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Berkeley Public Library
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley
2090 Kittredge St
(between Harold Way & Shattuck Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 981-6100
2090 Kittredge St
(between Harold Way & Shattuck Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 981-6100
45 reviews for Berkeley Public Library
great place to study - sometimes....
I took away a star because to almost every aspect which is whorth to mention as excellent, there is a little annoying downside:
big plus:
-free wireless (there are simply not enough places available to sit and plug in your laptop - I bet if they had more place the place would be almost a social meet and greet)
-online book reservations (so perfect to go online and even prolong)
-email notifications and reminders of due dates (that's what I call "thinking service")
- the ladies and the guys at the second floor informations desk: you ask them a question and you get friendly and concise answers - simply awesome!
less plus
- people who show clear disrespect for the rest of the world (walking through the library singing, certain smelly people, obnoxious teenagers (giggle, laughing yelling and what have you)
- the way the lib is constructed doesn't suppress the noise rather echoes everything...if you want to read belletristic it might be ok, but if you read or write more demanding stuff - ouh my....
Therefore I recommend more tables, more acoustics measures, more sign's saying: please show respect to people who train their brain...or something like that ....
One of my favorite places in the bay area. I used to go here every week for like 5 years. As a library slut, I haven't met a library I didn't love so perhaps my mark of approval is meaningless. Here are the things that make this library it's own special self:
1. Art deco building that has been carefully restored and cared for.
2. Obnoxious berkeley people who are righteous in a snobby way (most berkeleyians aren't this way, but proportionally-speaking there are more political snobs/ emotional wrecks in berkeley than in other locales).
3. Great online computer catalog - intuitive, well-organized and user-friendly. Reserve books, movies, cds online and they email you when ready.
4. Online resources - amazing. Access to Safari books online, which is access to almost all books published material about computers, software training, etc! Save money and use this instead of paying $50 for a book every time you need to learn a new program.
5. Sometimes they close the library with a marching band playing in a new orleans style!! They start at the top of the 5-story building and slowly move down the stairwell til they swept all laggers and perusers out. It's surprising and wonderful to hear live bombastic music in the library. A happy good way to give people the boot.
6. Machines that let you check things out on your own - faster, but less personable. I miss talking to library checker-outers. They often break.
7. Great jazz collection. Their other music collections feel less complete than their jazz collection. The top floor is art, music and everything I love - I get lost up there. Oversized art books, music playing gently, new art + music books. I am a nerd and this makes me happy.
highlights:
-free wireless
-online book reservations
-email notifications and reminders of due dates
-the link+ system (wow is all I can say)
-multiple floors
negatives
-farting people
-smelly bums
-obnoxious teenagers (sometimes)
-short hours
-sometimes the air conditioning breaks and it gets stuffy
Overall, I'm impressed. A public library in berkeley? I would've expected much less. There are plenty of downsides, but, hey , it's in berkeley, what would you expect?
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Every year there is some bond vote to throw more money at the Berkeley Public Library. I'd like to cut their funding until they prove they are serving the people they are supposed to be serving. I don't think this complaint belongs on Yelp, but one of the things frustrating me is I can't figure out what an appropriate and EFFECTIVE venue would be.
I have nothing against libraries, and I love to read. I help keep Berkeley's wonderful used bookstores afloat. My complaint about the Berkeley Public Library is that I've rarely use it over the past 15 years, and there are massive disincentives for using the public library.
The mandate of the public library system should be to especially serve low income members of the community, increasing literacy and cultural appreciation among those who might otherwise avoid reading as an unaffordable luxury. However, every time I go to the library I find I have fines between $20-$30. Even if I pay off the "minumum" amount of $10-$20 every time I go to check out a book, that's still enough money to go out and buy the darned books instead of checking them out!
I realize that libraries charge fines to make sure books are returned in a timely manner, and I like to think of myself as a responsible enough person to return my books on time. The problem is it became harder to keep track of when books were due once libraries started using automated check-outs that only provide a slip of paper instead of stamping the books themselves. I am signed up for email reminders, but the reminders don't always come. I'm not sure how much the daily fine is, but it seems to stack up to over $10 if the books are only a few days late. If I dared to check out more than one book, the Library Shakedown skyrockets.
