A fantastic public library. Spacious, with a huge selection of books for adults, children and young…read moreadults as well as dvds, magazines and plenty more. The library is clean and welcoming with lots of tables and seating for reading. The staff is friendly and efficient. So grateful to have such an amazing public space in the area!

This is definitely the best library branch in Albany. The staff is nice and helpful and it's bright…read moreand clean here all the time. I feel safe at this library. I book the study rooms all the time.

Awesome large library with tons of programming! Loads available for everyone. Teens have their own…read moreroom. Littles have a whole play area, story time packs, scavenger hunts (an easy and harder level), coloring, puzzle areas (both for adults and younger kids), computers, activity booklets (one on anti-bullying another on Dr.Seuss atm). There is a conference room at the front where they host events, and have art displayed on the walls. There are loads of staff available to help and something for everyone. Truly a gem of a resource for the area and an easy place to spend two hours (or more)!

A fun, exciting, and vibrant library in Colonie, Albany County. Always a great resource to help the…read morecommunity.

Beautiful, expansive, in-depth museum (donations accepted)/library/tourist shop…read more In the main lobby is a HUGE history tourist shop that sells novels, snacks, post cards, souvenirs! Above is the main library and below (down a ramp) the New York State museum with exhibits on American indians, 9-11, the Dutch colonies and warfare/exploration in New York State. Since the only lonely review is from some dude who drove from Minneapolis to Albany, to get wifi (says a lot about internet in Minnesota).. I'll leave a short recap of this place. It's fun for all ages. The old museum exhibits were a thrill for my Grampa. He especially loved the re-enactments, stalls with goods for sale and glass encasements with history items; clothes, cannons, miniatures, maps. Awesome exhibits (rotated). Nifty, large (multi-leveled) library with benches to sit near windows. Brilliant place. Review: 5

This is a well placed and helpful State library with a decent amount of archives and genealogy…read moreinformation. Plus, it is quiet. Unfortunately, the wireless if week on the top levels and the parking is paid. I would return after 2PM when the lot is free.

Hello, former librarian here who loves libraries! I often try to seek out a library to visit when I…read moretravel. I noticed that this branch of the Troy Public Library was near the area I was exploring, so I walked in and was surprised at the historic building - it's very unique, but a bit crowded. I was greeted right away by friendly and smiling librarians - love that. I had fun looking at the new books section, and I did use the restroom (you need a key from the desk to access it). This library doesn't seem like a spot you could really hang out and work or read for hours, but it had a good selection of new books and a small children's area.

This building is beautiful, and there is a great history about it on the library's Wikipedia page…read more Unfortunately, the day I visited, some work has been going on outside, so the exterior isn't quite visible at the moment. But the interior is quite interesting, even better that it's a library! It might take a nice stroll through to get the lay of the land. Rest rooms might be a bottleneck, some of the ones on the upper floor are currently closed, and you need the key from the front desk to use the ones on the ground floor. I'm also very glad that this library is part of my local library system. As much as I enjoy going to the library in my town, I'd certainly make the trip over to Troy to read and do stuff here.

Beautiful designed library. A delight to wander the stacks and sit in the garden. Every detail…read morethought through and the furniture is integrated into the flora!

I love this library! It is conveniently on a bus line and the people are very friendly.read more

One of the best libraries in the area! The librarians all care so much and provide so many programs…read moreand such a welcoming clean environment for children! There is a beautiful community that frequently comes through here also. Thank you all for all you do!!!

I am an Albany resident who went to Miko Peled's recent presentation at Bethlehem Public Library. I…read moream stunned that the library was so conflicted before and after Peled's talk with the board considering canceling it. And then to hear that somehow the board is supposedly "sanctioning" "Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace" after the presentation. Have the board members heard of "gas lighting?"--where someone is blamed for what someone else does? The only outrageous behavior was by a group of women (this was their observed gender) who absolutely did not want to hear Peled's reasoned interpretation of what is frankly a vicious religious conflict that will never be allowed to end. Repeatedly they stood up and started shouting from the back of the room at Peled. There were library staff there--is there no "room use policy" to evict disruptors? Similarly, the only threatening action came from an anti-Peled man who said he "wanted to kill Palestinians." The cops were called on him, and no reason to call them for the quite docile "Bethlehem Neighbors for Peace" people who answered the anti-Peled women with "let him speak." And "Bethlehem Neighbors" is said to be under consideration for sanctioning? The authoritarian proscription by library staff of saying "From the river to the sea" is, sorry, ignorant authoritarianism. The next sentence is "Palestine will be free." It has nothing to do with ethnic cleansing of any group. This phrase has somehow been contorted into "anti-semitism"* and is thus something that "should not be said." *You do know that Arabs (whether Muslim, Alawite, Druse, Christian, Jewish etc.) are semites?--a designation since the 1800s of a language family. You also presumably know that "anti-zionism" is not "antisemitism?," and is is opposition to political control of an area by Jewish people--with the ultra-orthodox "anti-zionist" by their interpretation of religion. Have you noticed the ultra-orthodox men who join anti-zionist demonstrations? Do I have something "controversial" that I could speak about at the library? Yes, insights over a long career on the early evolution of life and all the evidence for "deep time" that is now quite quantitatively and precisely calculated. Now, I have had creationists shout their "beliefs" (a belief is not an observed fact) at several of my popular talks. I can only presume by my observation of the Peled talk that the library would not evict a "protester" under its "room policy" and would likely "sanction" me for any protest by anyone claiming to be hurt/threatened by reasoned free speech.

