Most Glasgow libraries open Monday to Saturday, usually 10am to 5pm, with a late night on two weekdays. Only three open on a Sunday: Hillhead (12pm to 5pm), Elder Park in Govan (12pm to 5pm) and the Library at GoMA (11am to 5pm). The Mitchell is closed on Sundays. Hours are set branch by branch, so the quickest check for today is the branch’s own page on the Glasgow Life website, which shows the week’s hours and a line such as “Open tomorrow 10:00am – 5:00pm”.
Last checked: 26 October 2026.
I read every branch page on glasgowlife.org.uk on that date. Glasgow Life runs the libraries. Hours change, and holidays change them most, so check the branch page before a special trip.
How to check Glasgow library opening times today
- Open the Glasgow Life libraries page and pick your branch from the list. Each branch has its own page.
- Read the hours for the day you want. Sunday shows as “Closed” at most branches.
- Check for a notice at the top of the page. That is where a temporary closure would show.
- Still not sure? Phone the branch (numbers are on its page) or Glasgow Life on 0141 287 4350, or email info@glasgowlife.org.uk.
Two branches are shut as I write. Cardonald Library is “currently closed temporarily”, and Glasgow Life points people to Ibrox, Pollok and Pollokshaws instead. Langside Library is “currently closed for refurbishment”. That leaves 31 of the 33 branches open.
Which Glasgow libraries open on a Sunday?
Three, going by the branch pages on 26 October 2026.
| Library | Sunday hours | Street |
|---|---|---|
| Library at GoMA | 11am to 5pm | Royal Exchange Square, G1 3AH |
| Hillhead Library | 12pm to 5pm | Byres Road, G12 8AP |
| Elder Park Library | 12pm to 5pm | Langlands Road, G51 3TZ |
Every other branch, the Mitchell included, shows Sunday as closed.
From Sunday 1 November 2026, Glasgow Life says you can drop into any of its libraries for free tea and coffee, under its Welcome Places scheme. That is on its libraries page. Most branches are shut on a Sunday, so check the hours first.
Library opening times by area
The hours below are Monday to Saturday. Unless a row says otherwise, Saturday is 10am to 5pm and Sunday is closed. “Late” means the branch stays open until 8pm that day.
City centre, west end and north west
| Library | Street | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The Mitchell | North Street, G3 7DN | 9am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu. Sat 9am to 5pm |
| Library at GoMA | Royal Exchange Square | 10am to 5pm, Fri 11am to 5pm. Sun 11am to 5pm |
| Woodside | St Georges Road | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Partick | Dumbarton Road | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Hillhead | Byres Road | 10am to 8pm Mon to Thu, 10am to 5pm Fri and Sat. Sun 12pm to 5pm |
| Anniesland | Crow Road | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Knightswood | Dunterlie Avenue | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Drumchapel | Hecla Avenue | 10am to 5pm, 1pm to 8pm Mon and Wed |
| Whiteinch | Victoria Park Drive South | 10am to 5pm, 1pm to 8pm Mon and Wed |
| Maryhill | Maryhill Road | 10am to 5pm, 1pm to 8pm Mon and Wed |
North and east
| Library | Street | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Possilpark | Allander Street | 10am to 5pm, 1pm to 8pm Mon and Wed |
| Springburn | Kay Street | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu. Sat 9am to 4pm |
| Milton | Liddesdale Road | 10am to 5pm, 1pm to 8pm Mon and Wed |
| Barmulloch | Wallacewell Quadrant | 10am to 5pm, 1pm to 8pm Mon and Wed |
| Royston | Royston Road | 10am to 5pm, 1pm to 8pm Mon and Wed |
| Riddrie | Cumbernauld Road | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Dennistoun | Craigpark | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Bridgeton | Orr Street | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Parkhead | Duke Street (Parkhead Hub) | 9am to 8pm Mon to Thu, 9am to 5pm Fri, 10am to 5pm Sat |
| Shettleston | Wellshot Road | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Baillieston | Main Street | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Library at The Bridge | Westerhouse Road | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
South side
| Library | Street | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Gorbals | Crown Street | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Govanhill | Langside Road | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Pollokshields | Leslie Street | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Ibrox | Midlock Street | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Elder Park | Langlands Road | 10am to 5pm, 1pm to 8pm Mon. Sun 12pm to 5pm |
| Pollok | Cowglen Road | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Pollokshaws | Shawbridge Street | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Couper Institute | Clarkston Road | 10am to 5pm, 1pm to 8pm Mon and Wed |
| Castlemilk | Castlemilk Drive | 10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu |
| Cardonald | Mosspark Drive | Closed temporarily |
| Langside | Sinclair Drive | Closed for refurbishment |
Where a row says “10am to 5pm, late Tue and Thu”, that means Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 10am to 5pm, and Tuesday and Thursday 10am to 8pm. Where it says “1pm to 8pm Mon and Wed”, Monday and Wednesday open at 1pm and shut at 8pm, and Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday are 10am to 5pm.
