Central Library Cape Town, Public library in Cape Town, South Africa

Central Library Cape Town is a public library housed in the Old Drill Hall, its permanent home since 2008. It runs lending and reference services alongside specialised art and music sections, with more than 90 public computers and free Wi-Fi for members. Books, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks and magazines are available for loan.

The library began operations in 1954 when Cape Town City Libraries took over a subscription service from the South African Library, opening to the public in 1955. This founding marked an important step in providing free information services to all residents of the city.

The library maintains collections in all 11 official South African languages and is one of only two public art libraries in the country. This makes it a place where people from different language groups can access knowledge and engage with local artistic work.

The library sits in the Old Drill Hall in the city centre, with public computers and free Wi-Fi through the SmartCape Access Project. An American Corner holds a Makerspace funded by the US Consulate, and digital literacy workshops, coding sessions and Power of Coding programmes run for learners and youth.

The specialized Art Library section holds extensive materials on African and South African art, photography, fashion, and graphic design. This collection is uncommon for public institutions and draws people who want to engage deeply with visual arts and design.