This isn't maintaining the book collection, it's pickpocketing library customers for extra funding that they never voted for. Furthermore, the public library has a local monopoly: I can't go to an alternate public library if I feel they are ripping me off. Thank goodness I also have a UC Berkeley library card, which by the way maintains its collection by limiting the books I can check out at any one time instead of charging me the price of SIX used paperbacks every time I turn around.
Because these fines are always there, I have rarely used the Berkeley Public library even though my income falls within the segment of the public that the library is supposed to serve. When I went to the library last week and found the fine mysteriously jumped back up to $25 again, I swore that was the last time I would ever use it. No matter how many more years I live in Berkeley, I will get books elsewhere. I'm furious about how much money I've already "donated" to them over the years. I will always think of the Berkeley Public Library as the place that's more interested in picking the pockets of poor people than encouraging them to read.
I feel like it's some sort of heresy to speak out against the library, but if the library is going to discriminate against poor people instead of serving them, then they must be exposed and they must be stopped. I would like to see their funding frozen, if not reduced, until there is a public inquiry about how many other poor people in Berkeley feel they have been alienated from this service. If anyone has a suggestion on how to do this, please share.
After three decades this building still gives me goosebumps.
It is a magnificent building full of amazing resources and people. Yes, it's Berkeley and adventures may ensue, but it is worth it. From the Friends of the Library shop and the Children's room to the DVD collection and History room---the main library is full of treasures.
Even my dad who reviews his property taxes line by line for Berkeley's special assessments doesn't grump about Berkeley Public.
Really accessible from public transportation, including BART and my favorite AC Transit's 51.
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Now that I'm done with school and actually have time to read for fun again, I've been trying my best to finally take advantage of all the wonders the library has to offer. My friends have even started to make fun of me for my new obsession - apparently becoming a fan of the Berkeley Public Library on Facebook is a little dorky or something...
I'm also a big fan of being able to get things done while my lazy ass lies around at home in pajamas all day, so I'm therefore incredibly pleased with the online book request and renewal system. The librarians are helpful and nice and the building is clean and well-lit with tons of good places to sit and read.
I took one star away for the frequent lack of available computers - I've been there several times now where all the computers are booked up for the next hour or two, but I suppose that I can't really complain too much since it's a completely free service.
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I love that this place is near my apartment. I never knew renting books could be so fun and not such a pain the butt.
They make things easier by having an online account access where you can look up books online and request them to hold them for you. What's even better is that if the book is at another location they'll send it to the one nearest you. Then you'll get a nifty little email telling you your book is ready for pick up.
If the book isn't available they put you on a waiting list for however long you choose to wait, and will notify you when it's your turn to check it out.
You can do renewals online which is also handy. I like online. I need a life.... and friends.
I also like the self-checkout which was a completely new concept to me.
They've also done some security features to the children's section. Back when I was tutoring a kid I tried taking a back elevator up only to find that it didn't stop at that floor. The security guard explained it was to help prevent missing children, as there's only one elevator that services the floor that's near the main stair case... so you can keep an eye on them more easily. I'm sure if I had kids I'd be ultra grateful for that.
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Love this library. From its location, its architecture, its DVD collection and its awesome 5th floor, the Public Library is one of my favorite places in Berkeley. Sure, sometimes it smells like urine - but that's to be expected of a public arena located on Shattuck. You get a great sense of Berkeley in this library, as so many of its interesting locals are loyal patrons.
Also, the online system is super easy to use and incredibly convenient.
Miss you, Public Library!
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This place is amazing..... The wonderful world of free books, magazines, and media is yours for the taking here. Unfortunately it is a very popular place.
Hipsters, hippies, druggies, homeless, students, stinky people, and regular people come here in droves and why shouldn't they? This place is for the masses. Thank you Andrew Carnegie, thank you Berkeley, you rock !
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I love this place.
The selection is wonderful and extensive. They always have what I want--from Harry Potter audio recordings, to the latest knitting book. Plus, I just found the DVD collection. Free DVD rentals? For a week? I don't know any video store that does that.
You just can't get any better than the public library, period.
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Thank god for the existence of public libraries. I like this one particularly because of its multi-floor collections and the self checkout kiosks. I can also request and hold books online. They will email me when my book has arrived. I'm having my fingers crossed that the recession won't force the library close more days.
I totally heart this library!!! Although one time I had a movie on hold and I went to pick it up at 5:55 pm and the security guard told me that it was too late... they were closed. She was ushering people out of the library and I just wanted to pick my movie off of the hold shelf and self-check it out -- but no dice.