Getting to know an area? Hillhead and Partick libraries are in the west end, and our Partick guide covers what’s nearby. Langside Library, near Shawlands (see our Shawlands guide), is closed for refurbishment just now.
Glasgow libraries at Easter and on holidays
Holidays are where plans go wrong. The Easter page on Glasgow Life still showed Friday 18 to Monday 21 April when I read it, which match the Easter 2025 dates. It carried no timetable for Easter 2027, which falls on Sunday 28 March.
That 2025 timetable is worth knowing as a guide, not a promise. Nearly every library, the Mitchell included, was shut for all four days. The ones that opened were:
- Library at GoMA: Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm.
- Hillhead: Saturday 10am to 5pm, Sunday 12pm to 5pm.
- Parkhead: Saturday 10am to 5pm only.
- Elder Park: Saturday 10am to 5pm only.
Glasgow Life also puts out a festive timetable for Christmas and New Year. The one I read was last year’s (22 December to 1 January), so wait for the new one. Nothing on the branch pages tells you about a bank holiday weekend, so if you’re going on one, phone the branch first.
The Mitchell Library hours
The Mitchell is on North Street, G3 7DN. Glasgow Life calls it one of Europe’s largest public libraries, with more than a million items. Its page showed these hours on 26 October 2026.
| Day | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9am | 5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am | 8pm |
| Wednesday | 9am | 5pm |
| Thursday | 9am | 8pm |
| Friday | 9am | 5pm |
| Saturday | 9am | 5pm |
| Sunday | Closed | Closed |
- Phone: 0141 287 2999. Email: libraries@glasgowlife.org.uk.
- Cafe: ground floor, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 4.15pm. Closed Sundays.
- Computers and wifi: free wifi and over 50 public PCs.
- Study space: desks on Levels 2, 3 and 4, with two group desks on Level 3. You can book a study carrel.
- Access: you can borrow a wheelchair from staff, there’s a fixed hearing loop and assistance dogs are welcome. There’s an accessible toilet, and Glasgow Life has an autism-friendly guide to the building.
- Heads up: there are no lockers or cloakroom.
- Parking: on-street metered parking runs 8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The NCP car park on India Street, next to Charing Cross station, is about a two minute walk.
Admission is free, and donations are welcome. The Mitchell is the one to go for if you want to study properly, and it’s also where City Archives sits. Glasgow Life has an Agatha Christie exhibition there from 26 October to 31 December 2026. Coming from further out? Our Glasgow train guide and Glasgow Subway guide cover getting around. See the Mitchell Library page for anything that changes.
How to join a Glasgow library
Membership is free and open to everyone who lives, works or studies in Glasgow. There are two ways to do it, set out on the Glasgow Life join the library page.
- Online: apply on the Glasgow Life site and you get temporary membership, with the eLibrary open to you straight away. You then have 28 days to go to a Glasgow Life library with proof of address to upgrade to full membership.
