I have to say I think our library is rather excellent…read more It is over two floors, with the grown up section and reference library on the lower floor. It is roomy and light, with sofas for reading and various chairs scattered around. There is also the audio library, the DVD and CD section. Upstairs is the internet room, next to which is a 'chill zone' - there are magasines here and comfy sofas and seats with a small snack bar. Also here is the childrens library. It's rather noisy! There is a great selection of authors and titles. There are bean bags and small chairs. My daughter knows her way round the library like a pro, and I sometimes lose track of her. But all I have to do is sit down and wait, and I know I'll find her! There is an information point in the far corner of the reference section and in the foyer are various posters giving information about useful clubs, associations, groups and courses.

Poole's central library sits proudly above the bus station and dolphin centre and I the largest in…read morethe area. After recent overhauls and refurbishments the library is now spaciously set out with easy to understand and clearly marked sections. On the first floor is the main library with plenty of room to sit and read for a while as well as the CD and DVD are where for a small charge (and less than video stores) you can borrow movies and music albums. Up stairs is the children's library as well as the internet access room and a small café selling coffees and a few snacks. The staff here are great and always willing to help making visits always pleasurable, with plenty of choices.

Fantastic library based in the civic centre - easy to access from town. Is absolutely huge, with…read moreamazing selection of books, and I think around 50+ computers with internet access. Has reference library downstairs with rows and rows of desks surrounded by books, directories and so on. Also has wide range of magazines and trade directories that you can look through. Just next door is an art gallery and a cafe which does lovely food in a really attractive environment. It also has a small gift shop where you can buy artist's work from as well as stationery, cards etc.

A good library in town with many books, papers, magazines, cds and films. They have computers that…read moreyou can use to access the internet and there is normally a queue to use these. The library is located inside the civic centre and is quite big on three floors.

Bournemouth Library is the best library in Bournemouth to visit for choice! it has a huge range of…read morebooks on two floors. Upstairs is mostly musical books, good range of cds to hire out, there is even a piano you can play on with headphones. there is a lift for disabled access. Downstairs has a huge film section, along with a really nice kiddies section. There is plenty of books on all topics and plenty of space to study with many computers. It is also good that they have (very clean) toilets - so you can spend quite a while here without leaving. Its a shame they dont have a cafe, the cafe below has now closed which is a shame :( Generally everything is laid outwell and the windows give the place lots of light which is nice. The staff are polite and helpful. Rated 5/5

I love the new library, its very spacious, has so many books and resources and the kids part is…read moremassive and contains toys and things for your kids to do, I used to come for an hour or so and let my son play.

I have lived in Christchurch for most of my life and have belonged to this library for as long as I…read morecan remember. It has a good selection of books to choose from and are clearly labeled so that you can find the section you require very easily.There is a section at the front for all the children's books which has chairs placed around so that the children can sit and read whilst their parents are choosing their books. I am able to take out up to 12 books at a time and these can renewed twice before I have to take them back to the library, this can also be done via the internet.There are also DVD's and CD's available to rent at a small cost per week. The staff there are friendly and very helpful and they make it easy to join and order books. There are a few computers available to book for use, including using the internet and there is also a photocopier available to the public, at a small cost.

I hadn't been to a library in a long time when I went to Trowbridge Library to enrol. I found the…read morestaff extremely helpful and courteous, happy to spend time with you and help you find what you need. The enrolment process was very easy just needed a bill with your name and address and driving license I think and they sign you up there and then. It's not a huge place but they have a good selection of books and also they have a reference library a hundred metres away that you can use. As well as books the library also has dvd's, videos and cd's which you can rent for a week or overnight the books you can take out for 3 weeks and you can renew online up to twice which is really handy. Also, they have an electronic system of checking items out which saves time.

Very helpful staff warm and friendly atmosphere lots going on for children too, art clubs, singing…read moreand laughing! Overall a lovely little library!

