This hidden gem can be found in the first floor near the children's area on the east side of the…read morehospital. The library is quite small but they offer free internet for anyone who has time to kill. I come here often during my breaks to study. The library is usually full of residents and medical students who need to study for exams but there is an outside area for anyone who just want to sit and relax with WiFi.

Libraries and I go way back. In primary school they were my introverted-self's safe haven at lunch…read moretime where I managed to immerse myself in the lives of The Baby Sitters Club and in year 7 proudly become a library monitor. #nerdalert. So it's no surprise as an adult they still play a part in my life. Thankfully, Brisbane City has a network of libraries that are often overlooked. The Mitchelton library is smaller than other inner-city libraries in the network and also has the addition of a cafe on the balcony run by local Valentina Cafe. It creates a welcoming environment to order a coffee and read the latest magazines or book you've checked out. That said, it's definitely a library that caters to families. I don't say this as a negative but just as a preface that if you're coming here to hunker down on some study, work or solitude this may not be the place for you. It's certainly not the kind of library where a stern looking librarian raises her finger to her lips to "Shhh!" you. In fact, on my visit, it seemed that giggles from kids running around, two gents having a lively debate about Indonesia on the balcony and general liveliness were encouraged in this suburban library. Still, with solid WiFi, coffee on-site and an array of reading material, it's still getting a thumbs up from me.

Relaxed little library with fantastic staff! Access to the internet, both with WiFi and desktop…read morecomputers, and aircon make it a great place to study as long as you don't need total silence. Only because it's a very family orientated place - but this does mean it's got a great relaxing atmosphere

This is a great community library that has a lot of events focussed for children and parents. They…read morehave regular weekly events including Children's storytime, Toddler time and Crafty Kids. The library also has a training area for adults, where they hold training sessions for Introduction to Computers, eBay: an introduction, Discover Email, Digital Photo Editing and more. There are a number of meeting rooms which can be booked out for any type of meeting. There is a weekly meet up for people who want to play Boardgames on Friday nights, called Critical Mass, and I've seen a number of knitting and crotchet clubs meet up there. These days libraries are more than just shelves of books. The Chermside library has about 20 or so computers that patrons can use at their leisure. The kid's section is really interactive, with a space theme and educational games to play. There are also two XBOX 360's available for anyone to play, as well as The Coffee Hub where you can sit back with a book or newspaper and have a coffee and cake.

Having had to move to Brisbane during those formative and…read morepainfully awkward teenage years, I remember too well how much of a refuge this place had been for me. Away from the oppressive 30+ degree summer days and the reluctance to stay at home. I came here to use the internet, hang out with my brother and to devour mostly everything on the shelves. What my brother loves most about this place is that he could rent out the xBox and play in the game centre for hours. (Which completely defeats the purpose of GOING to a library but whatevz.) Like Matilda I would rapturously borrow books (Always reaching the 25 limit) and spend many rainy afternoons perusing the stacks. The sense of community in this library is great, They regularly hold meetings for organisations as diverse as the camera club to programmes for parents and kids. Right next to the chermside pools and a hop skip and a jump from Westfield shoppingtown, Chermside library makes for a great place to visit.