The Allen Public Library is AMAZING! It's modern, chic and clean. The air conditioning system was blowing cool air. The staff were friendly and helpful. There is plenty of seating on both levels. There is a vending machine and seats to eat your snacks. Plenty of restrooms. It's two levels and very organized. They have books for sale at great prices. They have desktop computers or laptops to use. They have scanners and copy machines. I had a great time wondering around. I did my own tour and signed myself up for a library card. It's been ages since I have been to a library to really use it. It's a refreshing change to get away from my house and work. They have rooms you can book to use. This is great for extra quietness. The concept is open and spacious with a variety of different styles of chairs. It's cozy and comfortable and very inviting. I will be very SOON! Plus there is plenty of parking. read more

See all

Very inviting and warm. Very nice atmosphere. Intelligent thoughtful staff. Easy to sign up for a new card. Many services available.

This is a nice public library with 2 stories! Feel free to take the stairs or elevator to the second floor. The one thing I loved about the library is a cute gardening section right next to the staircase (as of 4/24/26). There's a lot of cute gardening books and even a seed donation box. It's a clean environment overall and lots of books. There are some open areas that can be quite chatty so I would recommend being in a study room if you need to study. The seats are comfy overall and provide a nice relaxing spot! read more

See all

This library is so beautiful and well-organized! I love the lighting from all the windows along with the multiple level that allows for easy browsing and bright ambience. They have a variety of books, programming, and areas to relax and find a pocket of space. They also have computers, airy spaces, and clean facilities. The parking is ample. One thing to note is that on the way there, it can be hard to locate because a small road brings you to the library and there's quite a few trees around so it's nestled away from the highway. read more

See all

This library has deep community commitment and involvement. One of the routine offerings is free entertainment in the adjoining auditorium. Think high school size venue with great sound and lighting. The Director Tom Keener secures and host a broad spectrum of entertainment usually involving significant people. Speakers on history such as the JFK assassination to Celtic Music and everything in-between. Tonight was Wanda King. The daughter of the great bluesman Freddy King. She has put together a group of fantastic local blues players to present a retrospective on Texas bluesman and their songs. T-Bone Walker,Johnny Winter,Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert Collins songs all represented in a great show. Of course her father's songs were played with an extra helping of bluesy soul. Best part, this entertainment is always free. A Real rarity these days read more

See all

Our favorite place to hangout as a family. My kid enjoys the play area here and the story walk that's at the entrance. I love how there is book returns zone inside for kids with a stepper stool :) just too cute! My kid looked forward to do the returns. There is also a drive-thru for returns which I found extremely useful. The library also has activities for kids through the week, the details are on the website. Lovely place and well maintained! read more

Allen Public Library - Story walk in front of the library entrance - Libraries Near Me - Allen, Texas

I LOVE THE ALLEN PUBLIC LIBRARY!!! this library is so clean and well organized! also, the employees are all so sweet and eager to help out! one thing about this library i love is the bathrooms! i feel like i could spend all day in there! the atmosphere is so comfy and relaxing! i definitely recommend swinging by the allen public library! read more

Nice place to study- wish the hours were a bit longer, would be nice if it opened earlier in the morning. There are lots of seating options, but I think there needs to be more places with USB plug ins. It's a nice library that has been serving the community for a long time, and is nice to study in, especially in the Quiet Lounge. read more

It has been at least four years since I've been to the library. Long enough I had to renew my card which I did today. So I decided where is somewhere cool, quiet and relaxing to go and here's where I ended up. Very friendly people working here, go out of their way to assist. It's fun seeing kids excited about reading. Brought back memories of how much I enjoyed it as a kid way back in the day. You can check out music CDs and videos as well. And who can beat free?? read more

Allen Public Library - What's happening at the library - Libraries Near Me - Allen, Texas

See all

I've noticed that this place often closes early because their air conditioner isn't working. If you plan to visit, make sure to go early to avoid any inconvenience. It's a bit frustrating, but hopefully, they get it fixed soon! read more

Allen Public Library - Libraries Near Me - Allen, Texas

See all

I really like this library for several reasons. 1) Books!- I have loved the library since I was a little kid. 2) Snack bar- They have a snack bar with delicious chocolate chip cookies at Allen Public Library. 3) Magazine lounge- Cool points for the Magazine Lounge. 4) Customer service- Incredibly friendly and helpful staff upstairs. 5) Auditorium/Events- They host events in their auditorium. Earlier this year we went to a free Friday night concert to see Shelley Carroll Jazz Quartet and had a wonderful time. 6) Cookies!- The chocolate chip cookies!!! read more

