Openbare Bibliotheek Amsterdam Reviews

Very large and very beautiful library. Apparently very well equipped, with computer stations, spaces for sitting and studying and bars / restaurants. The structure of the bookcase is very innovative and particular, with a modern style that blends well with classic shades and lines.
The view from the rooftop terrace, which can also be reached by lift, is very beautiful. Too bad it is limited by the very high and stone parapet (therefore not transparent) and by the elongated roof. Large and clean bathrooms. All in all it is definitely worth a visit!

Very nice library. you get lost with so many spaces to hang out and read. It has a very nice view of Amsterdam

It is forbidden to bring your expensive cup of coffee to your study location. What that is about is not clear to me. I understand that it is not the intention to eat anywhere but that drinking a cup of coffee is forbidden, I think really ridiculous. If you do that anyway, you will immediately have a fight with the guard. I was ordered to immediately throw this empty cup away. Because imagine that this empty cup falls over! Immediately canceled my membership.

Recommend to go if you have spare time while visiting Amsterdam.
Nice environment to chill out and explore a bit more about Amsterdam.

Libraries many books cozy and now and then no play area anymore and walking around with a basket

Nice quiet place.
The entrance is free.
A lot of upcoming young people with notes and laptops.
On the 7th floor you can go to the balcony, from which a good view of the city.
Dining room - with a poor selection and an average price.
Located 5 minutes from the central station.

I recommend to look.

It is worth the visit, for the view and the comfort of resting your feet a little.

A very nice library! Great opening hours. Nice and plenty of places to study. Modern building with a modern interior. Personally would ve chosen for warmer lights, the lightning is too cold/whitish at some areas. I recommend this library for studying!

Update -1 star: There no place for you to eat your own meal without standing... This should change, I find this rather goofy.

A beautiful and spacious building. Handy to take the escalators or stairs first; then you soon get a total idea of the entire building, and of all floors.
You can borrow books but much more. Nobody will drive you out there. You can also work on the WiFi.
At the very top you also have a grand view of the old city of Amsterdam. It lies there at your feet for a while.

A very large and beautiful looking library.
As a study group, we planned to work together on a project here as the schools are closed during the first week of the Christmas holidays.

We were only very disappointed that there were few study places with electrical outlets. And the free spots that were there were silent areas or had no outlets.

This was not a big disaster because we could have found a place (but with an annoying-sounding escalator continuously) but then you find out that if you are not a member you have to pay EUR 1.00 per person per 30 minutes for internet. We found this quite ridiculous, so we chose to find another place where this was better arranged.

For everyone who wants a nice place with good and free WiFi in a group, go to the folk hotel on the wibautstraat

Nice place to spend an afternoon to read books, newspapers, movies or just sit here doing your own thing. There are bars to grab a soft drink and simple meals.

Many floors and places to sit, read, relax or study!
Very cozy, warm and welcoming place.
No other place like this in Amsterdam

Sensacional espai de lectura i estudi. Obert a visitants.

The best place to study, work, read and any other kind of intellectual activity, free to visit for everyone.

I love this place! Definitely one of my favorite places to chill and relax in Amsterdam! Fantastic view from the op floors and two great restaurants inside the building (one in the top floor and one in the ground)

Great view in this library in the restaurant level.

Never seen such a library. Very technological and on the higher floors you can enjoy excellent views.

Beautiful building in a prime location. In the past I have mainly been drawing here: it is nice and quiet and the view is phenomenal.

Large library, also with collection of scores. Nice view over Amsterdam

Very impressed with the library. Beautiful, large room. Definitely advise to visit. And on the upper floors there is a wonderful view of Amsterdam.

Lovely building, and a variety of books, English and all other languages a great small children zone for playing and reading books. The view and inner side is amazing as strongly recommended!

Great selection of food on the 7th floor and the view as well. Thought no wifi beyond 7th floor while the library is truly free to all.

Various facilities for studying. During exam periods it is busier and difficult to find a decent place to study. Oba has an extensive collection of books that can also be reserved from the depot.

modern library with a great collection but children make so much noise ! it is not clear is it library or kinder garden !

Beautiful. Clean. And a great viewing platform and cafe.

This is an amazing building - so futuristic-looking and light! It has an array of spots for studying or just reading. It has comfy chairs and breathtaking views of Amsteram.

A very fine library to study in the central of Amsterdam, you can find the video down below from the top floor balcony

Books, movies, food and tranquility, the best library I've ever seen .. Bellisssssssima !!!!!

Yes they're open for business again. Simple but effective anti covid-19 precautions. The kids where super happy to be able to get some new books.

Pleasant quiet place. If you go around, definitely go look inside.

Horrible loud music all over the building very often.

Biggest and quitest library ever seen ! Note : there is a piano at the entrance free to play anytime and a wonderful high quality cafeteria on the roof top :)

Fantastic place to study. Book supply on the shelves is somewhat limited (Dutch-language novels from the past few years are only rarely published). The openwork children's section is bad for concentration: those little guests sometimes want to scream or run.

Nice library with a lot of books. Excellent service from the librarians and also the viewing copies and borrowing from the warehouse works excellently

Nice library, lots of choice, and long opening hours. Not busy in these Corona times.

A wonderful library that's accessible to everyone. They have a wide selection of books. My experience with them was great, the staff are very friendly and helpful when asked about certain books.

