Brisbane libraries were visited more than 5.5 million times in 2025-26 as residents embraced everything from crime thrillers and literary classics to children’s favourites.
Visits across our 33 libraries and Mobile Library increased by more than 120,000 compared with the previous financial year.
There were more than 9.2 million loans and downloads from library collections and resources, and use of our convenient 24/7 library lockers jumped by more than 21 per cent.
Brisbane Square Library was the city’s most visited library with 533,012 visits, followed by Chermside (498,056 visits), Garden City (461,614 visits), Sunnybank Hills (410,514 visits) and Carindale (393,425 visits).
We’re continuing to deliver more to see and do in the suburbs, with libraries bringing people together through reading and learning, while helping keep costs down.
2025-26 Brisbane libraries in numbers:
· 5.5 million visits
· 5.9 million physical items borrowed
· 3.3 million downloads and digital items borrowed
· 24,500 items collected from 24/7 library lockers
· 33 libraries plus a Mobile Library delivering more to see and do across Brisbane
Michael Connelly’s crime thriller Nightshade was the most borrowed adult fiction title, followed by We Solve Murders by Richard Osman and Last One Out by Australian author Jane Harper.
The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins topped the adult non-fiction list, while Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë was the most borrowed adult e-book.
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir was Brisbane’s favourite adult audiobook, while titles from The Hunger Games, The Baby-sitters Club and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series proved popular with younger readers.
Quotes attributable to Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner
“More than five million visits demonstrate just how much Brisbane residents love our libraries.
“From page-turning thrillers and children’s classics to free digital books and audiobooks, our libraries offer something for every reader.
“With household budgets under pressure, our libraries are helping residents save money while providing more to see and do close to home.”
