Munich City Library: A Social and Cultural Hub Beyond Books
Munich, Bavaria, Germany – The Munich City Library is increasingly recognized as a vital social and cultural meeting point, extending far beyond its traditional role as a book-lending institution. Last year, it welcomed nearly five million visitors, solidifying its status as a dynamic community hub.
Diverse Offerings and Community Engagement
The library provides a vast array of media, including the latest thrillers, popular children’s books, board and console games, eBooks, databases, films, TV series, audiobooks, Tonies, comics, foreign language novels, and language learning materials. It also offers digital access to hundreds of current newspapers and magazines in over 60 languages.
Across its 26 branches, the Munich City Library offers spaces for learning, entertainment, leisure, encounters, and exchange. Annually, it hosts approximately 6,500 events for children, teenagers, and adults, fostering cultural and democratic education and supporting the community in navigating digital and societal changes.
Celebrating World Book Day with Special Events
In celebration of UNESCO World Book Day on April 23rd, the Munich City Library is hosting a special series of events. Children aged 14 to 19 can read aloud to the reading hairdresser Danny Beuerbach in the Schwabing City Library in exchange for a free haircut. In Pasing, an interactive reading with percussion by children’s book author and musician Andy Kuhn will take children into the magical world of Lomäus Barthaar.
Other activities include bookmark crafting in Maxvorstadt and creating figures from favorite books in Isarvorstadt. A reading from “The Clever Book of Making Books” will take place in Giesing, while in Allach-Untermenzing, library staff will present their personal favorite reads and recommend novels for all tastes in a cozy setting with drinks and cookies.
Italian Literature Festival Munich (ILfest)
From April 24th to 26th, the Neuhauser Trafo will host the Italian Literature Festival Munich (ILfest). The Neuhausen City Library will participate in ILfest with storytelling for children aged four and above on April 25th, starting at 10:30 AM, and a reading by Peter Peter from his new book “Gelato” on April 25th, at 4:00 PM. All events are free, though some require registration. Further information and a complete schedule can be found at www.muenchner-stadtbibliothek.de.
Expanded Spaces and New Formats at Motorama
The interim location in Motorama, one of the most popular branches of the Munich City Library, has expanded with four new rooms, adding approximately 700 square meters of space. This branch, open 100 hours a week, saw around 970,000 visits in 2025.
The new areas include:
- Lern Lab: Offering around 55 workstations, from individual desks to small learning cabins, ideal for quiet study or group work.
- Future Lab: Designed for workshops and exhibitions, accommodating up to 50 people. It hosts research training and creative formats from the Library of 100 Talents, aimed at children and families.
- Mitmach Lab: A space for designing, crafting, and hands-on activities, with workbenches for up to 25 people to participate in creative offerings or Design Thinking workshops.
- Community Lab: Dedicated to art and culture, media and democracy education, and social engagement. Initially, the library is collaborating with the O.R.T. (Organized Radical Tenderness) alliance, which champions democracy, diversity, and sustainable education.
The Library Card: Your Gateway to Ideas
While a library card is not required to use media on-site at any of the 26 branches, it unlocks a wealth of additional possibilities. The motto, “A card that gives you ideas,” perfectly encapsulates its benefits.
With a library card, users can borrow various media to take home, including books, films, games, music CDs, and magazines. On-site, the card enables copying, printing, or scanning. Over 94,000 digital media items are available for borrowing via Onleihe or Overdrive. Furthermore, the card provides access to over 2,600 films and 150 series for streaming at filmfriends.de, accessible from home at any time.
The library card also serves as an access card for various specialized rooms, such as the Lern Lab in the Motorama branch, the Music Labs in the HP8 branch, the bibBox Freimann, and the Munich Klinik Harlaching. Additionally, it grants access outside service hours to Open Library locations in Am Westkreuz, Fürstenried, Giesing, Moosach, Riem, HP8 in Sendling, and Motorama in Haidhausen.
A three-month library card costs 7 Euros (4 Euros reduced), and an annual card costs 20 Euros (10 Euros reduced). Children and teenagers under 19 years of age receive a free card. Cards can be obtained on-site or online, with payment options including credit card, Giropay, or direct debit. All information regarding the library card is available at www.muenchner-stadtbibliothek.de.
Source: https://stadt.muenchen.de/news/260421_stadtbibliothek.html
