website in Italian
Viale dei Pini, 54 (ISOLOTTO)
Phone: 055 710 834

Biblioteca di Gavinana

*Website in Italian
Piazza Cardinale dalla Costa (GAVINANA)
Phone: 055 680 696

Biblioteca Dino Pieraccioni

*Website in Italian
Via Nicolodi, 2 (Not far from CAMERATA)
Phone: 055 570 025

Biblioteca Popolare

Via Olivuzzo, 174 (ISOLOTTO-MONTICELLI)
Phone: +39 055 739 8850

Biblioteca Punto di Lettura

Via delle Carra, 2 (Porta a Prato-Novoli)
Phone: 055 351 689

Biblioteca Villa Arrivabene

Piazza Alberti, 1/a (CAMPO DI MARTE)
Phone: +39 055 677 398

Biblioteca di Coverciano

Via dell'Arcolaio, 2/a (CAMPO DI MARTE-STADIUM)
Phone: +39 055 609 645

Municipal Libraries (Outside the City Center)

Biblioteca Buonarroti

*Website in Italian
Viale Guidoni, 188 (NOVOLI)
Phone: 055 432 506

Biblioteca Nova Isolotto

*Website in Italian
Viale dei Pini, 54 (ISOLOTTO)
Phone: 055 710 834

Biblioteca Villa Bandini

*Website in Italian
via del Paradiso, 5 (GAVINANA)
Phone: 055 6585127

Biblioteca Dino Pieraccioni

*Website in Italian
Via Nicolodi, 2 (Not far from CAMERATA)
Phone: 055 570 025

Biblioteca Popolare

Via Olivuzzo, 174 (ISOLOTTO-MONTICELLI)
Phone: +39 055 739 8850

Biblioteca Punto di Lettura

Via delle Carra, 2 (Porta a Prato-Novoli)
Phone: 055 351 689

Biblioteca Mario Luzi

Via Ugo Schiff, 8 (CAMPO DI MARTE-STADIUM)
Phone: +39 055 669229