Library
5 June – 31 December 2026
Explore illustration and find inspiration in our free-to-access library.
You’ll find contemporary illustration on display, plus hundreds of books. You can relax with a graphic novel, browse an illustrated magazine, or look through our children’s section to find your next favourite picture book. There are also games, toys, art materials and activities so you can try illustrating yourself.
Visiting the Library
- Chatting is welcome in the Library and sometimes it can be busy. It is usually quieter on weekday mornings.
- There are lounge chairs and poufs to sit on in the Library, a side table and a laptop table.
- Guide, hearing and assistance dogs are welcome.
- Drawing is encouraged. Please use only pencils and paper, or tablets.
- Please do not eat and drink in the library.
- Smoking and vaping are not allowed in the library.
- Please leave suitcases and scooters in the locker room or at the Welcome Desk. Lockers are located outside the toilets.
- Buggy parking is available at the Myddelton Passage entrance.
- The artwork in the library is supported by a Large Print guide, Plain English guide and information in British Sign Language.
- There is a selection of Braille and Large Print children’s books.
What’s on now?
Illustrator Sophy Hollington makes posters and book covers for today, but her inspiration comes from the past. She loves ancient texts, delving into Old English poetry, medieval alchemy manuscripts and European folktales. Sophy also likes 1960s graphic design, with its flowing letters and warped images.
– Sophy Hollington“I feel like maybe that is my power: to look in strange places for inspiration.”
When she designs something, Sophy fills every space available. “I’ve always appreciated detail… Why not say more if you can?” Her illustrations are crowded with sinuous creatures, elaborate patterns and mysterious symbols.
Sophy uses a printmaking technique called linocutting. She carves shapes into linoleum blocks and then rolls ink onto the raised surface. She puts a piece of paper over the block and then rubs it with the back of a spoon. This transfers the ink onto the paper. Sophy says this technique forces her to “make bold choices, representing things in unusual ways”.
With thanks to the following publishers for their generous donations of books and magazines:
- 3 x 3
- 3dtotal
- Abrams and Chronicle
- Access2Books
- Andersen Press
- Aquila
- Avery Hill Publishing
- Barbara Fiore
- Batsford Books
- Bloomsbury
- Bok Bok Books
- Bonnier Books
- Cicada Books
- Delayed Gratification
- Design for Today
- Do Re Mi
- Enchanted Lion
- Eyeyah!
- Faber
- Fantagraphics
- The Fence
- First Second
- Flying Eye
- The Folio Society
- Hachette
- HarperCollins
- Human After All
- Intellect Books
- Left Cultures
- Magic Cat Publishing
- Mantra Lingua
- Milky Way Picture Books
- New York Review Books
- Pan Macmillan
- Patakis Publishing
- Penguin Random House
- Phaidon
- Planeta Tangerina
- Polyandria
- Post Wave
- Pressing Matters
- Pushkin House
- Red Comet
- Rizzoli
- Robert Laffont
- SelfMadeHero
- Shelf Editions
- Silver Sprocket
- Thames and Hudson
- Titan
- Uppercase
- Walker Books
- Wobby
- Wrap
- Wydawnictwo Dwie Siostry
No – our library is a reference library, so books can only be read here, but you can stay as long as you like during our opening hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 10am–5pm.
- Animation
- Board books
- Botanical illustration
- Children
- Concept design and gaming
- Fashion illustration
- Graphic novels and comics
- History, theory, practice
- Fiction
- Non-fiction
- Illustrator biographies
- Infographics
- Journals
- Magazines
- Reportage
- Teenagers
- Tools and techniques
- Zines
We will also feature books connected to the themes of our exhibitions.
The majority of our books are in English, however we also have some children’s books in the most common languages spoken in the borough of Islington: Arabic, Bengali, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Dari, Farsi, French, Greek, Italian, Pashto, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Somali and Turkish.
The library is currently full but we love to hear your suggestions for when we restock the shelves – please send them to library@qbcentre.org.uk. We can't guarantee that we will be able feature all the titles that are suggested to us.
I’m afraid we cannot accept donations of any publications at this time, but it may be something we can do in the future – please email us at library@qbcentre.org.uk . We can't guarantee that we will use accept any publications that are offered to us, but we would be interested in the details.
We cannot return any books sent to us or guarantee that they will be added to the library. Any unsolicited material added to the library will be removed. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to return this material.
Yes. Some of our books include sensitive content, and adult subjects and language. Our selection of books made for children in a dedicated section next to the stairs.
If you have comments or questions about material featured in the library, contact us at library@qbcentre.org.uk.
Illustration is a huge subject and so the library isn’t comprehensive. However, we have selected books to represent as wide a range of perspectives and approaches to illustration as we can. You can view a list of the books featured in the library here.
If you are looking for something in particular, contact us and we will see if we can help library@qbcentre.org.uk. Please note that we have a small staff team and we cannot guarantee that we will be able to resolve your query.
Yes. For more information about venue hire and events, please contact our Welcome and Events Team at events@qbcentre.org.uk.
Some of the books in the library are also stocked in our shop. If you would like information on any other books in the library, our team can advise you on where you can find a copy. Please ask at the Welcome Desk or email library@qbcentre.org.uk.