I can understand, I work at a library too and I know what it takes to get people out... but still I was a little upset because it was the Cohen Brothers' "No Country for Old Men" that I had on hold for three months!!!
But I really do love this library. It's beautiful and comforting. And if they don't have the movie/book you want, put it on hold on-line because that's the only way you're going to get it!!
I heart this library though! xoxoxo
Overheard conversation while waiting in line at Berkeley Public:
Patron: I have a hold on a book but it's not available yet.
Librarian: Well sir, I can tell you the date it's due.
Patron: The date is already passed and the other person hasn't returned it. (starts wagging finger at librarian) I am getting very frustrated.
Librarian: Sir, we send letters to patrons who haven't returned books on time.
Patron: Yes, but you should be able to do more.
Librarian: Maybe you should talk to the Director...
Um, did he want the librarian to go knock on the door of the guy who has a book?? Did he forget that this is a FREE service???
I don't hang out at Berkeley Public much because I luckily have an ex boyfriend turned friend/personal librarian. But when i do stop in I find the staff to be helpful, and as you can see from the above conversation, patient.
It's a cool building and they have free wi-fi. So our taxes are going somewhere after all. Support your public libraries folks, I think we sometimes forget how lucky we are to have this service.
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-This is a public health advisory from Joe citizen-
This branch has over 50 or more toxic low watt UV lights in the library and thats just on one floor.
Uv lights contain a small amount of mercury fillament. A simple search on the inet can find articles on the hazards of uv low watt lights. With lcd and led technologies being around for so long uv lights really dont have a place in society as they also pollute land fills if not disposed of properly.
The energy output feels to some as mildy irritating, cooking and or debilitating over a period of time. If you must visit this branch , short visits are reccomended. The uv manfacturer isnt telling you this, the state or library branch will not, so joe citizen will.
I love the Berkeley library system!
Why? Because it's all online. I can browse the catalog online, put a hold on any item I want and ask them to send it to my local branch. That's right, if I don't want to bike 5 extra blocks to the branch it's currently at, they will send it over to my local branch for me! Once it's arrived, they email me a "courtesy notice" so that I know it's ready and I have a week to go pick it up.
Then, they send me an email a week before it's due to remind me. And, if I choose, I can renew it online. 2 times even.
You can also suggest something you'd like them to purchase while you're on their website.
Plus, you can return any item (other than the tools from the wonderful tool lending library) to any branch.
What service!
And, for the first time in my life, I don't return my library books late!
It is just dangerous to have this place a block away from my office--it's too easy to slip over here during the afternoon doldrums. As a person who cannot walk out of a bookstore without toting some impulse buy, the public library has saved me much cash and shelf space over the years. I also appreciate their very functional website that allows you to search for books, request them from any branch, and get in line for popular recent releases. The wait can be long, but then six months later you get an email alert that your book is waiting for you. Happy surprise!
It's hard to subtract a star from a high-quality public service, but I've been frustrated a few too many times that they don't carry particular books. Still, mad props, BPL.
As a little boy they used to walk us kids up to the main library and force us to check out books. It was to teach us respect for books, a sense of responsibility and a love for the written word. Inspire our imagination.
The looked like a grand castle to the elementary school me, the library, the YMCA and JC Pennies towering up into the sky in their great gray stone glory. Once through the grans entrance it was a labyrinth of metal book shelves reaching up into ceilings. The secret entrance up the yellow metal staircase was hidden back behind the labyrinth, more than being taken to the library I felt like we were being inducted into a secret society of readers. It was a perfect combination of quality books, great staff and almost cathedral esk awe inspiring look and feel.I cant imagine a better library to inspire a child in regards to reading.
That being said, I was hopeless. Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe as my reading tutors probably could have done no good for me. By 2nd grade letters had only one good purpose in my eyes - as math variables. Also by 2nd grade I was already sneaking off from the reading groups to go look at the playboy mags they had which the pictures removed... I still knew what was supposed to be there and that was good enough for me.
And checking out books.... lordy, lordy, why did they make me check out more books when I was only going to lose them. I lost book after book after book after book. That respect for the written word, garsh, I was a written word sociopathic killer. I think I slept walked my books into a pit in the back yard. Someday the library CSI unit is going to unearth years of tortured library books from my childhood home. WHY OH WHY did they make me check out more books?
