Grande Bibliothèque - BAnQ

I dare say this is the best modern library in North America, certainly the best one I’ve been to. The architecture is a marvel, the collection is extensive, the study areas are quiet/relaxing, and the free maker space is something to be envied. Washrooms are okay, not necessarily new looking, but spacious enough, 4/5. I was even able to get a library card with their express permission as a souvenir even though I don’t live here.

I love this library so much! It’s definitely a haven for francophone books, but luckily they have a decent selection of English books too. I’m working on my French, so it’s nice to borrow a francophone comic in between novels. The makers area is super cool too! There’s no excuse not to have a library card 🥰 For anglos: Be prepared to speak French to the front desk (they have signs asking this), which is intimidating, but they will aid in English if your French level is 0.

One of my favorite libraries and a great place to do work. There are so many things offered here, from musical instrument spaces to 3d printers to music and games. There are lots of desks and seating, but they can get pretty full at busy times especially if you come later in the day. The interior is modern with lots of natural light, and the connected train station is nice especially on cold days.

Just want to thank Ernest at the help desk, who went out of his way to help me photocopy some important documents I truly needed for a work orientation. He was so considerate, patient and caring that he made my stressful day that much better. It's people and employees like this that really do make a difference. Thank you so much again!

The Grande Bibliothèque is truly a standout spot in Montreal’s cultural scene. Its modern, open design makes it a really welcoming place to read, study, or just hang out. They have an amazing variety of books, multimedia, and resources for everyone, no matter your age or interests. The staff are super friendly and always happy to help. I especially love the quiet study areas and cozy reading corners. Plus, the events and programs they offer really bring the community together. Whether you’re a student, researcher, or just someone who loves books, it’s definitely worth a visit!

Beautiful library, lots of lighting, beautiful architecture, huge selection of items. You can even borrow blu-ray movies, DVD, games and they have a decent collection! You can borrow items for 21 days at a time and take out 10 I think in each category, 40 items in total which is a lot. There is also a music listening room with vinyls, I think you can borrow items there as well. Tables all over but it gets rather busy so I'd suggest arriving around 9-10am. Comfortable desks too, has a slight angle to it and slight angle footrest too at the base. Airy and light, though can be noisy depending where you sit so bring some headphones. Bright and inspiring. People come here to study, play board games (there are puzzles and board games you can borrow). There are some homeless people that do come in sometimes seeking shelter, sometimes they can be a little disruptive with smell and being loud. Staff here is super nice, I think they are well treated as employees at least I hope so because it shows with how kind they are and seem to really enjoy their job. My only complaint is the HOLD system can be quite slow, after placing a hold on an item that is available, it can take up to 5 business days for you to get a notification that it’s ready. One other time, by the time I went to the library I just found it on the shelf still available and checked it out, I think because I placed it on hold I was able to do so.

Beautiful library, really excellent selection, and such kind and helpful people working there! It is also amazing all of the non-book related resources the library gives you access to as well. It was lovely to see how bustling it was but still so peaceful and organized!

It is a nice library. Had lots of reads,an auditorium, cafe, video games and an interesting design. But it is a bit dull compared to other libraries I've been to around the world. Great place to work, meet and read though.

"If we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads."-Emerson. I was pleasantly surprised by the enormous space and tons of book collections. Huge fan of their archives and preserved collections. They have something for everyone.

I've been trying to turn my kids into bookworms so naturally, we've been going to the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Québec very often lately. I always go directly to the kids' section, so my review is based on that floor. Subscribing was very easy and free! We just provided them with proofs of residence and identity, then each one of them was given a subscriber's card. The kids' area is awesome, they can watch documentaries and/or movies, listen to music, participate in activities such as video games workshops, currently they have a very interesting exhibit for kids about all aspects of Montreal (for the city's 375th anniversary), there's also a computer section and of course they have extensive books, movies and games collections for all ages, we always spend hours there! If you're looking for a nice free activity to do with your kids this is definitely the place :)

This is a library close to the university. It's often open late and HUGE! There are plenty of spaces to read, study, or even connect (quietly) with a friend. The design itself is beautiful with many levels and opportunities for the natural light to shine through.

