Vienna Public Libraries, Public library network in Neubau, Vienna, Austria

Vienna Public Libraries is a city-run network of public library branches spread across Vienna's districts, with a main branch located in the seventh district of Neubau. Each branch offers books, digital media, and workspaces alongside community rooms used for events and gatherings.

The city of Vienna took over the running of existing public libraries in 1936; until then they had been run by associations. The Wiener Volksbildungsverein, founded in 1887, had set up 27 branches by 1914 with over 2 million annual loans, and Eduard Reyer's Verein Zentralbibliothek, founded in 1897, ran a central library and 24 branches with 3.5 million annual loans by 1911. The main library moved from the Skodagasse to the Neubaugürtel in 2003.

The reading mascot Lesofant gives its name to a children's festival held every November across the branches, running at least two weeks with around 60 events and some 10,000 visitors. Its programme includes readings, puppet and object theatre, and an adventure night called BücherDschungel at the Dschungel Wien theatre in the MuseumsQuartier. The libraries also back the city campaign Eine STADT. Ein BUCH.

Because the branches are spread across all districts, there is usually one within walking distance of wherever you are staying in the city. It is worth checking the opening hours of the specific branch you plan to visit, as they can vary slightly from one location to another.

The main library building at Urban-Loritz-Platz 2a, opened in 2003, was designed by architect Ernst Mayr as a 150-metre-long abstracted ship spanning the Gürtel above the Burggasse-Stadthalle U-Bahn station. Its terracotta-toned facade and the staircase modelled on the Villa Malaparte lead up to a roof café, Café Oben.