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Boulder Public Library
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Thu. 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
13 reviews for Boulder Public Library
I've recently moved to Boulder and discovered the Boulder Public Library. A bibliophile's dream come true. Boulder's main branch has it all!
This library has a wonderfully curated gallery at its Canyon Blvd. entrance. An adorable li'l coffee shop is located above the creek. Seating alongside the windows to this serene view. A smart DVD selection and a neat audio collection to peruse. Friendly Librarians to answer questions re: placing a hold; their film and concert series or where the public restroom is located. You'll come across many corners to curl up in and read. And most importantly, you'll find yourself feeling much safer than you ever will in the Denver Public Library, where it seems to be the meeting place for sketchy characters.
Next time you're visiting Boulder, stop by the Boulder Public Library. The Library that is so much more than a Library.
I like this library a lot!
I look up books online, put a hold on them, and go pick them up, and repeat.
Most anything you need, lots of copies, materials in good condition and helpful staff! Building itself is updated enough and pleasant; location is central along Boulder creek and near Bway. Free parking for 3 hrs if using library.
Before I moved to Boulder, I had a library-related panic attack (because I'm a nerd). I thought, "This is a fairly small city, with lots of hippies, in the mountains... dear god, do these people read?!" I should have never worried. This library is pretty great, with an inter-library loan system you'll love.
The library staff is always helpful and the apple cider at the cafe is superb.
The reason it's getting 4 stars instead of 5 is twofold: (a) the wait to get a computer sometimes is ridiculous, especially if you just want to print something and (b) all the homeless people, who are clogging up the list to get on the computers. Seriously... do NOT enter the library through the glass dome-thing during the summer, the stench is overpowering.
This library is awesome! Friendly and accessible staff are ready to help you. They also have really fun events going on here all of the time! I love the fresh water fish aquarium as well!
The Boulder Public Library Branch is about as good as a small city library could be. It is perfectly situated in the middle of the city along the beautiful Boulder Creek trail with accessibility to the University Hill and Downtown districts. The outside is almost as wonderful as the inside. the various courtyards around the building and even directly on the creek. On a sunny day, you can see a diverse crowd around the main entrance.
The main entrance is phenomenal, great representation of contemporary architecture. Few people realize that it is supposed to represent the iconic Boulder Flatirons not far from the library. The layout is fantastic as well. They have strategically situated express Internet terminals at the entry, with an information desk to boot. Then you see the openness of the library's space. There are two floors for the building. The children's section is situated at the bottom, and following a grand spiralling staircase you reach the reference and periodicals. There is so much wonderful natural light available, and the flexibility of work spaces are a true delight on busy days.
If you follow the bridge over the creek to the older wing, you find a nice and affordable cafe. The other wing houses events and art installations.
As a CU student, I prefer to go to the public library. It is one of the community's greatest assets.
I just wanted to update and share a particularly awesome experience I had recently.
I had been looking for the first book in the comic series 'Dykes to Watch Out For' by Alison Bechdel for months, and every time I was in the library it was checked out, or on hold, or at another library - and for some reason I hadn't put a hold on it. Last week, I went into the library and the status message on the search said that it was 'Being Shelved'!
Super excited, and carrying the 2nd through 6th books of the series in my arms, I veritably galloped over to the customer service desk and shouted 'How do I get a hold of a book that's being shelved?!'
The librarian did not blink an eye at my inadvertently using my outdoor voice in the library, and asked me what my book was called. "DYKES TO WATCH OUT FOR!' I exclaimed in the exact same voice.
Not only did the librarian not blink an eye at my yelling 'Dykes' in a library, she also called down to the people who, I guess, do the shelving, and had them bring the book to the circulation desk for me. Not only did they do that, but they brought up the wrong book twice (since all the books have a slight variation on the same title, it's easy to mess up) and didn't even get ruffled when they had to keep going up and down the stairs looking for this tiny, ragged little comic book.
