Kent Library

Too much harass and employee misconducts rude and disinformation going on there! No cameras and not safe! Complaints continue and very interfering with patrons using computers!

Well yes some reviews do hit it on the head.... In this day and age people of all types are surrounding us. But this is a good place to use the computer, they have a great selection of books and DVSs, and for those of us who just mind our business and come for the amenities offered, it's a great helpful place.

Nice library that can be found in downtown Kent.

I came by here on a Tuesday around 1:15 pm. The place had a good amount of people but it wasn't crowded.

I liked that there is a small computer lab section available for those to use and there is also free WiFi here in case you want to surf the net with your phone, laptop, mobile devices, etc.

The main reason why I came in here was actually to use their internet. I just wanted to look up some things and sit down and relax for a while before getting on my way to Seattle.

Although fellow Yelpers complain about the homeless being a problem here, I did not see any on this visit.

Also the ladies' restroom was very nice and clean upon this visit.

I thought this was a library, but it seems like it's more of some sort of "community center."

Children screaming, people eating lunch, people talking at full volume in the "quiet zone," people playing cell phone games with the volume on...the noise just doesn't end!

If you can't afford to go to a café I guess this is where you're supposed to hang out now. For those of us that would like to study? Just stay home!

I love the Kent library! I love that they offer classes for the little ones and that they are a 2 minute walk from the sweet themes bakery lol...

Story time: I LOVE story time at the library... Fun nursery rhythms and my kid loves the shakers!! I made some at home but she doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as the libraries lol

Kaleidoscope Play & Learn: great concept and nice to have since it's free, but toys are never in their set station and some parents see this time as gossip time with their friends and aren't watching their kids.. Leaving a lot of misbehaved kids running around...

This is a nice library in downtown Kent that's unfortunately ruined by the large homeless population who take the place over. In other libraries that I've visited in Colorado and Arizona, the homeless never presented much of a problem because there were people willing to enforce the rules. Those who did cause problems were quickly dealt with by the staff or by library security guards.

However, the staff don't enforce the rules or library etiquette, which allows bad manners to ruin the atmosphere of the place. Each time I've visited, there's tables and chairs taken up by people who are very clearly sleeping. This is a very small library with not a ton of available space, and when you have half of the tables and chairs being used as beds it makes it hard to find a place to work. These aren't "once in a blue moon" occurrences and the people who do these things are regulars that I often see.

I wish the library staff would do a better job at solving these issues, or at least hiring a security guard who can do it for them because I honestly think it's driving people away from wanting to visit the library for legitimate purposes.

An extremely busy and somewhat noisy place- but gladly, well used. The downside is only that a lot of its traffic is about computer usage. If you're looking to get a computer, good luck. I just need books, never needed them.

I have found the staff to be more than accommodating and very knowledgeable. Also very helpful to me was how they've reorganized the children's books by color coded category first. I can find what I need for my preschoolers much faster now.

Yes there is the occasional homeless person, but most are only concerned with themselves & don't bother anyone. We are in a modern time with little public funding to help them, so, there you go. Your tax dollars, not at work.

My only annoyance is needing more parking. Some days lot is full.

This is a pretty decent library but not one that I would frequently visit. The decor is dated, pretty decent selection of books, very friendly staff, but noisy.

I came here with the intention to get tons of studying done but didn't accomplish that. Instead, I was easily distracted and absorbed into people watching. I would definitely echo what the fellow yelper Theresa said below. It does feel like a "community center." It seems very busy here with people pacing quickly around either looking for books, socializing, or looking for seating. There was this one couple fighting, another person just loitering around staring into space, and one fellow who was getting medical assistance by paramedics in front of the library. Hope he was ok.

In an earlier visit here, I sat at the quiet study tables behind the stack of books hoping to shield myself from the noise in the lobby. I was also trying to get some studying done but was distracted by the people who sat at and near my table. To be clear, I was very entertained by them albeit they were distracting. Some watched movies and played games on their phone, while others smelled like smoke or slept near by after they unloaded multiple plastic bags.

I'd say if you plan to visit this library, it's great to people watch and casually hang. Did I mention they have roughly 80 computers!? That's the most I've ever seen! Unfortunately, it's not such a great place to get much studying done.

This library is more like a transient meeting area than anything else. All around the library, people will do drugs, and go inside the library for the climate controls, bathrooms, and free entertainment. The parking here can be difficult to get to if you're trying to park at the library itself. Parking at the library and doing business elsewhere is both against the rules and generally unenforced, so park at your own risk.

Wow never new a library could be so grimy and ratchet like this one. But they do a good job with all the craziness here. I would never let my kid go here and study by themselves.