Atwater Library, National historic library in Westmount, Canada.

The Atwater Library is a library building in Westmount featuring a symmetrical Beaux-Arts design with buff-colored brick, large arched windows, and limestone details. Inside, it holds roughly 40,000 items in its collection, mostly in English, offering reading spaces and resources for visitors to explore.

It was established in 1828 as Canada's first Mechanics' Institute, created to provide educational resources for industrial workers during Montreal's early growth. This foundation reflected a commitment to giving working people access to knowledge and practical skills.

The library serves as a gathering place for the community through its exhibitions, readings, and lectures that draw local visitors interested in learning and art. These events create a space where neighbors connect over shared intellectual interests.

The library stands at 1200 Atwater Avenue in Westmount, a short walk from the Atwater metro station. It is not a public library: borrowing requires a paid membership, open to residents of any municipality, with reduced rates for students, seniors and Quebec Writers' Federation members. Computers and Wi-Fi are available on site, and home delivery serves members with reduced mobility in the city centre.

The 1920 building was designed in Beaux-Arts style by architects Alexander Cowper Hutchison and Alexander Campbell Wood. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2005, and the library has run a seed-sharing Seed Bank since 2015.