This library doesn't seem to have changed since I was a wee one looking through children's books, a teenager coming to take a look at free magazines available, and even as an adult doing research for a class. The daily story times are engaging and fun, consistently packed and with staff that are full of energy, smiles and at the ready to clap and cheer for everyone! A great selection of books, especially for children and youth, taking up two floors! read more

Bellingham Public Library - Libraries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

I was amazed how easy it wad to use the Bellingham public library! It's easy to search books online and put hold on books if needed. Their self-checkout system is very simple to use. While the building (the downtown location) is old, the books are very well organized and kept clean. My only "complaint" is their hours on the weekend. They are only open from 1pm to 5pm on Sunday. Otherwise, "I Love My Library"! read more

This is a great library who will get you any book you want. Whether in house, through inter-library loan, or even purchasing it for you, I couldn't be happier with the access. They did a heck of a job through the pandemic. Great friendly staff!! And now, it's been beautifully renovated. The hours are shorter now, which is a bummer if you work 8 to 5, but you can always order your books online and pick them up. read more

This library is ok if you like to see a bunch of bums hanging out all outside. Not a friendly area whatsoever, and I sure as heck would never take my future kids here. There's trash everywhere, carts full of garbage, and a woman in her mid 20's who was swearing over a phone conversation. For the inside of the library it's ok. They do have a good selection of books. Otherwise it's definitely a mixed bag. Doesn't do well at approaching the public eye. Today was free book day which was a bonus, ironic if anything. read more

My children and I have enjoyed this library for about the last 16 years. When they were very young they loved the story times and learning to use the computers and searching out another book to read as they are both Avid readers. Jane and Judy in the former reference desk were amazing at finding me interlibrary loan books and audio CD's that were kind of hard to find. But now interlibrary loan request can be done online through the biblio website. With a library card you have access to the other materials on the website such as the Automotive Technical information which can be very helpful and just as good as the hardcover manuals that we used to use. Of course there's the free DVD rentals, the free audiobook downloads, the huge selection of magazines to borrow, one of my favorites was the Pimsleur Spanish lessons on CD. As I found the Pimsleur audio to be the best method for me for learning a language. The Bellingham Public Library main branch is a top-notch establishment with very knowledgeable, helpful and friendly staff. read more

Bellingham Public Library - Libraries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Stopped in today for the first time to get a reciprocal library card. This is a truly lovely library with a completely different floor for the children and an incredible Storytime/playroom. They have a table covered with paper so kids can just go crazy drawing and so many little spaces for little bits to make their own. They also have a child-sized coat rack. So, cute!! The children's area was well staffed and very clean. All the staff were wonderful. Very respectful to everyone they were speaking to. Their online resources were presented on business cards which were amazing! Something small enough to not be cumbersome but big enough to explain the what, why and how. The library sported an entire community events wall which was amazing and something I wish was possible at all libraries. There were many free books and magazines. Parking looked like it was pretty tricky. We were there early but I can see how it could get crazy. read more

What a great way to spend a lazy, Sunday afternoon. Find a book, a corner and read till the nice lady on the PA system says that you only have 15 minutes left to check out. Always a helping hand, friendly service, and the world at your fingertips with the many digital catalog computers on hand. Not finding it in the WCLS database? No worries. Request any book your heart may desire to read, and they will bend over backwards to either purchase the book for you, or find it in another library system. Want a book that may be at a different library within Whatcom county? Again, no worries. Just place the book on hold and they will call you when your requested book is in. Just don't forget to pick up the book within a week, or they'll charge you a "holding" fee. But, don't you worry, having a library fine will not keep you from checking out books (as long as it doesn't get too out of control ). They also offer free wifi, outlets to plug in your devices, and computers to which you can peruse the internet for a scheduled amount of time, a clean bathroom, and sometimes, if you get lucky enough, a nice chat with some of the locals. With this many options at your local library, why wouldn't you want to take advantage of a great resource? Read a book. read more

the staff is great except the security dude all he does is harassing people to the point of him kicking them out. There are no posts that say we can't eat. The library is amazing but gets boring...the place needs more technology and longer time on the computers. read more

The Bellingham Public Library is a gem. Free DVD rentals, free public Internet, free CDs, and all the free books you could want to check out! It's unfortunate that budget cuts have forced them to reduce hours (they are now closed on Sundays), because this place is always packed. read more

Bellingham Public Library - Bellingham Public Library - Libraries Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Decent library. Does very well given their budget (or lack of). Has good book sales. Has a "free book" section downstairs with donations and library discards. Grounds are nice. Kids area looks nice and is not mixed in with adults. Pros + and Cons - Books and other materials: + Decent selection and quantity for this size library. + Tend to be in good shape. + They mark various genres on the spine for easy spotting (see below). - Their discard practices are a bit poor. I've pick up the middle book of a series (ie #3 of 7) in their free book section, while the rest of the series is still on the shelves (yes the only copy of #3, in fair condition). If you want to read the series? Too bad. - The genre marking has been getting hit or miss last few years (budget I suppose). Makes it hard to spot books at a glance. - New book section is getting smaller and smaller, especially the non "mainstream" books. Public computers (I don't use them) and WIFI: + Has quite a few and WIFI too. + The scheduling system and printing seems to work well (as far as I can tell, folks look happy). + Seem to be decent level of computers, I see people doing fairly heavy stuff on them. + I haven't noticed much in the way of "questionable" things on the screens. It may be they were smart enough to put a few back by the "boring" section and the "privacy" seeking types are back there. Not a big deal to me, but good for parents. - They're always busy. Since I don't use them, not a big deal for me. (and I would just as soon they bought more books instead of CPUs) Building, grounds, layout: + I like the building. Decent light, floor space, enough windows, not too many windows. + Layout is very good. Staff area in the middle. Almost anywhere can be reached easily. + Grounds have decent landscaping, but don't need a great deal of care. - Building is older, I suspect harder to maintain. - Some of the nooks and crannies are both a bit narrow and (though the staff does a good job of "patrolling") attract the occasional nap seeking individual. Some are (I'm pretty sure) college students some are street folks. - The lawn gets pretty liquid in winter. Not mud, not flooded, but no good to walk on. Area: - / + Being downtown they do have a bit of a problem with folks who are not exactly what you want around the library. They have stayed on top of the problem (kudos) and it isn't that bad. Once again, having the kids section away from possible problem areas (main entrance, adult computers, etc.) is a definite plus for parents. Staff: +/- Seem to come in two flavors: Wise, calm, knowledgeable, mostly, but not all, older. Clueless, a bit nervous about dealing with folks (me for example) - I tend to think of them as fast food staff crossed with rabbits. I'd think perhaps I was scary, but if a 5 foot 45ish year old female can answer one question with a smile on one side of the library; the 20 something pair (1 male, 1 female) should not look like they want me tased answering a question on the other side 10 minutes later. I've seen it with other folks too, fairly often. I'm not sure what happens at the library, but Bellingham is not the south Bronx, so get a grip. All in all a good library. And a decent library system. read more

