10 busiest and 5 quietest libraries in Glasgow, according to visitor figures

Facilities across Glasgow closed their doors in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic started, however, as lockdown restrictions have eased, not all libraries have reopened. There are no plans at the moment to reopen five of Glasgow’s 33 libraries.

But which ones are the busiest, and which ones are the quietest? Figures for 2019-2020, published by Glasgow Life, reveal that information.

10 busiest libraries

10. Pollokshaws - 95,638

9. Ibrox - 113,672

8. Barmulloch Community Hub - 115,223

7. Cardonald - 116,441

6. Langside - 122,635

5. Pollok - 169,638

4. Library @ GOMA - 226,498

3. Hillhead - 371,311

2. Library at The Bridge - 390,803

1. Mitchell - 417,893

Glasgow’s quietest libraries

And these five libraries are the quietest in Glasgow, receiving the fewest visits.

5. Partick - 37,708

4. Possilpark - 37,697

3. Milton - 37,176

2. Royston - 36,765

1. Riddrie - 35,564

What about Glasgow’s closed libraries: Five of the 33 libraries operated by Glasgow Life are still closed. This includes Barmulloch, which is being used as a vaccination centre.

Four others - Whiteinch, Maryhill, Gallery of Modern Art and the Couper Institute - are closed because, according to Glasgow Life, they are in historic buildings and each requires either investment for repairs or presents challenges in respect to Covid-safe operations.

The GOMA library, as listed earlier, is one of the busiest in Glasgow. The other three are among the quieter libraries, with 47,148 visitors for the Couper Institute, 46,085 for Maryhill, and 48,764 for Whiteinch.