- In person: join at any of its libraries.
Proof of address can be a utility bill, an official letter received by post, a rental contract, any official correspondence or a driving licence. Glasgow Life says it’s happy to accept proof shown on your phone. There are no age limits, but if you’re under 14 a parent or carer has to sign the application form.
Just moved? A library card is one of the easy first jobs, and our moving to Glasgow guide has the rest of the list.
What’s free in a Glasgow library
- Borrowing: no late fees if your books come back after the due date. You can be charged for items that are lost or damaged.
- Computers: PCs are free, with sessions capped at 60 minutes. You can book one if you’re a member and give at least 24 hours’ notice. Glasgow Life also says PCs are available at all its libraries on a walk up basis.
- Wifi: every branch page lists free wifi. At Hillhead you log on through Glasgow Libraries and need no password.
- Ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers: free for members through the Glasgow Life Libraries app.
- eResources: Theory Test Pro for the driving theory test, UK citizenship study materials, family history archives and health and wellbeing information.
- Bookbug: free singing and reading sessions for children aged 0 to 5.
Printing isn’t free. All the libraries have printing and photocopying. At the Mitchell, printing is 15p for an A4 black and white sheet and £1 for A4 colour. Photocopying there is cash only: black and white is 16p (A4) or 30p (A3) per sheet, and colour is £1 (A4) or £2 (A3). Elder Park, Castlemilk and several other branch pages list the same A4 printing prices. Some pages give no prices, so ask at the desk.
On a wet day a library is a decent free place to sit for an hour or two. If you’re watching the pennies, our cost of living guide covers other ways to keep spending down.
How much you can borrow
| What | Adults | Children and young people |
|---|---|---|
| Books | Up to 12 for 3 weeks | Up to 6 for 3 weeks |
| Junior DVDs | Up to 6 for 1 week | Up to 6 for 1 week |
| Reservations | Up to 12 at once, free | Not stated |
You can renew most items in person, by phone or online, unless someone’s waiting for them. An inter-library loan costs £7.50. Online borrowing has its own limits: 8 ebooks or eaudiobooks on Libby, and 12 ebooks plus 12 eaudiobooks on BorrowBox. Magazines and PressReader are unlimited. These figures are from the catalogue’s terms and conditions page, read on 26 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Glasgow libraries opening times?
Most branches open 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday. Most stay open until 8pm on Tuesday and Thursday, and eight open at 1pm and shut at 8pm on Monday and Wednesday. The Mitchell is 9am to 5pm, and 9am to 8pm on Tuesday and Thursday. Each branch’s exact hours are in the tables above and on its Glasgow Life page.
What time do Glasgow libraries open today?
It depends on the branch and the day. The branch’s page on glasgowlife.org.uk shows the week’s hours and a note of when it next opens. Most are shut on Sundays.
Are Glasgow libraries open on a Sunday?
Only three are: Library at GoMA (11am to 5pm), Hillhead (12pm to 5pm) and Elder Park (12pm to 5pm). All the others, including the Mitchell, are closed.
Are Glasgow libraries open at Easter?
There’s no Easter 2027 timetable on Glasgow Life yet. At the last Easter timetable I could see, nearly all branches were shut from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Only GoMA, Hillhead, Parkhead and Elder Park opened on any of those days.
What time does the Mitchell Library close?
5pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, and 8pm on Tuesday and Thursday. It’s closed on Sundays.
Is a Glasgow library card free?
Yes. Membership is free for anyone who lives, works or studies in Glasgow.
Do Glasgow libraries charge late fees?
No. You can still be charged for items that are lost or damaged.
Can I use the computers and wifi without joining?
Booked PCs need a membership. Glasgow Life says PCs are also available at all its libraries on a walk up basis. Wifi is listed as free at every branch. Ask at the desk if you’re not a member.
Are all Glasgow libraries open at the moment?
No. Cardonald is closed temporarily and Langside is closed for refurbishment, as of 26 October 2026.