Been all over the US and most of the world and there whatcom library system is one of the best. I think the Bellingham branch is very clean and the staff very pleasant to speak to. Highly suggest you stop in to get a library card. read more

IANAB, or, for those who aren't up on recently-invented acronyms - I am not a bibliophile. Therefore, I ask this review be taken with a grain of bibliophilic salt. The library is easy to find, and accessible. The facility is older, though, well-maintained. The restrooms, on the lowest floor, are clean, and utilize hand dryers, in place of paper towels. Kudos, Bellingham Public Library. :) The collection's size is considerable, and diverse. The collection won't have every book you've ever wanted, but, more often than not, I find what I want. The computers are newer, and, from what I've observed, serve a great number of patrons. The check-out period is a couple weeks, which I appreciate. I don't appreciate being fined $0.50, for not picking up holds, before the expiration date. The long and short - the library's worth utilizing as a resource, and I recommend a visit. read more

We really enjoy this library as a family. From the kid-friendly section (that's segregated from the rest of the library to encourage kids to be kids without somebody looking down their nose) to the weekly movies in the summer to the free bin, it's a great place to spend a long Saturday. The meeting rooms are nice and spacious and host all sorts of activities, and the back lawn is a great place to run and burn off some energy when the 4 walls of the library seem too much for your little one. Highly recommend and adore. read more

I love public libraries. In a world of kindle, I love that I can still go and use the good old dewey decimal system to find a book. Libraries have a certain good old book smell to them, they have a great mix of people and helpful staff. The Bellingham Library is great. It is everything a library should be. read more

Services are good, location is great and centrally located across the street from other major public institutions like City Hall, County Courthouse & the museum. I wish there were more seating areas so patrons could browse books and sit down to read a little bit. Maybe more seating areas leads to loitering. Maybe there are seating areas in the basement or on the 2nd floor that I just haven't found yet. Regardless....this library has plenty of books, plenty of staff, wifi, online holds & email notifications, plenty of computers and a nice lawn behind it, so I'm a fan. read more

I love this library! It's very clean, the staff is friendly, and the selection of books and other items is huge! The lower part of the library contains a children's area, restrooms, small historic displays, and a free book section. Now I know where my donated books might be going to. It's very easy to search for, hold, and request items either online on in the library itself. I LOVE that I can check items out or renew in the library on my own. I've not once had to wait in line to check out. Also, I'm amazed at how quickly returned items are updated to your account. The returns worker is very quick and efficient. There are plenty of tables, chairs, and computers available for use within the building. There's also a very nice green area behind the library with benches. Perfect location for enjoying a book. I hate that one must pay to park at the library if it's before 5 PM on a weekend. I understand they can't weed out people who would take advantage of library parking only, but come on...luckily, if you're only trying to return items, there are some designated "drop off" parking spaces in front of the building. 15 minutes to return items. Nice as long as people don't take advantage and overstay their welcome. read more

The Bellingham Public Library is my second home. I love libraries in general, but this one is one of the tops. I understand there are more modern and fancy libraries, with high ceilings and expensive art, but there is charm at this library. There is a wide variety of music, a decent collection of graphic novels (which can be really hard to find), and a their self checkout can be very convenient! Downstairs there is a whole section of free books, and i always find something to take home with me. =) read more

This facility is upgrading some of their HVAC equipment. Looks like they're stepping it up a notch and using a new high-tech system that will bring the IAQ to new heights. read more

I love audio books. The library has a good selection of books on CD. They no longer have playaways which I loved for the convenience of placing the small player in your pocked and listening to your book with headphones wherever you went. I do like the "free magazine" bins in the basement. Yesterday I picked up recent editions of Smithsonian, Readers Digest, and some home décor magazines. After I read them I will take them back to the library. read more

One if the best children's libraries I have seen. The children's story and singing time was fantastic. It was free. It was better than most of the pay for private music classes I have been to! read more

Best library i have ever been to. Has a lot of things for kids to do. And mothers with babies so we don't feel left out.

This library tries hard with what they have. It's too hot in there, though. Really need to work on the air conditioning. Also I don't appreciate having to wade through all the bums and their stinky garbage to get inside. What is up with them congregating here? And sleeping on the damn lawn right by the entrance? And being generally obnoxious, smoking and cursing? I'm pretty sure that if I stood right outside the entrance and smoked and cursed the staff would tell me off in a hurry, but god forbid they should offend one of the bums. read more