I did not expect to find the Farmington library as part of a larger town government complex. If I…read morewere a betting person, I'd blame the seventies. The outside of the building is very austere and gray. There is a fair amount of parking available, so watch out for pedestrians. The building itself is huge; there is a map in the lobby and it is helpful. The lobby has so much on its own - a used book sales area, movies, space to sit.... There used to be (if memory serves over several years) a coffee station but now holds maps for planning information. There is, off the lobby, also a whimsical duck statue. The Friends of the library do a book sale once a year. On the last day, it starts as a normal sale, and in the afternoon goes to $10 per bag you fill with books. There is a gap between those two sales, and a place to queue until the bag sale opens. You're not going to pull one over on the Friends and sneak in as the first part of the sale ends. You'll be asked to wait outside.

Definitely one of the nicer libraries I've been to. This was located near the Farmington high…read moreschool and town hall. This review is mainly for the children's section. The area was large and it's on the left side when you enter from the main entrance. There were two Librarian who were friendly. My toddler wanted to play with the trains set but you have to get the trains from them. After you're done, just return them to the librarians. They are also participating in the 1000 books before Kindergarten program like Simsbury library is doing. You read to your child and each milestone (ie. 100 books read), you get a free book. I think it's neat that they let you borrow bags of toys. There are computers with educational games for the kids. There is a storytime area that has a painting of a large dragon and puppets to play with. A play kitchen is also available to play with. Overall, a great spot to bring your toddlers and older kids, because there's a tween area too.

At this time in my life, I'm becoming somewhat of a library connoisseur. I usually go to the…read morechildren's section because they always have good play areas for kids. I even like read to my kids there sometimes (when they want to listen). The rest of the library is upstairs. Simsbury Public Library is definitely one of my favorites. Once you walk in, the childrens section is on the left side. The employees were very friendly. They have up to date technology, which is convenient! There is a kiosk you can check your books/items out with. Don't forget to download the Libby App, you can borrow audiobooks on there. Also, you can reserve items and they leave it in a lock box outside and you can pick it up after hours. The library is a great resource; they offer programs, services, computer access, museum passes, workshops, and career/business centers. I highly recommend it.

The Simsbury library childrens section staff are excellent. The library has daily programs for…read moreyoung children. The programs are fun and engaging for young children. I have been bringing my 22 month old here since he was 6 months old. Ms. Stephanie and Ms. Katie are very friendly and knowledgeable about children's books and activities. I feel so very fortunate to be able to bring my grandson here for all the great activities they have!! Thank you Simsbury library!

A small town library but it has everything you would need in a library!…read more Getting a library card was easy; just fill out a form and show them proof of residency and an ID. You have to live in the town to get a library card from there but you can use it throughout Connecticut. The Librarian was friendly and helpful. The library was clean and organized. There was a teen section as well as computers for your use. I went to the preschool/toddler section and it was a good size. They had tables with puzzles and a mini play kitchen area. It was nicely decorated with kid's artwork. My toddler had a good time! They also host a number of events such as story time for kids 1-3 years old. This is also across the street from Canton Intermediate school which is convenient.

I took a trip to the Simsbury Free Library (SFL) the other day, and it was a super interesting and…read moreunique place! Here's the scoop: SFL is located on Hopmeadow St. right in the heart of Simsbury. It's just down the street from the Simsbury Public Library, which is NOT affiliated with SFL. While the public library is run by the town, SFL is a non-profit that is not funded by the town. Parking is available nearby on the street, or there is a small lot on the right side of the building. One inside, you'll be greeted by the extremely friendly and helpful staff, who will take the time to show you around and tell you all about the history of the library. SFL is noted for its genealogical research resources, housing a robust collection of family surnames, histories, and genealogies, as well as CT town, county, and other New England state histories. They also have DAR lineage books and other hereditary journals. The employees and volunteers have created marriage, death, and obituary indexes for Simsbury. Ancestry.com Library edition is also available for use by patrons. On the Saturday's that they are open (2nd and 4th Saturday) they have a professional genealogist on site who will help you trace down your family history! Besides the genealogy resources, the SFL has a beautiful glass panel memorial dedicated to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. out in front of the building. I learned that MLK actually lived and worked in Simsbury for two summers when he was a teenager. A group of Simsbury High School students researched MLK's life while in Simsbury, and this later became the inspiration for the memorial. Lastly, there is a cool exhibit on William Phelps Eno, who was the original architect of traffic regulations and transportation engineering. He developed regulations like right-hand driving, one way streets, traffic lights, driver's licenses, vehicle registrations, and more! These are just a few of the cool and educational things you'll find at SFL. Make sure to check it out for yourself!