See all

What a great place to go! And if you can't go in person you can reserve books/audiobooks online! All you need to do is download the Libby app to your phone and follow the instructions. If you live in Collin County you can get a card. Most useful card ever. It opens the door to increased knowledge! In person the wi-fi is like any place that you "hook-up" with and use their service. You'll need to log into and abide by their "rules". It's a tad slow but it does the job. The outside book depository could use an extension to make it user friendly. However, it's not a big deal since it would require remodeling. If you need to make returns you'll have to exit your car to access the return vault. They have study rooms upstairs. You can either take the elevator or the stairs to access this area. The adult book section is located upstairs. Once a month they host a "Ladies Night Out Book Club" and other activities. They have movies in the auditorium for the little ones every Tuesday at 2:00! They also have plenty of adult activities. You can learn the "ins and outs" of painting with watercolors at one of the many classes offered. In the rear parking lot they have bins for recycling. That's awesome. Specially for those that want to participate in saving the earth and don't have access to a bin. The people that work here are super sweet! They offer lots of assistance so ask if you need help! 2018/37 read more

See all

The Allen Public Library is an amazing spot with so many great amenities for the community! The website is super easy to check their catalog and put books on hold. Plus you can download an app and read or listen to audio books on your phone! This has been a lifesaver during covid. They have a great children's section and a story hour, computers, a great cafe, a lector hall that they have a lot of events in, and lots of cool classes. I took a cookie and cake decorating class once and it was so much fun and I learned a lot. They are taking lots of precautions with covid, you can do curbside pick up, and they have limited hour inside, and limited capacity enforced. Support your local library! Some people depend on these services, and we all benefit from the library. read more

Peaceful and quiet I love it. Kids area is perfectly organized and fun ! Love educational! read more

Allen Public Library - Allen Public Library - Libraries Near Me - Allen, Texas

See all

I've been coming to this library for years. It's a really nice library. I love the structure of it and the fact that it has a cafe right outside. What I DON'T LIKE is the noise level. I've been to the Plano and Richardson library. None of them are this loud. Screaming kids, parents and librarians who don't care to do anything about it. One time when I was here using the upstairs computer, there was one guy who was sitting at the computer across from me and his phone kept ringing. The ringing was so loud that I couldn't concentrate on what I was doing. So I complained to the upstairs librarian about it before leaving. I don't know if they took care of the problem but there were other persistent problems like the loud kids who I can hear all the way upstairs. I've put up with it all this time even though I shouldn't have to. But I may have to start making complaints to upper management about these noise level issues. I don't like to be that person but there are people who come here needing a quiet place to do their work and it seems that no one has any sort of respect for that. read more

The Allen Public Library is another reason I love living in Allen, TX. This library is a two story facility with a cafe, large Civic auditorium, children's section with a program room, teens section, group study rooms, reference and adult fiction and so much more. They are open Mon-Thurs 10am-9pm, Fri-Sat 10am-6pm and Sun 1pm-5pm. You can call in to reserve one of their study rooms 24hrs ahead and as a courtesy please let them know if you want to cancel. I started going to APL more often since 2016 when you my son turned 2 yrs old. I wanted to introduce him to the idea of reading even if it meant just looking at pictures in books. We have also been participating in the many children's programs APL offers throughout the school year and Summer. Our favorites include story time, family movies and their special events with various entertainers (magicians, zoo animals, comedians etc). More recently, I've been going to APL to study for an exam which I plan on taking soon. I usually call in a day ahead to book one of their private/group study rooms which gets booked up really fast. I've found it beneficial to study here since it allows me to fully concentrate without any distractions aka my kid lol. You can still hear people in the rooms next door but it's usually not too loud. So I love being a member of APL. The staff/librarians do a incredible job with helping locate books and hosting their children's activities/programs. Also, if you pay them a visit, checkout APL's beautiful outdoor garden. read more

See all

We love the Allen library. Compare to our old library in Cedar Park (North Austin) it is way bigger and well maintained and their inventory is impressive. The library has two stories. Upstairs is mainly for adults, with computers, study and meeting rooms. I like to venture up and look for books to read during my free time and I was always able to find something good to read! Their children's library has a very cute play area with many toys, comfortable seating area for adults and a very nice big fish tank. Our boys ages varies from 11 - 4 love looking for books and ask the librarian for good book recommendation. Thanks to her our 11 year old got hooked to Alan Gratz and started reading them all. I also appreciated that during summer they would provide fun craft activities for children to take home. They had activities for each age group from preschool up to teens. We definitely had lots of fun doing them . We also love their little garden outside and watch the bees and butterflies buzzing by and enjoying some little snack. There was recently a survey and that the library is about to go through some major renovation (which makes us excited) but also hope they won't close it for too long! read more

Great selection of books. Always fun kid crafts to keep the little ones occupied. The drive through pick up lane and the drive through return area are super convenient! read more

