Madras Literary Society is located on College Road in
Nungambakkam,
Chennai. Established in 1812, it is housed in an Indo-Saracenic style building inside the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) compound.
The library has a collection of 150,000 books, of which 30,000 are 19th century editions. Nearly thousand books dating back to 16th-19th centuries are preserved in the library. Books on philosophy, literature, art and history and current magazines and periodicals are available.
Books are rented on the basis of an annual membership fee. Each member has the option to take six books at a time. Rare books are allowed to be used inside the premises only. Home delivery is provided with an additional fee.