Years and years later I went in to the Berkeley public library and tried to get a library card under, but I used my full real name rather then the nickname that my childhood account had been under... And still I was red flagged, they wanted to know if I was related to this other kid that still owed them a chunk of change from 15 years earlier. I pointed at a fake bird and bolted out the door - didn't even go check out the doctored nudy mags. At this point I think I will just will them my house when I die. And a map to where the books are hidden.
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This place is amazing. First of all, hats off to a wonderful staff!! I mean these peeps are really trying to improve this place. Take for example their website. The search ability and design is always improving. I have to compliment the team that does this. They are really trying to make the web user friendly.
But the building itself is really well kept and clean. The ability to use inter-library transfers to get books is phenomenal and makes it worth the visit. What is inter-library transfer? It's when you want a book that another branch or library in the state has it and you can borrow it. Its called Link Plus. And it is a life saver.
A visit here is really great the reading room (not the bathroom) is really well done and very comfortable. Use of the PCs is easy and not at all frowned upon.
Highly recommend this place...
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Excellent libraries. Free WiFI and all sorts of extras like the Link+ system that allows you to get materials from other libraries. I like their system that allows you to checkout audiobooks electronically over the internet.
*disclaimer! I am a librarian, so all libraries will likely receive 5 stars from me. Naturally, I love them on principle. Support your local library!!!!*
Beautiful renovated reading room. Just like how a library should be with grand ceilings, little reading lamps, and large wooden tables.
Sadly, I rarely use the library as a building but I often order books to borrow online and then pick them up--a great free service! They have a lot of great online resources too for library card holders wishing to find articles and other information from the comfort of their own homes.
I tend to borrow a lot of literature, but other useful collections include crafts, cooking, and music. Fun to browse current magazines, too.
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Free wireless, air conditioning, clean, lots of work areas with power outlets for laptops. Floors 3 and 5 are good for working. Take the stairs, it's a nice view.
Beware the men's bathroom on the top floor. Some people like to use it as a bath... the kind where you wet paper towels, wipe yourself down, and fill the bathroom with your week-old stench. :(
I've worked in downtown Berkeley for about a year and for some stupid reason, never ventured down to the library despite it being a few blocks away. WHAT AN IDIOT I AM. This library is a gorgeous and modern and filled to the rafters with books. I found the stacks easy to navigate and well lit. The selection is enormous with a ton of videos, DVDs and other things to check out. The staff is helpful and there's a ton of catalog computers to use. Check out is automated and completely easy to use.
Am I the only one that misses those old library catalog drawers? Boo.
Anyway, there's free internet terminals at the Central location. There's a 15 minute limit for usage and, of course, a line.
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Great kids' section, but this library's insistence on forcing us to use the automated checkout machine is making me love the Oakland library so much more.
I freaking hate checking out my own CDs, sticking them into that weird little meatgrinder thing ... arrghhh
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Change my mind.
Some dishonest fuck, is responsible for fines of a 'lost or unreturned' dvd that i have to pay.
FUCK THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i will not be held accountable for someone else's dishonesty or incompetence!
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After being spoiled by the Santa Clara public library (which must have been built by silicon valley gazillionaires who felt they needed to give back - how did that place get the funds to be so posh?) the Berkeley public library falls a little short. It is in a very stately looking building, a sizeable two floors, and has a nice selection of nonfiction books. The second floor is particularly appealing for quite studying/reading.
My biggest complaint is that if you have ten books you want to read, 9 of them are checked out, with 87 holds placed on them by voracious berkeley readers. You gotta practice patience and have wide ranging reading habits to remain sustained by this place.
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Berkeley Public Library recently implemented Link+, which is a union of library catalogues. Let's say I can't find a particular book at BPL - I can look it up in the Link+ catalog and if another library has it, I can request it to be delivered free of charge! BPL patrons now have access to SF State, San Jose State, and St. Mary's library collections, just to name a few. It's amazing! I recently requested four books and they were delivered in less than a week. (The only catch is that you have to be super careful not to lose or late-return these books - the late and replacement fees are very steep.)
As for the rest of the library: the historic reading room is beautiful, the new check-out machines, though somewhat temperamental, make it faster to check out, and the Art & Music room (fifth floor) is fun to browse.
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A great place to go for all of your reading needs. The staff is courteous and friendly. The building itself (bathrooms included because at other libraries like in SF they're disgusting) is clean and items are easy to find.
