The London Library - Independent Lending Library, London UK

The London Library, founded in 1841, is an independent lending library in London. It was developed by Thomas Carlyle, who was unhappy with some of the policies at the Library of the British Museum.

At The London Library, see a list of popular authors who are all members of The London Library. It's the book stacks of Shoreditch House: you pay a subscription fee (about £ 500 a year so you don't have to talk to anyone. And members will loan books for an absurdly long time from its 17 miles of shelves (or until another member requests the same one).