Leys Institute Library Ponsonby, heritage library building in Ponsonby, Auckland, New Zealand

The Leys Institute Library is an Edwardian Baroque building on Jervois Road in Ponsonby with two levels of learning and reading spaces. The interior blends original architectural details with modern services including computers, internet access, and copying facilities.

William Leys left his wealth with instructions to create an educational center, and the building opened in 1905 with help from his brother Thomson. It became an important learning hub for the community from its early years.

The name honours William Leys, who died in 1899 leaving a bequest for a library and mechanics institute; his brother Thomson Wilson Leys donated his own collection and founded a memorial wing for his wife Hilary. The institute also housed artistic and sporting groups, and Heritage New Zealand calls it a monument to Victorian ideals of education and self-improvement.

The Leys Institute stands at the Three Lamps corner of Ponsonby, where Jervois Road meets Ponsonby Road, beside the Ponsonby Post Office. Both the library and the gymnasium have been closed since 2019 because they are earthquake-prone, so the buildings can only be viewed from the street. Auckland Council has committed $9.6 million to strengthening them.

The gymnasium carries the Latin inscription mens sana in corpore sano, "a sound mind in a sound body", a motto linking the two buildings' shared purpose of learning and exercise. The library's pediments each have a volute on both sides, echoing a Dutch gable.