Public Libraries
The city of Nairobi has public libraries situated in the central business district, as well as in some of the outskirts, as indicated below. Most of these facilities are operated by various state organs, sadly with minimal budgetary support. As a result, they struggle to keep their inventory of books current. However, they have some of the best collections of Africana books, and old local newspaper copies dating to the beginning of the last century, providing an invaluable resource for researchers.
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East African Herbarium Library
This library is situated at the Nairobi National Museum. It has been engaged in the development and Management of botanical collections since 1982 when it was moved from the East African Community in Arusha, Tanzania.
Services: These include reading facilities, lending of books and journals, access to a large stock of flora from various continents, and other reference resources.
Opening Hours:
Mondays to Fridays, 8:00am to 5:00pm
Contact:
Tel: 254 20 4448930/3, 254 20 3742131/4
Website: http://www.museums.or.ke/content/view/116/83/1/6/
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Jomo Kenyatta Memorial Library, University of Nairobi
This Library is situated at the University of Nairobi main campus, off University Way. It was built in the 1980s following a rapid growth of its predecessor, the Gandhi Memorial Library that eventually led to the need for a bigger facility.
Services: These include reading facilities, lending of books, Internet and bureau services (photocopy & internet access), binding services, university theses, periodicals and newspapers.
Charges:
Reading only – daily membership Ksh 100, monthly membership Ksh 500.
External borrowers – Ksh 500 plus a refundable deposit of Ksh 3000.
Opening Hours:
| On session | Monday to Friday 8 am – 10 pm |
| Saturday 8 am to 5.00 pm | |
| On vacation | Monday to Friday 8 am – 5 pm |
| Saturday 8 am to noon | |
| Closed on Sundays and public holidays | |
Contact:
Email: librarian@uonbi.ac.ke
Website: http://library.uonbi.ac.ke/website/index.html
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Kenya National Archives
The Kenya National Archives is situated in the city centre on Moi Avenue opposite the Hilton Hotel. Although this facility was established in 1956, it moved to its current address in the 1970s, and now houses a library and an art gallery. In the 1980s, the government acquired the late Joseph Murumbi’s large collection of rare African books, which is now available for review in the library. Public records and documents are also available for review, subject to the 30 year rule for government documents to be made public, and your ability to master the complex cataloging system at the Archives.
Services: These include reading facilities, lending of books, rare african books, and access to public documents and records.
Charges:
Annual membership Ksh 200
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 4.30 pm
Saturdays 8.30 am to 1.00 pm
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays
Contact :
Tel: +254(0)20 2228959
Mobile: +254(0)722 599212
Email: info@kenyarchives.go.ke
Website: http://www.kenyarchives.go.ke/
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Kenya National Library Service (KNLS) Nairobi Public Library
This Library is situated in the Community area of Upper Hill opposite the NHIF Building. It first opened its doors to the public in 1974. Its location is the headquarters of the KNLS Board, a state corporation established by the Government of Kenya to promote a reading culture through library and information services.
Services: These include reading facilities, lending of books, Internet and bureau services (photocopy & internet access), access to Kenyan Daily newspapers, videos and public talks on HIV/AIDS information, Braille library services for the visually impaired, and a mobile library that takes services to the outskirts of the city.
Charges:
Registration fee for citizens Ksh 300
Annual fee Ksh 100
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 6.30pm
Saturday: 8.30 am to 5.00 pm
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays
Contact:
Tel: 020 2158360, 020 272550 ext 222
Email: publiclibrary@knls.ac.ke
Website: http://www.knls.ac.ke
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KNLS Buruburu Public Library
This Library is situated in Buruburu Phase 2 along Mumias South Road. It is a branch of the main KNLS library in Community area of Nairobi.
Services: These include reading facilities, lending of books, Internet and bureau services (photocopy & internet access), access to Kenyan Daily newspapers, videos and public talks on HIV/AIDS information, and Braille library services for the visually impaired.
Charges:
Registration fee Ksh 300
Annual fee Ksh 100
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 6.30pm
Saturday 8.30 am to 5.00 pm
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays
Contact:
Email: publiclibrary@knls.ac.ke
Website: http://www.knls.ac.ke
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McMillan Memorial Library
This Library is situated in the city centre on Banda Street next to Jamia Mosque. It was established in 1931 in memory of Lord William Northrup MacMillan by his widow. Lord MacMillan was an American big game hunter in Kenya who owned Ol Donyo Sabuk and the areas surrounding this mountain during the colonial era. The library was initially reserved for use by the European community only, until it was taken over by the Nairobi City Council in 1962 and is now the headquarters of the Nairobi City Library Services.
Services: These include reading facilities, lending of books, Africana section with some rare books, periodicals section with newspapers and journals dating as far back as 1906.
Charges:
Annual subscription adults Ksh100, children Ksh50
Researchers Ksh200 a week
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 6.00pm
Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays
Contact :
Social Services & Housing Department, Nairobi City Council
Telephone: (254) 020 721 2651
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Rahimtulla Trust Library, Library Information Support Services (LISS)
This Library is situated in the city centre on Mfangano Street near the Central Bus Station. It was established in 1953 by Rahimtulla Trust, an Ismailia organisation that set out to acquire books that would be representative of all subjects, and to allow readership of all walks of life regardless of creed, colour or religion.
