McMillan Library

The McMillan Memorial Library is the only building in Kenya protected by an Act of Parliament. The McMillan Memorial Library Act was passed in 1938 and the building was named after US-born philanthropist, Sir William Northrup McMillan. The Library has been operated by the Nairobi City Council since 1962 and serves an average of 1,000 users per day (in conjunction with its two branches). The library also houses an extensive Africana section, as well as rare first edition books and works of art, including portraits and sculptures. The Nairobi City authority entered into partnership with Book Bunk in 2017 that allows the organization to fundraise, manage and restore the main library building and two more in the eastern part of Nairobi (Madaraka and Kaloleni).

This essay is part of a broader essay on Scholarly Memory in Nairobi, Kenya which includes McMillan Library, Kenya National Museum Library, British Institute in Eastern Africa Archives, Kenya National Archives, and PALIAct Ukombozi Library.