Libraries are great. I think most people have fond memories of visiting as kids and if you're like…read moreme, those memories are very suburban. The libraries I grew up visiting had 90s flair, and while amazing spaces that kept me entertained all summer long, they didn't have the grandeur of an iconic inner city library - like this one. The first time I stepped foot in here as a young adult I was in awe. It's just a gorgeous building, and incredible atmosphere to sit and read. The parking garage is set up to look like a bookshelf which I think is cute, and I love how you can just get lost in here and enjoy the space. It just FEELS like a library which sounds dumb but is true. What pushes this into five star territory for me though is the rooftop terrace. On a nice day there really isn't a better spot for an urban picnic.

This review is for the Central Library location's telephone customer service person…read more I called with a simple question about how to navigate the web site and the person would not help me unless I provided my library card number, which I did not have readily available. They then asked for my date of birth, which I don't provide on the phone for security purposes, unless of course it's my bank or credit card company. Needless to say, this person refused to help me and said she was ending the call. Please note that I called a different branch and got all the help I needed, including courteous customer service.

Usually clean. Has a good assortment of materials. Free, reliable wifi. Very friendly and…read moreaccommodating staff. Computer stations are usually open. The self-checkout machine has never failed me. Only major drawbacks are the lack of study rooms and the atmosphere. Pretty loud. People eating, drinking, chatting, talking on their phones (after the phone has gone off loudly, of course). Not a great place for study, reading or testing. Good materials; excellent staff. Poor academic atmosphere.

On Friday December 12th 2014 I asked for a lot of help from the staff at this location. They no…read moredoubt went out of their way to assist me with my needs. It was right before the library closed. I'm sure everyone wanted to get ready to leave for the night, but they went the second mile and SAVED THE DAY for me! I would like to say a big thank you especially to the gentleman who took great care of me. Awesome service!

I visited this library with two of my grandchildren so I was primarily in the children's section…read more The library looks older on the outside and like it needs a refreshing. When we walked in, we were immediately greeted by a young teen volunteer. She had asked if the children had gotten their free summer book. So they picked out a sticker and a book for their appropriate age. She was a very nice young lady and the kids enjoyed picking out a book. Then we asked the main librarian for the kids section was located. We went to that area and I was a little disappointed that they did not have more activities for children. They had a table with three puzzles. They also had a small wall for toddlers that had some things to do. They had a decent collection of children's books and I picked out some toddler board books to check out. They had some armchairs for parents to read to their children. It's not a particularly large library, but it's good for the area. The front librarian was OK and her attitude, but the children's librarian had an attitude. She had her face covered by a large black mask, and even with that on, you can smile with your eyes. She did not do that and never spoke to any families. Also, she had an activism T-shirt on, and her attitude went with it. I don't know why all of these Johnson County libraries are determined to hire children's librarians that have unwelcoming attitudes. It is a real turn off. I have only one more library left to review and that is in Gardner.

This seems like the library you meet your wealthy friend at. It seems very neutered and safe both…read moreoutside and in. The book selection is not enormous by any means, but of libraries this is a nice one considering the ones I grew up frequenting in my childhood. Like all of them they have great printing services, and what I would say about this one particularly that I love the most is that they have a drive-thru that works flawlessly. You can order your books online and drive right up and be gone within 2 minutes! They also have a field next to the library that's great for soccer or flying kites, a little strange to get in with the way the streets are organized, but the staff is always so helpful here. It's a small local library but, worth it if you need something quick or if they have your book. Ask about the card catalog...

This is the library I used to visit as a kid and I have ample memories of driving here with my mom…read moreon a hot summer day and spending an hour or so hunting down the VHS of Anne of Green Gables, or seeing if they had another Animorphs book for me to check out. It's also where my sister used to do math tutoring and where I paid my first ever late return fees. Once I graduated high school though, I never really had a reason to come back. I'm a frequent Libby user and listen to audio books checked out from the library, but when I'm in this neck of the woods I'm usually not library hopping. All of this being said, I had a really busy day a few months ago and was going from meeting to meeting, and then to a work event that happened to be really close by. I was getting burnt out on coffee shops and needed somewhere to hole up and work for just 30 minutes. Not wanting to spend $8 to sit somewhere and drink a coffee I didn't need, I remembered this library and pulled into the lot. The first thing I noticed when walking in was that my scent memory was strong here - I was immediately transported back to my childhood. The second thing I noticed is that it's changed a ton on the inside (OR I've grown up and remember it differently - both are possible). There's no longer a big desk with librarians ready to check out your books (as so much is digital these days), and things have been rearranged. Also, it was BUSY with folks working! I hadn't realized it was such a popular spot to get some work done. After walking around, and taking it all in, I found a desk, pulled out my laptop and got some work done with their free wifi. Honestly, I don't know what took me so long to use a library like this in recent years. This one was comfortable, and I was glad to have remembered it existed. I will likely be back at some point when I need out of the house and don't need to snag a coffee :-)

I had never tried this particular library out before so I decided to bring my grandson and try out…read morethe children's area. I was disappointed as the smaller children's area was quite small in comparison to other libraries. They did have some nice toddler board books and the children's area in general had the normal amount of books that the other libraries typically have. The teen area is in the youth/kids area. As you enter the library, it's to the right in a separate room. I think what I find disappointing is that I have visited almost all of the libraries in Johnson County except two, which I plan to visit soon. And I find that the children's librarians tend not to be very friendly. They're usually sitting behind their desk often with a scowl on their face or hiding their face and really never offer any help. If they're approached, they seem irritated. The 95th St. library in Overland Park tends to be the better and more welcoming library for children. The adult section was typical of an adult section. So I would say this library is fine for adults or probably teens that want to study as they have steady areas, but there are better libraries for smaller children.

