"Every book, every volume you see here, has a soul.The soul of the person who wrote it and of those…read morewho read it and lived and dreamed with it" - Carlos Ruiz Zafón, The Shadow of the Wind. It's an enchanting feeling & sense of wonder, walking inside one of the biggest & oldest second hand book stores in Australia, Archives Fine Books. Located in Brisbane's CBD (40 Charlotte St), in the John Mills Himself heritage listed building. Every nook & cranny, every hallway, is lined & crowded with books; with that perfectly familiar old smell filling the air reminding you of the wonderland you have been transported to.Where stories & ideas have been captured on every topic possible; if you are looking for it, chances are, Archives Fine Books has it in store. The building itself was built in 1919 by Printer John Mills, & was used by US General MacArthur during World War 2. Archives Fine Books was established in 1985, but since 2008 has been the baby of owners Hamish Alcorn & Dawn Albinger. Speaking to Hamish, we love his passion & love for books as it is refreshingly infectious. Archives Fine Books is truly unique & special when you consider the challenges of surviving as a traditional bookstore, in an age of e-books & all things "digital". Archives Fine Books is also an antiquarian of sorts, as they acquire rare, unusual & collectible books. They've just recently taken hold of a true first edition of H.G. Wells "War of the Worlds", first published in 1898 by Heinemann & priced at $1500. It's easy to lose track of time at Archives Fine Books.You can spend hours looking at amazing collections you won't find anywhere else; a sanctuary for true book lovers, escaping the "noise" of the real world. Whilst we love Paris's historically famous & romantic Shakespeare & Co bookstore, & Porto's exquisite Livraria Lello (Portugal), in Brisbane's Archives Fine Books we have something that's truly wonderful, amazing, & close to our hearts. Go check them out, support local, to ensure the story of Archives Fine Books continues, and to keep the love of books alive!

I found first found Archive's through a friend, having sadly…read morelost the address (and also the name of the store) in the ghostly recesses of my mind I was over the moon of in finding it all over again. I love the other wordly-ness of this store, you can roam the long corridors and feel quite insignificant gazing up at the vast piles of literature. You can also geek over the abundant smell of old literature and spend whole days in perusing the large range of well worn and well loved books. Insider tip! Those with severe dust allergies are strongly recommended to bring a mask (..and perhaps a sandwich because your probably going to be there all day.)

Terrible. Staff are sloppy and slow to help. Some time after I started to use the computers,…read moresomeone put fairly loud music on in the background. I requested of staff that I be provided with noise-cancelling headphones as it was impossible for me to hear the audio on my computer, with the background noise. The staff advised that no noise-cancelling headphones were availalble, even though in previous times I had requested the acquisition of such by The Edge and I had used them there a few times previously. One of the staff members said he would try to get the background music turned down, but he didnt do this and I had no choice but to stop my work and leave The Edge with my work incomplete. Also, when booking a computer for the digital media lab, I was advised that there was a workshop in the lab and that all the computers were unavailable. I was then told that there were two left. I booked one for three hours. When I accessed the lab, I found that all but one of the computers were actually not being used at all. This is clearly unfair.

The Edge is such a great and versatile space for the community. Anyone can come by here and use the…read moreinternet, book a meeting space, or study. In addition to that, you can borrow a laptop charger if you forgot yours or plug your phone into a charging station. The view is incredible as well! You can look over the river and check out what's going on in the city with a plethora of flyers, brochures, and publications to keep you reading for days. If you get hungry while working or doing your thang, you can grab a snack or drink at their cafe. The staff were very friendly to me when I needed help and I think it's a great place when you need to change up your scenery.

I Got yelled for reading a scary book because since it was scary I was gasping out of fear and then…read moresome random person came up to me and said "Shut the fuck up" and I said "Why?" And the person said "Because you are being loud" I had enough and stormed out! Do not go here! The people are cockheads! The person also punched me But either way very good place! Best books in Queensland!

