Brisbane libraries draw millions of visits in page-turning year
Brisbane’s libraries saw a surge in visits in 2025, making them some of the city’s most popular community spaces. The city council reveals its most borrowed books.
Across Brisbane’s 33 libraries and Mobile Library, more than five million people borrowed 5.9 million physical items in 2025.
Borrowings were boosted by the Brisbane City Council’s Mobile Library that offers free services and a collection of more than 4,000 books in suburbs without a permanent library, including Aspley, Bellbowrie, Brighton, Ellen Grove and more.
The council said last year its libraries held more than 8,900 free library events, including Matthew Reilly’s Writers in Residence event at Brisbane City Hall, which saw more than 1000 people attend.
Brisbane residents also downloaded 2.1 million e-books and audiobooks and collected more than 20,000 holds via the council’s 24/7 library lockers, according to recently released figures.
More than 1.1 million free Wi-Fi sessions were used across Brisbane 33 libraries, while the BNELibraries app was downloaded more than 240,000 times.
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The most borrowed book of the year was We Solve Murders, the crime-fiction novel by English TV presenter and author Richard Osman, which was checked out 2,306 times.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the council would continue to invest in modern, state-of-the-art libraries, noting the recent roof replacement at Sandgate Library.
The heritage-listed library, located within the 114-year old Sandgate Town Hall building, was reopened last November following a six-week upgrade.
“Last year told a great story about Brisbane libraries, showing how wide-ranging our reading tastes are at every age,” Schrinner said.
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“Our libraries are some of the most loved places in our city, helping kids discover reading, supporting lifelong learning and providing welcoming spaces to connect and unwind.”
The top five most-borrowed reads of 2025 included:
Adult fiction
- We Solve Murders – Richard Osman
- In Too Deep – Lee Child
- Here One Moment – Liane Moriarty
- Lola in the Mirror – Trent Dalton
- Nightshade – Michael Connelly
Non-fiction
- The Let Them Theory – Mel Robbins
- Wifedom – Anna Funder
- The Anxious Generation – Jonathan Haidt
- RecipeTin Eats Tonight – Nagi Maehashi
- Memorial Days – Geraldine Brooks
Junior fiction series
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Jeff Kinney
- Adventures Unlimited – Andy Griffiths
- Cat Kid Comic Club – Dav Pilkey
- WeirDo – Anh Do
- Wings of Fire – Tui T Sutherland
Young adult fiction series
- The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins
- A Court of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J Maas
- The Summer I Turned Pretty – Jenny Han
- A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson
- Powerless trilogy – Lauren Roberts