Still five stars, always five stars - even places with good service sometimes act like you're putting them out. BPL never does - this is but one example of many that I could have related where the librarians did everything in their power to help me find a runaway book.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/3/2009
Caveat: a library would have to be pretty awful for me not to give it five stars. As tough as I am… Read more »
The library is beautiful, has great staff, and provides fantastic entertainment to those on a budget.
A few complaints, but nothing you'll be surprised to hear:
- It's the main hangout for the homeless after the shelter has asked them to go out for the day. Don't be surprised if you're witness to drug deals. The smell is awful!!!
- Their magazine selection could use some vamping - get rid of the Santa Fean and Yoga Journal, please.
- People could really use some lessons in library etiquette. Turn off your cell phone, stop talking so loudly, and no... you can't skype in the library. It's a library not a telephone booth.
I love libraries and I have to say the Boulder Public Library was absolutely great. You could spend hours in there, not only reading books, but surfing the Internet, having a snack in the cafe or checking out the artwork that is throughout the library. It's laid out more like a museum than a library and I love that about it. Not only that, but never in my life have I seen a Rollerblader 'flying' their pet bird. Instead of walking their dog, they were flying there bird, out on the paths in front of the library. If I ever get to visit Boulder again, I'm going to hit up this place again. Super!!!
For a city of our size, the Boulder Public Library, and its many branches, is a point of pride. They've got a great selection and offer a large number of services. And the A&E programming is incredible.
They also have a really fun, quirky film series and are host to some of the showings of the Boulder International Film Festival.
The Boulder public library is located off of the Boulder Creek path, and is close to downtown and Pearl street. What all this means is great accessible location with ample parking lots on both sides. Looking for a place to park to go to the bars at night? Use these lots.
Two large buildings linked by a narrow hallway that acts like a bridge over the Boulder Creek Path, the Boulder Public Library is fairly big.
The architecture is actually quite nice on the south side, and the selection is good.
Naturally, as a public library, the BPL attracts all sorts of people, including the homeless, which is totally fine...except when they start looking at porn on the free computers.
But anyway, while this place may not be as interesting as the Denver Public Library, the Boulder Public Library really holds its own.
I have yet to search for something that BPL didn't have or couldn't get. A great library (aside from the crappy cafe inside, see: http://www.yelp.com/bi...) with free wifi, helpful staff, tons of books, DVDs, events, and a wonderful location.
The extra special bonus is that if you reserve a book that is not available, they will mail it to you at your home for a buck, so you don't have to go back and find more parking!
Awesome. Many hours spent here sipping hot moca's, studying for PA school, watching the water pass by underneath the cafe. Great during the middle of the week when it is snowing.
This library has most everything you need from internet access, quality books, selection, DVDs, etc. It's comfortable, there's lots of quiet places to sit and relax--even a real beaut' of a spot above the river looking down. Stay away from the cafe. My GF got a grilled cheese there for $7.50 that looked like astronaut food and came with 3.5 chips and a disgusting pickle. I was totally shocked at the production...seriously!
What I don't like about this place: right now, as I write this, a girl is sleeping next to me sprawled out on the desk snoring like a walrus; sometimes kids (and adults) play inane pong-era video games on public computers for HOURS; there's a huge population of bums in here (this doesn't really bother me, but the occasion where I saw one drying his package on the TurboDryer forced me to mention it); and people, generally, just talk a lot here and way too loud. 4 stars, though, and enjoy your tax money.
UPDATE (11/1/07): Ok, I've been studying for the GRE the last few weeks. Coffee shops are tough for that b/c of music and talking, etc. Naturally, as most would guess, the local library would be the most quiet and noise-free place to study for such a test. When I studied outside in the courtyard, no problem..People were quiet, respectful. Inside, that's a whole other story. 5 out of 10 times I went someone would sit in the carrel next to me and just snore...just snore away the afternoon. And, if it's not that, it's the at-home moms with poor boundaries running around with their kids who are acting like they just inhaled 4 bags of Fun Dip. It suffices to say that I got almost no solid studying done there..it was a totally crap place to study and I don't recommend it to anyone for that purpose..otherwise, books are good and the service is great..i dropping to 3 stars b/c books are only 1/2 the library function.