The library itself is nice. However, I have never ever heard of or experienced such a LOUD environment. It does have a quiet room but you don't get wifi very well and it's very small since people usually like having a desk to themselves. I'm appalled by the amount of SCREAMING kids and the librarians doing absolutely nothing about it. I sit next to fellow college students and I can see how difficult it is to focus and concentrate. What has happened to library standards?! Not only is it a physical safety concern that the children are RUNNING around for over 30 mins, it's also very distracting. So disappointing that the librarians don't establish rules to protect the kids, show discipline, and respect others in the library. Where else are we to go for concentration if not the library? Sometimes home environments don't allow this so please for the love of God, demand respect and good manners or you'll loose business. read more

I'm not gonna lie I have to agree with Shay. I've only been here twice. And both times it didn't seem pretty loud. I'm not from here so honestly it's more leniency than anything. But this most recent visit there were people talking as if it was Walmart and kids running passed the computers upstairs where I was working. And they don't really care. Part of me wants to assume that they don't want to offend anybody by asking them to calm their children. But dang. Why are they even there. Aside from that I give it three stars cause it honestly is one of the nicest library's around read more

See all

Fine spot but they don't do anything about noise. Normal to loud-volume conversation can be expected everywhere outside a single quiet room. This has been a problem for a while. read more

The library is so clean! I appreciate how they express no food and drink during story time. I haven't noticed anyone not following that rule. The room is large and the carpet is fun for kids. The story times have been engaging for my toddler. She seems excited to go to class and so happy during it. The play area has lots of toys, Legos table, puppet show stand with puppets, some costumes (fireman outfit) and kitchen. There's lots of tables near the windows for anyone who wants to read or read with their child/grandchild. There's always parking when we go too. My toddler especially loves the aquarium! read more

This is always my go-to favorite library. Not only do they have everything you need, the staff is also incredibly helpful and willing to go above and beyond to ensure you find what you're looking for. This library is such a valuable part of the community and is truly a hidden gem. I'm an old lady and don't have internet at home, let alone the Netflix nonsense. I still "rent" DVDs like the up-and-coming grandmother I am. There is such a massive selection of new and old DVDs here, as well as television series. I've even had DVDs put on request for me if someone else has it out. I just get an email notification when my DVD is in and I go pick it up. Easy peasy. There are plenty of study nooks all around. Head straight upstairs and you'll find your spot for the day. One of my favorite things about Allen library is the convenient online system. I can easily renew books/old lady DVDs online (they're good for three weeks at a time in most cases), so I don't have to come in. They send out email notifications when you're due, so you can quickly login and renew. I heard a rumor that they also have texting notifications, but again, because I mentally live in the 1700s, I don't have texting. If they could develop some sort of system where a homing pigeon delivers a note to my front door, that would be right up my alley. But I understand the logistics (and poop!) behind this would be a nightmare, so I'm happy with the email notifications. Plus! Allen library even hosts a ton of *FREE* events. Family friendly stuff too! Check out their calendar online or pick up a printed version right in the entry way. Oh and there is a cafe with tables, too, you just can't bring food inside the library itself. You can seriously spend the whole day here. read more

Disclaimer: This review is based solely on my experience at the Civic Auditorium inside of the Allen Public Library, and my concert experience therein. The library was hosting a Folk Music Festival, and one of my favorite local bands, Jiggernaut, was playing. Opening for them was Ryan Galloway, a one man band (and I do mean "band"; he uses technology to make himself into an ensemble), and he played some thoroughly enjoyable folk tunes, both bespoke and covers. Jiggernaut, ordinarily featuring Celtic rock music, cranked out some excellent folk tunes as well, and sounded fantastic. Overall, the space is expansive and the seating is comfortable. Lighting and temperature were just right, and the acoustics are great. Parking is available in the library parking lot, and the area is fully accessible for those who are impaired. It's definitely a great venue for small shows such as this, and I'll be sure to keep an eye out for other events there. read more

Fabulous service! Very detailed and customer oriented! They are always very quick to answer my questions!