Very nice and huge library. Residents are free apply library card to enjoy books, movies and resources - Even PS5 games!

Best library ever! The architecture is sure astounding but the collection of book is amazing! Don't forget to make the tour or to ask help or idea to the staff. They are there just for this! There is an exposition nearly all the time. Check it out. It's mostly free!

The best and biggest library in Montreal. Tons of places to study with different desks and areas. I love the area where the chairs position itself to look like you are taking a lecture class. Most of the books you are looking for are available in this library. Outside of the libraries, there are a lot of restaurants and coffee shops to choose from. Overall, this place is a great place to study although, the hours are very short for my taste.

If you want to borrow books and CDs it is great. But if you want to study and research you have NO access to internet. They give you free access for ONLY ONE HOUR during ONE MONTH. After that you have to pay 50 dollars. So if you are a student here you will have to find some place else. It is the first time in my life I see a library charging for internet.

This library is a huge modern style library. I'm a student in CEGEP right now, and this library is a great place for studying. Quiet, clean, and the AC is perfect Stuffs are friendly.

Every great city has a great library. No buts, ifs or maybes about it. Whether it's the Library of Celsus in ancient Ephesus, the great library of Alexandria, the New York Public Library, the Library of Congress in Washington DC or the Bibliotheque Nationale de Paris, if you want to be a great city, you need a great library. While our Bibliotheque comes no where near those aforementioned venerable institutions, it is still a young baby after all, it sure does a wonderful job of creating an accessible, welcoming public space for all to enjoy and make use of. While their book selection for English titles is far more limited than their French title selection, not to worry, inter-library loans from libraries in the rest of Quebec, Canada or even the United States can easily be arranged here. Wi-Fi as noted in other reviews is indeed slow but membership at the library gives you access to online databases which you would normally need to pay for. Think of ANY film title you can. Be it obscure titles from 1920's Soviet Constructivism, 1930's black and white films from Hollywood's Golden Age, 1940s Italian Realism, 1950s TechniColor musicals, 1960s French New Wave, 1970s American cinema verite, or the darlings from the festival and awards circuits in the last few years. Chances are, you'll find it. You can practically get a free education in Film Studies just by borrowing out their entire selection of Criterion Collection DVD titles of which the Bibliotheque has many, the choice of most film buffs. Their documentary selection is just as wide and varied. Lots of quiet comfy places to read your books in peace, super-helpful staff, fantastic selections of books, DVDs, and CDs, this place is a real gift to the citizens of Montreal.

Very green and bright design, excellent ambiance for studying, chilling, relaxing, enjoying my time, taking a short nap, etc. Of course, reading there is a MUST!!!!!

This place is awesome! Getting here is easy as pie as it is directly connected to Berri-UQAM metro. Once you arrive you'll quickly see that it is massive. There are tons of books on all kinds of subjects and they have both English and French books. Seating is aplenty so if you come here to work you shouldn't have trouble finding a spot. I also think they did a great job with the interior design. It has a very modern look to it and there are big windows looking out onto the street which allows for lots of natural light. If you are a Montreal resident membership is free. There are a multitude of documents that you can use to prove this so check their website out. The most handy one is your driver's license. You will need a membership if you come here and want to use the wi-fi. It literally takes all of five minutes to get one so you have nothing to lose providing you live on the island. I'm not sure what the cost is for someone not from here.

OMG this is a beautiful, beautiful library for everything you ever want!!! I forget what life is like without the internet and Wikipedia. And for good ol' research, this library helped me lots. My dear friend gave me the best tour and I became an expert in under 10 minutes. Use the computers, find your topic, put the books into Your Basket, print the list. Take this slip and locate the books! That's right! You walk through the shelves, and you look up and down for the freaking number!!! Like a caveman! just kidding What is life like without Google?? I am physically flipping through these beautiful books that nobody archived on the internet. Do I need thousands of irrelevant images of Pirate Ships, when I found my perfect History Of Ships book. Or accidentally stumble upon an even better book on anatomy. One better than the one I wanted. Maybe take this blue book over here too because, sure, I can read French I think. Plenty of French books, but plenty of English books as well for the unfortunate Anglophone that is me. When you're done with the books, you do not close your tab and start a new search. You have to put the books on the little black trolley. And how many times have I NOT been able to find a book? I smile to my fellow stranger who, also, could not locate his book on his list. We would shuffle by each other several times. "Sorry." "Excuse me." "Go ahead." "Sorry, me again." I really forgot what life is like without internet. There is plenty of space to sit!! You know how hard it is to find a spot to read in a library in Toronto and in universities and in coffee shops. Well at BANQ, this is not an issue. If you cannot find a seat in the centre of each floor, the sides have rows and rows of desks. These desks are gigantic. And I think I can say ALL DESKS have an outlet and a personal reading lamp. It is a fantastic library, I'm so glad it lives. You need to be a member to use WiFI and check out a book. If you live in Montreal, your membership is free. Their website explains what documents you need.