A library that's not just where books live!…read more Me .. had a meeting and did a little bit of work. If you can't find a quiet or somewhat quiet coffee shop.. there's always a meeting room here, and complimentary WiFi without a library card no less. Functional, spacious, convenient and clean!

This is really a hidden gem, just a couple blocks from the plaza. It's spacious, very…read morewell-maintained and even have their own parking garage. The staff was incredibly helpful and they have rooms that you can rent for work or personal events. And never thought I'd say that the views were great from a library, but they are. Parking on the street isn't too bad if you can't find anything in the lot. I'm just so excited that there's still libraries and that they have good selections and comfortable places that you can purview books.

I went to this library for the first time and it's a newer library with bright colors and modern…read moredesign. The librarian was helpful and pleasant and of course I like their check out scanner that can take a stack of books and check them at one time. Some libraries do not have the newer scanner. They had a good selection of children's books, which is where I was at primarily. They have some activity tables for children as well. I also liked the family restroom for when a diaper needs to be changed. There is parking that is covered next to it.

This customer service at this library deserves 5 stars by itself. We are always greeted and made to…read morefeel welcome here and I really appreciate that. The architectural design and all of the features included just makes the experience even better! The area for children has everything you could ever think of. From a large coloring table, to books for all ages & ethnicities. Regular tables and chairs to innovative reading nooks and huge lounging chairs. Whoever took on this project creating this library should be declared an artist if they aren't already. It is as if they are trying to prove a point that libraries don't have to be boring or just a place for books, but truly a spot to spend time with your family and everyone can find something to enjoy. These 5 star reviews tell no lies and I just had to add my 33 cents, since only 2 would just not be enough. Catch me at the library how about that?!

The Mid-Continent Public Library in Lee's Summit is a great place for free events, such as concerts…read moreand story time/crafts. We attend many music concerts, such at Mr. Stinky Feet Christmas show in Dec 2011 and toddler story time. I love the toddler story time which has a great story teller and fun crafts afterwards. My son is 3, and too old for this group but it is my favorite compared to the Pre-K story time, which we did not enjoy as much. The person whom they have story tell for Pre-K story time is not as good or entertaining for the kiddos. They offer great selection of books, CDs and DVDs too, for both kids and adults. I have not been able to join in on any of the adult classes or activities but I've heard they are also great. Overall, I highly recommend this library to anyone in the area looking for some free and fun things to do for yourself or your child!

This introvert is finally at ease in the library!! Everything is easy. You can reserve books you…read morewant online and pick it up in a special "reserved" section and then check out the books at the kiosk. You don't have to talk to anyone or stand in any lines! So great!

The Johnson County Library system is great and this location is massive. We recently visited with…read moreour five year old and she loved the kids area. It's filled with kid sized shelves, tons of picture books, chapter books, and kids DVDs. The librarian was so kind and got her all set up with her own library card, we checked out her items, and she's been loving exploring all of her recent finds.

I visited the central library today with my grandson and mostly in the children's area. Because…read morethis library is the central library it has a great variety of books and resources. My grandson who is currently 14 months enjoyed the activity center on the wall. I went through the collection of board books for toddlers and selected some to check out for him. The library was clean and quiet and has many excellent resources. I do wish they would have a more balanced approach to their selection of materials though.,

I tried out this library for the first time today. What a wonderful, Modern, fun, and interesting…read morelibrary! The kids area is perfect and fun for small children. They have a great selection of books and play items. I love all the places to enjoy reading a book throughout the whole library and the huge wall fireplace and all the windows for natural sunlight. I was glad to see a bookstore and also a coffee shop with snacks available and lunch items. Will definitely go back! The staff was also nice that I interacted with.

We visited public library to meet up some healthcare workers will basically we were trying to find…read morea conference room where we can have a private conversation and we had a bunch of friends who also wanted to take advantage of the place to have their kids play around and also have their teenager kids spend time reading some interesting books. Guess what this place has it all there's a kids area where they can play outdoors if the weather permits and there is an amazing collection of books, Internet, and conference room for private conversations if you have something to talk about with a business related or something more private, this place is extremely neat well organized and has an amazing ambience. There's also a mini coffee bar inside where you can buy beverages there is Internet for a very cheap price. If people are looking for any of these options from what I've mentioned, you deserve to visit this place.