Belfast Central Library is a public library in Royal Avenue, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Opened in 1888, it was one of the first major public library buildings in Ireland. The Library has a number of special collections, including a fine book collection, the library and manuscripts of Francis Joseph Bigger, the manuscripts of the eccentric Amanda McKittrick Ros, and the manuscripts of the Ulster playwright Sam Thompson. The Library is now run by Northern Ireland Libraries, a public authority covering the whole of Northern Ireland.