Not a patron, but I found myself in this library. It's tucked behind the busy roads of West…read moreHartford, and is pretty roomy. One side has a children's book, the other has a senior center, and adult books are everywhere. There are public restrooms as well by the entrance. Really well organized with lots of places to read or carrols to study in.

I used to frequent the library at Bishop's Corner around 2-3 times a week when I was in high…read moreschool. In the recent years, I haven't been as loyal. Occasionally I'll stop by when I have a book in mind that I'd like to check out. The Bishop's Corner Library is a branch of West Hartford Public Library. This is the smallest of the three libraries in town. Despite being small, there's everything here. A smaller library is so much easier to navigate. The books are well categorized, whether they're biographies, fiction or new releases. They have a quiet study area on the opposite end of the library from where the children's play area is. They have books for every child's interest. There's also computers that are marked by child's age. I stopped by the library for a specific book. It was in the new releases. It's actually a book that was released just a few months ago. And they had it at the library. You can check out with a librarian or at the self checkout. The checkout is very easy to use if you have your library card on hand. I have been going to this library for many years, I will continue to do so for many more.

BPL Atrium Library opened in August 2023 because the two libraries in Bloomfield closed for…read morerenovations in June 2023. (McMahon Wintonbury and Prosser). McMahon Wintonbury is slated to open in March 2025 and Prosser is slated to open in Summer 2025. The current temporary location is located on the Cigna campus in the former MetLife building. Don't make the same mistake as me and turn onto the wrong street, which is the location in the back of the building; it's the second street on the right. The parking lot was spacious and the building was large. Once you enter, there is a friendly library employee to the right that will give you a pass and open the gate for you. The lobby is huge with lots of natural light, tables, water fountain, and an escalator (there is an elevator too). Once you take the escalator to the second floor, the library is on the right. It's an open air library and it was spacious. It appears to be an old office with tons of cubicles too. We were greeted by a friendly librarian. The kids section was a decent size with plenty of books and toys. My kids loved the area. They also have the self checkout which is amazing and I wish my home library had it too. There was a box that prints out a story on a receipt paper, that was pretty awesome. This is a nice temporary location but I look forward to visiting the newly renovated libraries once they open.

Little Free Library is an organization based in Minnesota. LFLs are small public bookcases…read morethroughout the community with free books. The first one was built in 2009. There are approximately 150,000 in 115 countries. The goal is to take a book and donate a book. This forms community, expand access to books, and inspire readers. Ever since I start noticing these cute little libraries, I fell in love with them. They are such a great idea. I love books, reading, and the library, so something like this is inspiring and thoughtful. This LFL is located in Mills Pond Park in Canton, CT. It's right near the playground and picnic pavilion. The box is fairly new, installed in the summer of 2024. This was the work of Canton Public Library and Canton Parks and Recreation. The box is tan and green with a plaque on it stating the charter number, name, and the sponsor. "Books are uniquely portable magic." I concur.

This Little Free Library is located right at the entrance of the Rotary Boundless Playground. It is…read morered with a white roof and looks like it's seen better days; a little bit of the paint has faded. This doesn't take away from the importance of this little bookcase. There is a plaque on top that says, "Eagle Project of Gabe Clonts & BSA Troop 113, Feb. 2016 "My Little Free Library" Materials donated by Home Depot. The plaque at the bottom says LittleFreeLibrary.org Take a Book - Return a Book Charter # 58746 A Nonprofit Organization. The bookcase is usually filled with books when I visit. I think it's a great spot for it because of the foot traffic to the playground, dog park, outdoor theater, and trail. I think it needs a little bit of a touch up on the paint, other than that, it looks pretty decent for 8 years old. There are cold winters and hot summers here in New England; things get deteriorated fast with the weather. Overall, a great resource for the community!