One of the biggest bibilotheque in montreal. Large collection of books. And they have lots of DVDS and even xbox game to borrow. The environment is perfect, lots of area to read and study.With a cafe in first floor. Easy to access, connected to metro station berri uqam. Members can use their unlimited wifi, and they also offer their computers. sadly the maximum hours to use their computer of a day is only two hours. Love it and enjoy spending time here:)

On my first visit to this library, a Monday, I found it closed. Don't try to visit this library on a Monday. They won't let you in. When I came back another day, it took me awhile to find the entrance because I approached from an alley. Then finally, suddenly, I was inside and overwhelmed by the vastness. So I headed down first, to what turned out to be an art installation. My French was too lousy to understand exactly what this interesting-looking exhibit was all about, but it involved a few dozen gray-painted pieces of storage and writing furniture that you could open and find things like well-lit original documents, art supplies, and voice recordings. I practiced my French in whisper with the friendly security guard and pulled all the knobs and opened all the little gray doors in the exhibit. After that, I toured the upper floors to find a nice place to write. The primary library floors surround a central glass elevator shaft with grand views up-and-down and all around. I settled into a couch in sunny windows where folks slept and studied. Pro tip: the Wi-Fi is only free if you have a library card. It was a hot day, so I didn't last long in the window seats. Then I bumped into my old pal from the basement art installation, guarding the upstairs archives now. What a beautiful room! I really wanted to write in this room with its big, polished-wood desks and green glass lamp shades. My pal and I whispered bad French back and forth until I finally understood that I could sit down here but had to check my bag, which meant I needed a library card or a two-nee to rent a locker key. Worth it! This room is quiet and grand. I got a ton of work done in a short time here, determined to use the opportunity well. And I got my two-nee back!

Very good! A lot to explore.I'll be a regular here! And also nice architecture the building itself!

I guess it's a bit strange to check out the local library when you're doing the tourist thing, but this place was worth the visit. They had some great exhibits on display and some innovative ways to incorporate sound, which is nice in the quiet setting of a library. The place is huge! There are lots of little nooks to get lost in with your nose in a book and there seemed to be a section for everyone. The best thing about this location is that you can take the Metro and you don't have to go outside! I really could have spent hours here.

Je suis allée hier au premier niveau emprunter des documents. le tapis de la machine avait des marques de saleté. Par curiosité j'ai passé une lingette mouillée dessus le tapis d'emprunt. Le chiffon a créé une sorte de boue dédgeu. Un bon ménage s'imposerait !

This place could, hands down, be one of the best investments the city of Montreal has done. You can access it right from the Berri-UQAM metro station, without having to go outside (no need to explain why that is practical in the winter). It is free if you live in the city of Montreal. You will have to get membership though (which is free). Bring your ID and anything with your address on it (Cell phone bill, Videotron, Hydro...). You will get fined if you do not return your rented item(s) on time. You can rent books, music CDs and movies! They have exhibits too. Lower floor is for children. There are MANY spots to just chill and read a book. There are also selected spots to listen to a CD or watch a DVD. Decoration: Pretty and very well maintained, on the inside and out. (they have drinking fountains inside btw)