We have enjoyed this library, staff, and programs for many years but it really needs to expand to accommodate the growth of the Allen area. It is probably one of the busiest libraries we visit. During the summer and school year, it seems packed...most likely due to all the wonderful children's programs it offers. We have also enjoyed adult programs, music and other cultural concerts in the auditorium. And, I can't forget to mention the awesome and delicious CAFE located on the main level. It is cleaverly named: Food for Thought. The sandwiches, muffins, and drinks are very yummy and priced well. In the world of technology and cellphones, the libraries have become quite the hub for families and adults to connect on intellectual and social levels. :) I appreciate the larger parking lot and cannot wait to see the expansions (fingers crossed.) Reading areas with more couches and more shelves filled with old and new adventures would really be fabulous. I would prefer to see less emphasis on having video games. What's the purpose? It just distracts from the experience. We go to the library to get away from the technological addictions. What would be great is to have STEAM/STEM kits instead! Those boxes fly off the shelves at Hagard Library (as well as other libraries we visit) in Plano. read more

Took my 1 and 2 yrs of age grandkids for story time and to play. Allen library and was highly disappointing compared to Wylie's Smith Library! Allen doesn't allow the children to play on computers there in the toddler section, nor do they have much to play with there. Pails in comparison to the Smith Public Library who has interactive toddler computers and so, so much more! GO TO SMITH LIBRARY IN WYLIE. read more

I have zero complaints about this Library. Being raised in Allen this was always my local study spot. I grew up and moved on to each part of this library. I get movies and books here. The ladies are really sweet here. Highly recommend you visit even to just see the ambiance and design of the building. read more

It is insane how loud the people are who WORK AT THIS LIBRARY. They are the loudest people in the entire building, talking about absolutely nothing. read more

My three kids who are now 9,7, and 5 have grown up in in this library. The kids and toddler programs are great and the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. The library is always clean and organized. This library is one the main reasons why Allen is such a great city to live in! read more

Wifi is filtered and some outbound ports are blocked. If you're a business user needing to connect to your office and use nonstandard ports, beware, you may not be able to connect. Frustrating! Library location and environment good though. Too bad the wifi was useless for me. read more

We were in the area and decided to check out this library because of great reviews on DFW child. We were disappointed...the children's area is sufficient but kind of cramped together. There's an area in the back of the children's area to play with different things such as puppets and blocks but it was overrun by children who's parents didn't seem to be in sight. The fish tank is pretty cool though ‍ read more

Really nice, clean library. My 2 year old loves using the self check out that is perfectly set up for his height. Wonderful viewing room near the kids corner. Love it! read more

One of my favorite town/ small city municipal libraries in the south. This library is very well-resourced with year-round youth activities and adult programming, a teen reading room, large kids library, theater and civic auditorium. Plenty of study space ans the cafe is a real gem as well. read more

Kids' selection is very limited. The Summer reading program is very sad, especially when compared to surrounding towns like Plano and Richardson. Librarians are rude and do their best to avoid helping you. Checkout and return system is outdated and slow. This library needs a complete overhaul. read more

I love this library because it's close to where I live. I don't come here often and when I do it's because I needed to concentrate and focus on what I'm doing. BUT it's so hard to do that when there are kids running around and screaming and the staff are not doing anything to keep down the noise. Just now there is this boy who is so noisy and this has been going on for the past 1 and 1/2 hours. WHY? Did anybody change library rules about not being noisy while inside? Please do something about this. read more

We just moved to Allen, and my boys enjoyed the library very much. They joined the library Summer Reading Program , and it was very rewarding. Thank you Allen Public Library and the Allen community. read more

I've just rediscovered the library, and I'm glad I did. I needed a place to study and do school work since I'm not productive at all at home. Can't believe I forgot the library existed! I used to visit all the time when I was a child, back when they had their old location. Here I am again, it's made a full circle! The library is spacious and has a wide variety of DVD's, cds, and books. However, I'm mainly there to study so I have a few concerns. My first is that it is loud. The child space should probably have a border wall or something, every time I come I hear loud screaming kids and the library people don't seem to care. Even some adults and teens don't seem to remember that it's a library, not a cafe to chit chat. I'm usually upstairs too, and it kind of echoes through out the building. My second concern, there needs to be more tables or cubicles available. There is plenty of space to add more and the library can get packed. Third concern which I don't think they can control too much, it would be amazing if they added more study rooms. I feel like they could convert some space into it since the library is so massive, but it probably won't happen. Other than that I love it ! read more

So this library is big. It's gorgeous. It appears clean and it seems organized. Staff is insanely nice. So why the 2 stars? The constant screams of children for the 20 minutes I was in there was just way too much to deal with. Screaming brats are everywhere right? Right. But I always assumed libraries were quiet. I've been to 4 libraries before (don't go often) and they're all extremely silent and pleasant. Do you guys not have a no screaming children policy? A take the loud mouths to a kids room area policy? I'll be sure to drive to McKinney if I need a library. Hoping theirs will be quiet when I need to study and take tests. I do not recommend this library, drive to McKinney or plano. It'll most likely be an actual QUIET library. read more

I love this library! It is beautifully maintained, and the kids' area is homey and welcoming. Libraries are changing, so they are not totally quiet anymore, although I find the upstairs areas to be more peaceful when I am reading or studying. I love seeing the next generation of bookworms check out books with their families. read more