A reading room for academic users enables intensive study and research with access to digital libraries. There is a reference library focusing on linguistics and literary studies. 

The reading room is accessible to registered users of the NLCR - researchers, university instructors, and the professional public.

The reference library has approximately 4,500 library units focusing on linguistics and literary studies. The books are arranged according to the Researchers’ Reading Room Systematic Classification.

The reading room offers 30-day reservations and on-site access to printed documents published since 1801 and micro-documents (microfilms and microfiche).  There is access to the Internet (time limited to 1 hour), to the databases of the NLCR, and to digital libraries, especially to the full content of the National Digital Library.

In the Reading Room, units from the reserve funds of the NLCR and the preservation funds of the NLCR are also made available to disabled users.

There are lockers for storing personal belongings during reading room hours and lockers are also available for long-term rental.