Southbourne library is a small but well stocked library. It has large labeled areas so that it is…read moreeasy to find the section you require and I have found that the books are early always in the right place, which helps. They have quite a few carousels for their soft backed books so that they can fit a lot more in, this also makes looking easier. There is quite a large children's area and they have regular childrens sessions with songs and nursery rhymes for the little ones and someone telling stories for the older ones, if you dont like the noise please avoid these times - they are well sign posted in the windows. The place is easily accessible with an electronic door wide enough for a wheel chair or pushchair. There is a little street parking and the library shuts on Wednesdays.

This is for the house, not the library, as unfortunately we did not have time to see the library…read moreduring this visit (but it is on the list of things to make time for on a future visit). This was our first time visiting a manor house, and it was amazing. From first walking to the end of the driveway/carriageway and seeing the house for the first time, I was enchanted. Everything is so well-preserved and/or restored so as to give a good sense of what it would have been like to have lived there in Jane Austen's time (they do recognize most of their visitors are Jane Austen fans, but really, if you have any interest in English country estates or manor houses, you can appreciate this house's history and beauty). The staff and volunteers are very passionate and knowledgeable, and they will share as little or as much as you want them to. The gardens are also peaceful to walk through, and worth the time. They also have The Old Kitchen Tearoom. We had not had a chance to eat that morning, so were pretty hungry by the time we finished the tour before walking through the gardens or down the road to Jane Austen's house. The tearoom was pleasant, with both indoor and outdoor seating available. It was a nice day, so we sat outside, and the small courtyard that makes up the outdoor seating was beautiful. We had the egg and bacon brioche sandwiches, which perfectly hit the spot and gave us the energy we needed for our future walks that day. In the future, I would just make sure to make Chawton a full day trip. Yes, it is a village and there is not a lot overall, but this house alone offers so much that you really need to give yourself the time to appreciate it. We were there for about 2 hours, but could have easily spent another 1-2 hours depending if we wanted to spend more time in the gardens, see the library, and/or see the church (which we did try to see, but was locked when we visited). Thank you to the Knight family for opening up your property for us to see, and to all those who have ensured over the years that this place is accessible to appreciate!

Just a short walk (five minutes) up a pretty country lane from Jane Austen's cottage in Chawton,…read moreyou will find a stately surprise in the form of a Tudor manor house, built in the 1500's. Chawton House and estate were owned by Jane's wealthy brother. She called it "The Great House". Today it is a working educational site (the Centre for the Study of Early Women's Writing, in partnership with the University of Southampton), yet is open to the public and a must-visit for Austen fans. Chawton House is one of the Knight estates inherited by Edward Austen, who was lucky enough to be adopted by rich relatives in need of an heir. He changed his surname from "Austen" to "Knight." The manor house interior has been beautifully restored. There is a church on the grounds (Jane's mother and sister are buried in the church yard) - and an attached farm. This grand house is probably where Jane spent a lot of time with family when she needed to get away from the cramped cottage. By the way, it's only recently that Chawton House been available for public tours; it has been a private facility for some 20 years. Happily we can now tour both the interior and the gardens. [Note: if you want to see one of the Pemberley-style estates Jane's brother inherited, go to the palatial Godmersham Park in Kent. Jane would have frequented this house, to visit her brother's family, as well. It's not quite Downton Abbey - but almost!] Finally, for Austenites, it's worth noting that Jane is buried inside Winchester Cathedral; and you can see the house where she died, not far from the Cathedral grounds. Winchester is only 15-20 miles from Chawton.

I have been using this library since it was first opened (and used to use Milton library which is…read morenow the community hall next door). I know many of the staff quite well, and my children enjoyed many activities run by the library over the years. before I had access to a computer I regularly used the computer facilities here. I've always found his library to be very convenient (with a bus stop just outside) and a great place to visit.

These guys are WONDERFUL. The single most helpful library staff I have come across. Really friendly…read more- always helpful and welcoming. Brilliant kids activities run here throughout the year - term time for toddlers and holiday activities for school ages.