You can even check out magazines, cds, dvds, vhs tapes, and for Berkeley residents-tools.
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I love this library. This is where I would go to get my homework done when I was in high school and it's where I go now to get my law school applications done online. The only problem is that they are open such short hours on Sunday!
Some of the people that wander in off the street are a bit strange. They can be a bit strange. Or smell. But luckily it is ventilated. I like the new renovations that they did to the place. It's more open. And the heating works much better than at my house. It's quiet for the most part except when people talk on their cell phones. And they have free internet!!!
The thing that sucks, and it's no fault of the BPL, is that the places to eat around here are terrible. If it were not for the fact that I'm hauling ass to finish my law school aps, I wouldn't even bother going to eat around here. But since I'm stuck here from open until close, I'm forced to walk around and decide which place would upset my stomach the least. Which is why I've written so many reviews for restaurants in the downtown area.
When I lived in Oakland, I always looked forward to coming into Berkeley on Saturdays, for a day of fun and leisure. It was always my refuge, from the squalor of Oakland. Though Berkeley does have it's problems, it's still leaps and bounds ahead of Oakland, regarding quality-of-life issues.
The Berkeley Central library, is one of the best things about their downtown area. It's located in close proximity to all of the stores, shops, and eateries in the area. It's also a short walk from the library, to the wonderful Berkeley Saturday Farmer's Market.
The inside of the Berkeley library is clean, with a curious mix of old and new decor. I love the fact that patrons can purchase used books, for only a quarter on the second floor. Can't beat that price! The Friends of the Library store on the first floor, also has great bargains on used books, tapes, DVDs, CDS, etc. This library also has plenty of interesting events, including free movies every week.
Access to computers, is a boon to patrons who come here. You can reserve their computers, for an hour a day. If you have your own laptop, you can bring it with you, and access the Berkeley library's free wireless network. The wireless reception there is great.
There are some drawbacks to this library, which is why I gave it four stars instead of five. For one thing, they frequently make mistakes with regards to patrons records. I've had to pay fines on books that I knew I'd returned on time, but were shown as being overdue, because of errors in their tracking system. They have a large selection of CDs. But most of the ones I wanted, always seemed to be checked-out, or missing. And, there are occassions when you might get hassled by weirdos, who hang-out at this library. Unfortunately, the library security guards can't, or won't, control their behavior.
Overall though, the Berkeley library does have much to offer their patrons, and I'd recommend it.
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Well, first of all, let me just state that I am a huge fan of public libraries and this one is exceptional! The building itself has been well designed with many nods to the former structure & some amazing architectural nuances in this modern iteration. I especially like the way the different floors have very specific types of information. The Children's floor has an outstanding amount of books, magazine, videos, DVDs. The librarians are unfailingly helpful. I wish they would enforce a quieter atmosphere (you know, for kids who like to read or do homework...). This seems to have gone the way of the Dodo...(for the full tirade on this particular issue, please see my other library reviews!)...
I really want to commend the staff who put together the historical & photographic displays. My favorite exhibition so far has been seeing what sort of crafty business the library staff gets up to in non-work hours! Just the cool knitting projects alone certainly inspired me! I like the magazine room with rows of tables and incredible natural light filtering in. The guards on the main floor seem a bit over the top...but, I guess in this time we live in & with the volatile nature of some of Berkeley's dispossessed, this is probably necessary.
I really try not to come to this branch much tho' since the parking is miserable nearby, the ticket metering is Nazi-like, and the gauntlet of homeless with shopping carts, smelly dogs, and general funk make this less than my number one choice. I might also add that the very loud teenagers from Berkeley High who do not seem to have any structure on any given afternoon have made this place a morning-only stop for me. Did I mention how much I wish librarians had the authority to tell loud-mouth individuals to either "Be Quiet" or "Please Leave"??? For these reasons I really cannot give 5 stars, and honestly, if it were not for the stellar librarians themselves, I could easily drop this down another star. In a time when schools, health care & every other service that helps to foster a sense of humanity, are on the financial chopping block, I have to be as generous as possible to our public libraries. In this case, I truly believe we must "use them or lose them", and I would kindly ask that those who choose to frequent them? Please be courteous to others and realize we are there to read or do something quietly, not hear your cell-phone chatter, your I-pod business or your day-to-day minutiae at a stage whisper! Thanks, and keep reading!