Students can't just come and study. Useless library

Went to the cafe and I did not know how to sign in to the Web when I met a very friendly and knowledgeable staff member..... This is a must see great food for all those foodie lovers

Who knows the guy who works in the department of fish of the library

Dit is mijn favoriete bibliotheek. Ik vind het leuk om hier te studeren. Tussendoor ga ik graag even naar Laplace of vapiano voor een hapje. Prachtig uitzicht vanuit Laplace op de bovenste verdieping.

In 4 years time, more than 75% of the books in the Amsterdam Public Library have disappeared. Away. The heyday of the OBA has been quickly killed by the policy of the current director. The core activity (library) has been pushed aside for room rental and education! As an Amsterdammer, I am ashamed of this 'library' (read hall rental complex). Bookshop Scheltema has a wider range of books than this library. It shouldn't get any crazier. Really very sad ....

An effective way to measure a city's quality of life is to visit its library. This modern Amsterdam library, a few steps from the central train station, is a must visit and will change your conception of what should be a library. Fully open, anyone can enter without having to go through a door or a lookout. A large lobby illuminates a huge section of magazines, with free and affordable internet, plus wifi for your iphone. Books are not organized by strict cataloging, but selected and by area. On the top floor a great restaurant at good prices with panoramic view of all Amsterdam. This space reflects the neederlands option, efficient and practical. Do not miss the view of the amphitheater at the top. Antonio Brito Campinas SP

Cafe is on the 7th floor, don't forget to go to the library after a meal, very nice interior design, a lot of personal space!

The 7th floor is cafe, do not forget to go to the library after dining meal, very good interior design, a lot of personal space!

Beautiful view from the terrace on the 7th floor. The cafeteria food is ok, the plus is they have wine! Downfalls are the lack of free public internet and lack of free bathrooms. Everything comes with a price.

Free enterance, such a modern library. To borrow a book you have to become a member. Becoming a member is free for people aged under 18.
The location is very nice, the view is pretty.

fantastic: spacious, quiet, you can read with a view of the city .... from philosophy to CD or DVD, games and art ...

Actually called La Place at the top floor of the library. Offers a full food court style kitchen with wonderful views over the city!

A sight of Amsterdam, free entry, public toilet, self-service restaurant on the 7th floor

This place is more than a library. Amazing infrastructure, amazing staff. Awesome kids section and play area. Brilliant working spaces. Beautiful reading areas. And a lovely coffee place on rooftop!

A library in the best tradition... Exhibition space, a theatre, a tonne of books and a roof-top cafe with healthy food and the best view in the city

Super nice cafe upstairs for good prices with a great view

This is an amazing space which I would love to spend time in - the various areas a beautifully organised.



I would avoid the coffee as it is made with an automated machine which serves the coffee or hot chocolate at an insanely hot temperature. You could opt for soft drinks, juices, beers or wine.

It's a great library with a lot of space - I'm not really fond of the organization and wish you could do more with the OBA app - but hopefully they will improve on it. The building is beautiful and the view from the top is amazing. If you get a membership card - you can check out ebooks + use the internet. Very reasonable pricing.

When we were in Amsterdam and it was dinner time we went to the OBA. On the top floor is the restaurant La Place, where we had dinner. Usually something of fries with something tasty. After dinner we walked up and down the escalator. Sometimes a small exhibition was set up. Down in the basement area. There were nice departments aimed at the youth, we liked the mice villa the most. Fr. W 2020.

Wow. Beautiful library. Excellent place for a view of the city.

What a cool library!
It is a little dissatisfied that there are few corners of art books, but the corners related to music are a great volume.

I LOVE that the toilets only request donation rather than make you pay to do what every human does naturally.

If I pass by the Amsterdam train station, I didn't expect to go there anyway, I will come here, find a floor I liked that day, find a book or magazine, enjoy the quiet, sometimes look for the window. Watch the boat and get the sun.

Coffee is really bad! It is super nice place to study so I would like to drink good coffee! From a good apparat and barista !!

Very nice and spacious library. There is also piano at the grand floor that you can play. Also a lot of music disks that you can listen to. The library card is very cheap and you can borrow books with the card. Like it a lot!!

Beautiful view from the top floor on amsterdam, free entry, nice "building", with "restaurant" on the top floor quite good, with prices a bit high.

Awesome place to cool down and study things. On floor 7 there is a self-service restaurants at its best!

If you come to Amsterdam to borrow books is just right!

I can not give much information about the library itself. The restaurant and the observation deck on the top floor are highly recommended. It has a wonderful view over Amsterdam and the food was delicious and the price for it reasonable.

This is one of the nicer libraries I have seen and also the largest. On every floor a lot of books and many places to study, on the top floor there are still quiet rooms for the students. Here they have virtually all the books you can think of, of every genre.

A well-organized bio-library. There are computers, reading corners and of course a lot of books. It is not a building to visit because it is a beautiful building.

Place spectacular. In Italy we dream of places like these ... Definitely worth a visit

Great impressive beautiful building large and spacious. Nice restaurant and a nice view over Amsterdam

Amsterdam city library very impressive design and it has the best view of the city

best library in the Netherlands. Great cafe & views on the top floor :)

Was here to buy my I am Amsterdam City Card. Only went with a card, but very nice staff and the architecture, just wow ...

Great Library! Pretty big, space for everyone to study, have a good coffee, work, and even kids!:)