SMS Library
Just a short walk from Viale delle Piagge, along one of Pisa’s most pleasant green spaces, stands SMSBiblio – San Michele degli Scalzi Library, a public library opened in 2013. The light-filled and spacious building takes its name from the nearby Church of San Michele degli Scalzi and is now a welcoming cultural space for the city, bringing together books, local heritage, digital culture and a varied programme of events in a contemporary setting.
The library holds a wide-ranging collection for readers of all ages and with diverse interests, including fiction, poetry, non-fiction, practical guides, graphic novels and a number of specialist sections devoted to cinema, music, sport, fantasy and youth culture.
For visitors to Pisa wishing to discover more about the city and its surrounding area, the “Pisa e dintorni” collection is of particular interest. It contains more than 5,000 volumes devoted to Pisa and Tuscany, together with pamphlets, periodicals, postcards, photographs, rare books and manuscripts. Together, these materials offer a fascinating insight into the history and culture of the Pisan area through documents and first-hand testimonies of particular interest.
SMSBiblio also has dedicated spaces for younger readers. The 0–6 Children’s Library offers books designed for play and discovery, including novelty books, picture books and cloth books. The section for children aged 7 to 14 includes novels, crime and mystery stories, horror, fantasy, graphic novels and publications on nature, history, science, geography and the arts.
Alongside its traditional lending service and access to newspapers and magazines, the library provides access to the MLOL digital library, offering ebooks, audiobooks, music, films and digital magazines online. Throughout the year, it also hosts author talks, book launches, exhibitions, creative workshops and other cultural activities that contribute to the city’s cultural life.
Accessibility is an important part of the library’s services. Its collections include materials designed for people with reading and communication difficulties, such as books using Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), Braille texts, large-print books for visually impaired readers, inbook editions, wordless picture books and audiobooks.
SMSBiblio is part of Bibliolandia, the library and documentary network of the Province of Pisa. Membership of the library gives access to the collections and services of the 68 libraries belonging to the network.
For visitors interested in discovering a less familiar side of Pisa, away from the city’s more traditional monumental routes, SMSBiblio offers an unusual opportunity to explore the city through books, photographs, documents and personal testimonies. Its location also makes it easy to combine a visit with a walk along Viale delle Piagge and a visit to the nearby Church of San Michele degli Scalzi, making it a natural stop on an itinerary exploring Pisa’s cultural, contemporary and more authentic side.