What a lovely library! Not the typical library from when I was a kid in NYC. This one has high…read moreceilings, lots of light and tons of space. Children's area is separate and colorful, the computer lab area seems to be well-kept and there are comfortable chairs here and there. Obviously, plenty of books to keep one occupied. Upon entering, it was comfortably air conditioned on a warm evening. Bathroom was cleaner than expected. Vibe was quiet-ish...but still noisier than libraries of my youth. Nobody was "sushing" anyone.

This review is for the "branch", not the county library system as a whole, and is relative to…read morepublic libraries in general. It's a medium-sized downtown branch and the flagship of the county library system, housed in a somewhat dreary and dated 1970s building that suffers from the nadir of institutional architecture. The new addition is supposed to open later this year and should make for a much nicer children's department and open up more space in front for adult readers. In the meantime the building is a bit depressing to linger in, and does not have a lot of the comforting aspects for the reader. The construction project has no doubt not helped. Free parking just next to the library, and it's in a neat downtown location across from city hall and catty-corner to the Jay walk. The collection is decent for a public library - not "downtown" quality, if you will, but as a very large library for a city this size and for a relatively small county, it's pretty nice. The county library system in general seems to function well (we've come from another part of the county so have some points of reference), and the staff are very nice and helpful. The collection does seem to be in need of sprucing up -- culling a number of older titles and adding new books more quickly. The computer facilities are below average, but they are entering the age of loaning e-books so I suspect this is a function of budget and not managerial foot-dragging. In any event it's a mixed bag with respect to ability to use the library for research as a whole. I'm a little torn as for rating this, since I can't quite give it five stars -- I've seen five-star public libraries and this is not one of them -- but in terms of patron service I think they're doing better than average for the country as a whole. Can you compare them to the brand new libraries in Saratoga County? Or do you compare it to the storefront library branches in the same county? Or to the smaller but swankier libraries in the towns in the same county system? I honestly don't know, but my sense is that the sheer (relative) size of the collection and the vigor with which it survives in a shrunken user base merits the fourth star. They're adding on: they're moving forward - full credit here where credit is due. For public institutions to actually expand in this day and age means there's something worth paying attention to about this place. That said, it is not a "destination" library, like, say, the Carnegie in Pittsburgh PA or the main branch in Berkeley CA, et alia - it's not the kind of library you'd go out of your way to visit if you were coming from out of town. It's an old armchair that's probably far more comfortable for its affable familiarity than it is for its design. Great to have for locals who can appreciate it. The attention of readers everywhere, however, should be drawn to the Whitney Book Corner, just down the street at 600 Union, which is the used bookstore operated by the Friends of the Schenectady County Library, which is really quite something and which we'll review separately now that there's a Yelp entry for it.

This is an amazing library with tons of resources for people of all ages and abilities! It was such…read morea fun welcoming experience! Loads of programming and activities for kids. A quiet playroom for younger ones, computers for older kiddos, a scavenger hunt, large fish tank, coloring pages. I mean there is so much for kids to do here! Easily spent two hours here without any kids (inc a 20 month old) getting bored and without sitting reading together (as crazy as that sounds lol). If my youngest didn't get tuckered out by the fun we easily could have stayed another 45 mins if we did pick books and snuggle up. The adult section had loads of meeting rooms, quiet nooks, large windows to sit by, and tons of variety to choose from. Video games, movies, music, and books of all sorts! Truly a gem to the area. We can't wait to come back.

Love this place & the renovation made it that much better. The kids area is great and they always…read morehave fun activities planned. I love that they have virtual author speakers, too, and have watched several of them.

Friendly staff. Parking available in the back. Good location. Pick up a good book and head on over…read moreto emack & bolios across the street.