Community languages collection

Our library network has collections in a number of different languages.

Woman standing in library looking at books

Reading in your language

Our local area has one of the most diverse populations in Australia.  

Almost half of our residents were born overseas and about 30% speak a language other than English. 

After English, the most common language spoken at home is Chinese, followed by Thai, Indonesian, Spanish and Korean.

Our library network has collections in these languages:

  • Chinese | 中文
  • Indonesian | Bahasa Indonesia
  • Japanese | 日本語
  • Korean | 한국어
  • Russian | Pусский
  • Thai | ไทย
  • Vietnamese | Tiếng Việt

You will also find extensive online collections as well. Dragonsource is a Chinese language database 龙源电子期刊 with over 2,000 titles.

Press Reader gives library members access to over 3,000 local, regional and international newspapers and magazines from more than 100 countries in over 60 languages.

Libby gives library members access to over 4000 magazines from around the world in over 20 languages, including Chinese.

Indyreads gives library members access to a range of ebooks and eaudiobooks in Chinese, French, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese

If we don’t have books in your language, we can request them from another library anywhere in Australia.

Learning a new language

Our community language collections have resources for people learning new languages, including a wide range of books as well as CDs, and language kits in more than 30 different languages.

We have resources available to help people learning English too.

Search the catalogue for language kits to borrow.

Learn a language online with Mango Languages.

Find collections in your language

Customs House Library

  • French magazines
  • German magazines
  • Italian magazines
  • Japanese books
  • Japanese magazines
  • Japanese DVDs and CDs
  • Korean books
  • Korean magazines
  • Korean DVDs and CDs

Darling Square Library

  • Bilingual Chinese junior books
  • Bilingual Indonesian junior books
  • Bilingual Thai junior books
  • Bilingual Vietnamese junior books
  • Chinese books
  • Chinese DVDs and CDs
  • Indonesian books
  • Indonesian DVDs and CDs
  • Thai books
  • Thai DVDs and CDs
  • Vietnamese books
  • Vietnamese DVDs and CDs

Green Square Library

  • Bilingual Chinese junior books
  • Chinese books
  • Chinese magazines
  • Chinese DVDs and CDs

Kings Cross Library

  • French magazines
  • German magazines

Surry Hills Library

  • Russian books
  • Russian magazines
  • Russian DVDs and CDs

Ultimo Library

  • Bilingual Chinese junior books
  • Chinese books
  • Chinese magazines
  • Chinese DVDs and CDs

Waterloo Library

  • Bilingual Russian junior books
  • Chinese books
  • Chinese magazines
  • Chinese DVDs and CDs
  • Russian books
  • Russian magazines
  • Russian DVDs and CDs