Nobody was quite sure of how the BANQ would turn out while it was being built. And then it was done, and it was beautiful. The library is a regular big unfriendly cube from the outside, but has a light and airy feel once inside. Most of the structure is glass (including the elevators! yay!), and a lot of the furniture/ wall partitions are wooden, which makes for a beautiful ambiance when the sun is shining. The library includes a lot of practical little details, designed to make your experience much more pleasant, the first one being its direct access to the Métro. I rather like the returns' conveyor belt, the colorful self-directed Reservations section, and the self-serve borrowing machines are nifty. I adore the place, let that be said, but there could be some improvements. The free wifi for example, is painfully slow, like dial-up slow. Studying is a bit on the difficult side for me, since the place is crowded and/or noisy. You can always study in the archives section completely at the back, but you'll have to check most of your stuff in a locker. Finding a book is a breeze, unless you are looking for something academical. My biggest pet peeve until recently was the CD/DVD section. Until last year, unless you reserved an item a couple of months in advance, you'd be left with the biggest selection of Buster Keaton movies to watch. I think they are in the process of buying more and more backups and selection in general, which is great news! If I can give you a tip, always check the back of CDs or DVDs you plan on borrowing, they can be in really bad shape, if not missing altogether, in which case you'll be charged. They also have a selection of movies to be viewed on the premises, just book a room, bring some pals and check out a movie. I think they might also lend records but don't quote me on that. If you're feeling adventurous, you can literally play musical chair on the 4th floor, they have nooks with headphones, and stereos loaded with music prearranged by theme.

This place is free for Montrealers, you can rent a movie, a music CD or a book all for free and the selection is quite impressive. There are lots of places to sit and browse the bookstore or prepare exams. The place looks great from inside, while the exterior looks like the usual "washroom" style Montreal architects favor these days. On the minus side, the building is located on the extremity of the gay district; the place feels sometimes like a pick up spot for males, which could get a bit uncomfortable. Also, the toilets are pitiful, especially for a building with such a suggesting exterior. All in all, a most seen place in Montreal.

This huge library is such a gift to the area and to the city, it's really amazing. There are zen quiet places to sit and read, study, or just dream. There is actually a huge English fiction section and a fricken awesome floor devoted to CDs and DVDs - this area gets packed on evenings and weekends, but check it out on weekday morning if you want to take some time to enjoy. Membership at the library is free for anyone with a Montreal mailing address (just bring some ID and a hydro bill and that should do it) and this gets you access to the whole library network of 43 libraries in the Mtl area. At the National library there are beautiful exhibits on different floors that change over time. There's a well equipped exhibition / conference space in the basement, and during the summer the back alley between the library and St Denis functions as a second hand bookstore where the library sells old or duplicate stock, and the library is connected to Berri metro underground and to UQAM which is super useful in the depths of Montreal's wild winters.

This is a very large library with a great collection of books in English and French. A library card is free for people in Montreal. You can take out 15 items and there is also free internet. The building itself is nice but often very crowded. Sadly, the staff have been occasionally rude. For example, once we returned a book when the self-return machine was offline, so we put it in a makeshift return box setup by the library. Unfortunately, they failed to return the book properly and instead returned the second copy by mistake. We were charged a fine, which we discovered via logging into the account. When we tried to explain this to the desk, they acted as if we were mistaken and kept the book at home. They kept saying, "so you have it at home", even after insisting several times that we didn't. We checked ourselves on the shelf, and sure enough the book we returned was already reshelved but the system had the other book returned. After our own investigation on the shelf, they told us we should not have investigated because it looked like we tried to put the book back without their knowledge. If we actually were trying such a scheme, why would we have told them about our investigation in the first place? If we were indeed being dishonest, it would have made more sense to put the book back silently and then only later inform the desk of the discrepancy. Sadly, the employees could not comprehend this logic and acted offended that we tried to explain what had happened. In my line of work, when someone points out I made a mistake, no matter who it is, I am actually grateful and I have enough self-confidence not to be offended. In the end, they decided not to charge us the fine. However, the next time we came to the library, the card that was used had a address verification alert on it, so that we could not use it without having to verify our address, which is in itself not trivial at this library, especially if you don't have a driver's license from Quebec. Our other card was fine. In the end, I don't understand why these people are so rude, and were so suspicious and unfriendly about such a trivial matter of a dollar fine. One on other occasion I happily paid a fine which was definitely my fault. So while this is a really nice library, I think some of the staff could definitely take a course in friendly customer service.

