Ibaraki Şehir Merkez Kütüphanesi, Public library in Ibaraki, Japan

Ibaraki City Central Library spans four floors with two levels above ground and two basement levels below. General books occupy the first floor while the second floor houses an extensive collection of children's literature and materials.

The library opened in April 1992 in Hatadacho, designed by architect Azusa Kito, who planned many library buildings. It was not a replacement for Nakajo Library: that older library, opened in 1973 in a shared government building, became the city's first branch when the central library opened and closed on 31 August 2023 ahead of its move to the Onikuru complex.

The library shares its building with the Fuji Masaharu Memorial Hall, dedicated to the Ibaraki-born writer Fuji Masaharu (1901-1986). The library card is issued to people who live, work or study in Ibaraki and is valid at every library, branch room and the mobile library Tomoshibi-go, whose vehicle carries a drawing of eleven cats.

The facility opens at 9:30 AM and closes at 8:00 PM Tuesday through Friday, while weekend and holiday hours run from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Plan your visit accordingly as weekend closing time is significantly earlier than on weekdays.

The collection holds over 690,000 items including books, picture-story shows, paintings, magazines, and newspapers. These diverse materials offer visitors far more than traditional books to browse through.