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I love this place. Great selection of books and music. The movie selection could be better, but hey, I don't come here for the movies. The librarians are SUPER helpful and knowledgeable as well, even if you have rather eccentric requests.
The website is great, too. You can put books on hold, reserve a computer, or even renew things after their past due date! That last one's saved my butt a few times.
I wish the hours were better, but alas, what can you do? Budget cuts.
The staff has always been helpful here --sometimes giving me more info than I need, but that's a plus. While this isn't the biggest library around, they have a good selection of contemporary lit and DVD movies.
I would appreciate a better selection on art history. I couldn't find some of Gombrich's most essential works.
Other than that, it's tops with me.
Please believe I am quite aware how much off an asshole I sound putting down a library, of all places. Maybe it'll go over better if I throw in a cute literary-flavored adage to cushion the blow, something to the tune of not judging a book by its cover:
Though the Berkeley library is beautiful on the outside, and spacious and marble-y on the inside as well, I mainly go to a library for one reason -- books. And personally, I've found Berkeley's selection to be pretty disappointing. Whenever I peruse the selection of new fiction, all I seem to see are random, not particularly interesting novels. And then there'll be an insane 50 person waitlist for a book that I do want, and only one or two copies of it to go around. This is sad to me, because A. obviously books are my only friends, and my life is painfully lacking in excitement (see my previous library review. oh yes, there's more than one.) and B. i refuse to believe that there are fewer literate, library going people in berkeley than westwood, ca, (LA, that is), yet the westwood library selection is remarkably superior to berkeley's. what up?
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This is a good library but something about it depresses me. For one thing, being in Berkeley makes it a haven for homeless people who are often mentally ill or just downright creepy. The stacks are hopelessly gloomy and dark. A friend of mine was hit by drops of cum from the floor above her (no, I'm not joking). I do have good memories of going there with my mother when I was very young, and working there in my first job when I was in high school (for a whopping $2/hour). My job was typing "pockets and cards" (back in the days when library books had such things) for children's books.
8/7/2007 update: What a shock to go into this library and see how much it's changed from re-modeling. It is unrecognizable from the library I remember from my childhood and beyond. This library remained unchanged for decades, but it's modernized and beautiful now.
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I'm so lucky to live just blocks from this amazing resource. I love ordering books online and being able to bike up to get them when they come in. And now they have wifi! Not to mention the library staff -- I've never seen anyone working here who has failed to be polite, kind and helpful. Berkeley, you do your library right!
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I love this library. It's gigantic, clean, and well-lit. It's a great place to hide for hours and pore over cookbooks, language tapes, study, or search for your newest bibliophilic obssession. And, you can scan your own books out... Wait, there's this machine that seems to be *under* the marble tabletops... You just set your books on top of it and it just .... reads them, magically... no barcode, no scanner... you can even do three at a time. Ooooh, technology. I always wonder if my boss would find it funny if I dragged her here and set my head down on the countertop, waited for the beep, and then said, "See? I'm checked out until Aug 10. Not available for patron use." Probably not.
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I am so happy they have wireless internet now. I love what everyone else has written about them, the staff truly are great and the main library is beautiful.
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My first impression was from the outside staring at the building. I couldn't help thinking "wow" over and over again. A graceful art-deco building built when people felt that public buildings should be attractive and something worth looking at. The insides is modern and efficient with 5 stories of books, music, and movies on it. One small thing I enjoyed was the comment wall where patrons could ask questions or make comments on what they liked or disliked about the library. Some of the comments were funny but what was even better was some of the responses from the staff! Easily worth a few chuckles.
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Am I the only one who fondly remembers and frankly prefered the old Central Branch building? Talk about fantastic! Full of dark, polished wood, a grand entryway with the stacks soaring overhead... people bustling about, the central tables on the Shattuck side... It was marvelous. I am not a fan of the 1 bookdrop and the practically underground entrance of the newer redesign. That said, I do adore the public library system, particularly the Hold feature, and my personal favorite branch, North. The North Branch is pretty small (I'd read all the YA books by the time I was about 14), but it's beautiful. Though the selection could definitely be better, the library system is pretty good about purchasing suggested books, and keeping even the most requested ones in good reading order.
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I love the modern libraries. Each floor has its own ambience. I think my favorite is the top floor where all the CDs and art books and folios are stored. Very cool!
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