Kuala Lumpur Library, Public library near Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Kuala Lumpur Library is a central library holding over 50,000 titles alongside digital resources including e-books, magazines, and newspapers in multiple languages. The building offers workspaces, computer stations with internet, and dedicated areas for children to learn.
The building was designed in 1898 by A.C. Norman and J. Riddell as a government printing office for the British administration in Malaya. The Kuala Lumpur Library itself began in 1977 as Pustaka Bimbingan Kanak-Kanak on Jalan Tun Razak, a children's library for those aged 12 and under. On 29 March 1989 Mayor Elyas Omar opened Pustaka Peringatan Kuala Lumpur in the building as a public library and mini museum of the city's history. It was renamed Perpustakaan Kuala Lumpur in 2000 and has occupied its present building since 2004; it reopened in 2019 after refurbishment.
The library keeps a Kuala Lumpur Collection (KLRC) alongside dedicated Malay cooking, music and arts sections and a National Laureates collection. Membership is free from age four for residents of Kuala Lumpur and nearby areas, and the children's room runs as an interactive space with a creative room and D'Studio.
The library stands at No. 1, Jalan Raja, on the Merdeka Square side of the city centre, a short walk south-west of Masjid Jamek LRT Station. Membership is free from age four for residents of Kuala Lumpur and nearby areas. Self-service machines handle borrowing and returns, and free wifi runs throughout.
A major overhaul in 2019 modernized its facilities while preserving its standing as the city's flagship library. This renovation blended the historic structure with contemporary resources and equipment.
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