You can't beat the views at this massive architectural wonder on the north side of South Bank. No,…read moreyou can't check out books here, but this is the twenty-first century, and no one does that anyway. The library's intertwined levels boast exhibits on local history, ample study space and free wi-fi that hasn't given me trouble, and a variety of other useful services. It took a bit to figure out how to print and copy, but they have a screen with video instructions that walk you through it. A store and cafe are attached. On the lower level, a diverse set of charger cable hookups are provided, because that is what people use the library for these days. Auditoriums and a children's puppet theater attract visitors. The elevators, bathrooms, and water fountains all work and are reasonably clean. Art galleries, the science museum, buses, trains, and the attractions of South Bank are a walk away. It's public, so can the crowd get a tad sketchy? Sure. But this is Australia, where the person yelling at the vending machine will then apologize to you as you walk by. More likely, you'll see families for the events and yuppie student types studying away. The only thing I would really change are the hours. The sun comes up early here and most things in Brisbane open before 10 a.m.

I would give The Corner 10 stars if I could, and I don't even have kids. Let me tell you, as soon…read moreas I do and they're old enough to enjoy it I'll be heading to The Corner. Open from 10 am - 3 pm this is a library / play / education wonderland for children 8 and under and parents. The programs they do here are visionary and so much cooler than anything I got to do when I was a kid (although I must admit my time with correspondence preschool was pretty rocking). As an example they recently had an urban garden project where they built a garden plot in a corner of the SLQ pathway that showed kids (and adults) what you can do with urban gardening and how to cook with the food. At the end of the project all of the plants and infrastructure was donated to local schools so it could be re used. How cool is that? They also have great work shops and school holiday programs and an awesome changing rota of exhibitions, all carefully curated to world best practice principles to ensure kids are stimulated, engaged and learning even when they don't realise it. Pop in and see what's going on at the moment. You'll need a child to take full advantage of it, but surely even if you're not a parent you have a niece or a nephew lying around waiting to be entertained?

It's no wonder this place is always brimming with children. The Corner has been developed by State…read moreLibrary of Queensland as a place for children to play, learn and be creative. They have a changing programme; At the moment it's Kitchen Table - an exploration behind pantry doors and dancing on a dinner plate. I marvel at the ingenious ways the Corner keeps the kids entertained. For instance, they've set up a large nest in the middle of the playroom with zipped up white pillow cases which I suppose are like eggs. My nephew promptly unzipped his 'egg' and a duck and a caterpillar fell out. His eyes opened wide with pleasure, he gave them the cuddle of ownership and asked me sweetly if he could take them home please. Oh how he knows all the tricks to melting his Aunt's heart and make her contemplate theft of public property. I also took my nephew here once during a 'Food Play' theme. A designer with a sense of humour had set up a plastic play structure in the window bay. It turned out to be a stove, oven and kitchen pantry. From the outside, it looked like the children were happily playing inside an oven. This summer, the Corner has set up outdoor craft activities as part of the State Library's illustration exhibition. Kids could pull up a cushion and learn to make an alien out of plastic cups, egg shell cartons and pipe cleaners. It's great fun - though younger children below five will need parents to help out as it requires fine motor control. There's always something going on at the Corner so be sure to check it out these holidays.

Brisbane Square Library is one of the most impressive libraries I've had the pleasure to visit. A…read morewonderful selection of modern books and good lighting make it a regular stop. It's a popular stop for students studying, for good reason. It can be challenging to find seating from mid morning to mid afternoon, worth it if you can find it.

The Brisbane Square Library is not far from its prettier cousin, the State Library across the…read moreriver. Nonetheless, it has its own virtues. Ample meeting rooms are available for reservations, and people use them. This one actually has old-fashioned stuff you can check out. And it's got a great row of seats with power outlets that look out over the river. English conversation groups, cooking classes, and live music have been among the events during my time spent there. Their hours are even a bit weaker than the State Library's (which aren't amazing to begin with). I've had slightly less luck with the wi-fi, the bathrooms are less ample and clean, and in general it's just a notch down from the gold standard. But it's still pretty nice.

Walked past here during a tour and circled back after the tour ended…read more Well laid out bookstore. Books are new condition but not necessarily new books. Prices are the same as the other bookstores. Didn't interact with staff and I browsed to see what they had. Love the large selection but prices a bit higher for me.

The best Bookstore in Brisbane !! If you want any book just ask the helpful staff will find it for…read moreyou !