This might as well be my home. You will find me dissertating here most days of the week. I love it, and here is why: I love that it has sunny open spaces for doing work, and darkened nooks for reading mysteries. I love that it has two Presse-Cafés with very pleasant staff members. I love that the new returns system runs all returned materials on a conveyor belt, visible under glass. I love that the elevators are see-thru. I love the design, especially the not so harsh but still very late modern angles. I love how many different places there are to study. I love that the journals section is well curated. I love that the museum downstairs does not only NOT suck, but is really quite good. I love the bike racks and the garden. I love that it's filled with French books, like, ALL French books. (As an American getting a PhD in French literature, this is the stuff of dreams, people.) I love that they also have a very decent selection of novels in English. I love that their music selection is AMAZING. Amazing. Who's your favorite indie band that no one's heard of? They've got it. I love that they do interlibrary loans without blinking an eye. I love that it's located right next to a thousand good cafés on Saint-Denis for quick cheap study food access. I love that when it's -30 C I do not have to step outside from the metro to the entrance. I love that they are truly public. I love that the people who work on the CD/DVD floor KNOW that their materials are ALWAYS missing, even when the computer says otherwise, and they have the unending patience required to track things down. My lifelong love of libraries has found a home. For now...

I love this public library! I have visited on numerous occasions now and the collections are fantastic. The structure itself is beautiful and you can spend a fair amount of time just wandering around and seeing what is available on each floor. It can get quite busy and I imagine may be difficult to find a quiet place to work on the weekend. Direct access into the metro means that you don't have to brave the cold in winter with a bundle of books under your arm! Really impressed!

The music collection is very good, the film collection is very good as well, one can find artsy-fartsy films, the regular fare from Hollywood and TV series. The affiliation card is worth getting, it costs only 3 dollars. The collection can be checked online and if something is hard to get it can be reserved and, seemingly, as soon as it is available a notification will come by e-mail. The availability of the materials can also be checked online, even if sometimes it´s not accurate because they are at the library but not returned to the shelves. The loans can also be renewed online. The literature section is a bit awkward since they have separate sections for fiction in English and French, yet the shelves are mixed and don´t follow a logical order so one has to roam around the floor trying to find anything , one shelf will be in English, the next in French and so on. Returning the materials is easy, it´s automated (via scanner and conveyor belt) or can be dropped at a box after the place is closed. I think the entire library is designed for self-service, both for borrowing and returning, which is a very good thing since the employees always seem to be in a bad mood or get annoyed if someone dares to ask for help. There seems to be free WiFi, but it has never worked in my phone (perfection does not exist, after all), and there are no instructions on how to use it. There is a WiFi signal but no connection to the internet. I tried the WiFi in my notebook and it is iffy as well, it works 5 minutes then it drops, tried to answer some e-mails and it cannot be done For the most part it is a very good library, it has nice furniture, sculptures, it's a beautiful building (at least inside) etc but it´s bizarre and pitiful that the access to such a basic service such as wireless internet is so unreliable, I have seen coffee shops in Montreal with much better WiFi than the glorious BAnQ. The WiFi at the food court on Place Dupuis works so much better.

The library is fantastic. The exhibit La Bibliotheque, La Nuit is a must-see! It is a virtual tour of 10 of the world's most amazing libraries. It was the highlight of my trip to Montreal.

I've been coming here for many years. Today, Saturday, I arrived a little before they closed and sat in one of the comfy chairs in the lobby. That section stays open until 10 pm on weekends. I brought some French fries with me and began eating them. Soon, a lady came to see me, who was very upset, and told me that eating was not allowed in the library, wanting me to understand that what I was doing was very inappropriate. I then pointed out to her that there was a food bar along the back wall, and that clients would take their food and eat it in the very chairs where I was sitting. She then changed her tune and retorted that they were paying money to the library, therefore admitting indirectly that she had lied when she claimed that eating was not allowed in the library. She than informed me that she had already called security, and that they were coming. So they don't fool around in protecting their food concession, using security to enforce their agreement with them. They're also lying hypocrites. But like the security guard told me, ''such is life!''