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Cambridge Public Library - Central Sq. Branch
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: Central Square
45 Pearl St
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 349-4010
45 Pearl St
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 349-4010
- Nearest Transit:
-
Central (Red)
7 reviews for Cambridge Public Library - Central Sq. Branch
I have a soft spot in my heart for public libraries. I have fond memories from childhood of checking out stacks of books and CDs with family and making bimonthly treks to return them and checking out more. I discovered Gershwin and jazz during the explorations. Needless to say I've been a public library patron for many years even before the recession and am glad there is one close to my apt.
It's an old, dark place. I haven't had time to peruse the stacks often, but I frequently use their online catalog system to search for books and put them on hold for delivery from across the Minuteman network for pick up at this location. It usually takes about a week. I did see travel guides there last time I had to wander so I'm totally coming back for book for my upcoming trip to London. They also have CDs and DVDs, which one day I will find time to browse. They host public classes and workshops and I see ads for community events all the time.
The people are really nice and it is open M - Sat. It's the closest library to me and currently has longer hours because the main Cambridge library is closed or something.
People thought this was:
- Useful (2)
- Cool (2)
The library is small. They have books, magazines, audio tapes, cds, dvds, vhs etc... They also have computers. You can use the computer for an hour and there is also a 20 minute computer available. If you are disabled the 20 minutes is bad because the chair is too high. They also have a computer room downstairs. The line is really long for computers. They unfortunately have a lot of homeless people. Central Square will I guess never change. What are all the mayors of Cambridge have done? Nothing. I am not asking the governor to do the job of getting rid of homelessness into a city or others, but at least the mayor and city councilors should do something instead of doing completely nothing. Back to the review the staff is nice and mixed. Upstairs there is a children's room. Check out my reviews of other libraries. The Copley Library in Boston and the Park Hill library in Roxbury . Truereview here to tell you the truth.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
I have said it before that I love libraries...i love the smell of the old books, the quietness, and of course the librarians...
the central sq. branch of the Cambridge public library is a decent library. It doesn't really smell very good, perhaps it is from the multitudes of homeless people that frequent it, but I gotta give em props for going to the library right?
anyway... what i really like about this library are the people/librarians that work at the front desk, especially the woman with the short brownish-blond hair. In my experience, they are always friendly even though they are always busy. I usually just pick up books and Cd's that i have requested and do not look around the library often, cause you know it smells weird, but I will continue to go to this library regardless of all that.
People thought this was:
- Useful (4)
- Funny (3)
- Cool (3)
This is a favorite haunt of mine even though the building is ugly as sin and it doesn't have a very large collection of books. It's location smack in the middle of Central Square is what draws me here--when I feel the need to rest for awhile in the middle of the day without spending money, or need to use the computer. I love that they always have tons of flyers up for community events and the people who work here are friendly. And, while I don't often find the book I've come for I usually pick up something else.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
Maybe it's because I work in a different public library and am used to an interesting assortment of people hanging around but I haven't noticed that there are any more homeless people here than at any other library, especially in such an urban environment. At any rate, it is a rather small library but it's just a branch and since they are part of such a large library network, you can get pretty much anything sent there to pick up. I kind of like the 70s/80s feel inside the building. It reminds me of being a kid and going to the library with my mom in Schnectady, NY.
sorry. this library is very poor. maybe people are nice. i wouldnt know. there were a fair few homeless people inside which is perfectly fine since it is warm and its a public place but.. it smells pretty awful and they often have very loud conversations about the vietnam war :(
they do have computers for people to use though.
People thought this was:
- Useful (1)
- Funny (2)
- Cool (2)
This library reminds me of TJ Maxx. It's small, dirty, and at first glance doesn't seem to have much of a selection. But when you go there several times a week like I do, you discover the hidden gems like the DVDs of Extras and the new cookbook that you've been looking for. The selection does leave something to be desired- if you are looking for a particular book, rather than just browsing for cool stuff, you have about a 45% chance that they will actually own it (75% if it's a children's book). However, this is what the Minuteman library system is for! You can get online and request pretty much any book you want, and get it delivered to Central Square (NB- this is true of all the libraries in the Minuteman system, which includes most of the suburban libraries including Brookline, Somerville, Newton, Watertown, Wayland, etc.)
The DVD selection is pretty good; I think it's gotten better in the last year, including more TV show boxed sets. It will be pretty picked over if you go on a Friday, and then you'll be stuck with the Masterpiece Theatre that you have never heard of (because the ones you have are all checked out) and Lethal Weapon 2. Again, if you're looking for something special, they probably won't have it, but you may find a surprise gem instead.
The children's department is upstairs, which is nice for a couple of reasons. It's not as attractive to the stranger elements that frequent this library, so your kid will probably be okay if he or she is out of your line of sight for 15 seconds. Also, for those of you who don't like kids, it means they're not running around the main part of the library. The downside is that even when the library is open until 9 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the children's section closes early (at 6, I think). So if you're stopping in after work, hoping to reread some of your favorite childhood classics, you will be SOL. The library closes on Saturdays during the summer, which is kind of a drag, but come October, they'll be open again for at least one weekend day.
The staff is really friendly, nice, and helpful. I think they genuinely like working there. For those of you who haven't been to this particular branch, they get some colorful (and smelly) people there. Sometimes they're content to hang out on the internet computers looking at pictures of girls in bikinis, but sometimes they hassle the staff. The staff seems really patient, and I've never seen them lose it or even get snippy with anyone. If you are looking for a quiet place to do work, I would skip this place and head instead to one of the libraries at MIT (you don't need an MIT card to get into them). Because it's small, it's crowded, and there's also the homeless/smell factor.
This library is also very conveniently located- just a couple of blocks from the Central Square T stop, and several bus lines run near it as well. It's much more convenient than the main Cambridge library, which is up near Inman (for now), so not close to a T stop.
People thought this was:
- Useful (3)
- Funny (2)