Services: These include reading facilities, lending of books, and a periodicals section
Charges:
Subscription daily Ksh 30, weekly Ksh 150, monthly Ksh 500, Annually Ksh 4000
Opening Hours:
Monday to Friday 8.00 am to 6.00pm
Closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays
Contact :
Tel +254(0)20 2312822
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Thanks so much for this overview!! So much more helpful than the phone book! Long live our libraries! A wise persone onece said that communities should be judeged by the state of their libraries…
I’m glad you found it useful Sarah. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
I thank God for this oppotunity because as the Bible says , my people suffer because of lack of knowledge.Now with these libraries we will get as much knowledge as we need.This library is state of the art and all other libraries should copy the Buru example.I love it.
Kenyans nid more libraries to achieve vision 2030.Amen.
these are the kind of people we need in the society who have positive thoughts towards our nation.this is one way of educating our nation,promoting nation ,considering everyone,congratulations.
am an information science graduate incase of a vacant please i will appreciate to work with your organisations.
guys lets shift to education, we need to have positive attitude towards education,it sounds so good when someone is identfied with his profession,gover pliz am sending a word an urge about our youths tunaomba mtusaindie tuelimike.
Thanks for compiling this. Are the subscription fees still the same in 2013? And are there any other requirements for joining the libraries to borrow books?
Thanks!
I would suggest that government should set up more libraries within the country especially in the learning institutions….
Books From Us is your Ideal online bookstore that will leave you spoilt for choice by their large variety of your kind of books. For more information, follow the link “http://www.booksfromus.co.ke/” and purchase a book today
BURU Library i love you services,Having attained Dip. in information science i will be grand working with you.
Thanks in Advance.
Knls is doing a wonderful job by empowering people with knowledge, keep up the good work, I am working on a project on the status of library resource digitization in public libraries for my masters degree in library and information science and intends to carry out the research based on the knls Nairobi branch. I hope you will partner with me as I try to demonstrate the importance of library resource digitization.
Thanks for the tremendous service you are offering to humanity for ‘knowledge is power’
To the person concerned,
Thank you for your informative website. I would like to inquire if you know of any libraries, both public and private located within CBD that operate till around 9 pm? Your help will be highly appreciated.
Regards, Agnes
Good work KNLS…
Hi,
i checked two libraries in Nairobi and they were closed because they are being renovated-ie Macmillan and Rehimtulla. The KNL at community was full and some users were
sitting on the floor. would you know which library is still open to the public?
Dear Sir/Madam,
I am writing to inquire whether there are any job vacancies for an
Information Scientist or Librarian in your institution? I have
recently finished my Diploma studies in Library and Information
Science at Inoorero University.I am now looking for a place to do my
practice and work as I wait to further my education.
I have been active in varies fields and extensive knowledge related to
information.In a past position as a student leader,treasurer,I
acquired skills in organization,IT,budgeting,supervision of funds and
account management.
In my studies i acquired several skills in: Archival
Studies,Communication Skills,Conservation and Restoration of
Information Materials,Dissemination of Information,Entrepreneurship
Education,Information Marketing,Information Resources,Introduction to
Information Systems and Services,Information Technology,Information
Technology Practical’s,Management of Libraries, Archives and Other
Information Centers,Organization and Retrieval of
Information,Publishing and Book Trade,Principles and Practice of
Management,Quantitative Methods,Research Methodology and Social
Studies amongst others.
I would really appreciate it if you could accept me in your
institution to fulfill my career.I have chosen to apply at your
institution because I am interested in a career in Research,
Documentation and Records. This promotes the Information sector of our
country. I believe I could gain valuable experience as an employee and
trainee in your company.
Currently i am on a voluntary attachment at Embu College but I would
be able to take up a position any time in your institution related to
my profession but if there are no vacancies at present i would be very
happy to be considered for any other opportunities.
I hope to get a favorable response and am looking forward to hearing from you.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
Timothy Mwenda Mbaka.
0715263818
Has the McMillan Library re-opened? The last I heard it was undergoing renovations
ati i will become a librarian.
I am writing to introduce to you, a global, online, non profit project that we launched for and about libraries, called Libraries of Our Lives.
The goal of the project is to preserve the stories of today’s libraries in the voices and memories of users, before libraries are transformed by the inevitable digitization or are phased out.
Please check us out at : http://librariesofourlives.wordpress.com/
And read about the libraries that are already included. We have already over 30 libraries from as many as 10 countries.
We hope you enjoy the posts from different countries.
You may also find our FB community page : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Libraries-of-Our-Lives/429330963764050?ref=hl
We would be honored if any of the readers would share a story on our blog (just a paragraph of personal experience will do.).
It would be wonderful for more people to know about the beautiful libraries in Kenya.
i need these buks.. ROBBINS JUDGE & CONTEMPORARY STRATERGY ANALYSIS. kindly which library will help me
Hi Harrison, make use of the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) to identify whether the book is available and in which Library within the Kenya National Library Service Network.
Thanks for info, I would love to start my late sister memorial library.
Hi please I need to read for my exams, does your library contain KASNEB revision book and related materials?
To get a response, contact the library you are interested in directly.