Sad as it sounds i'm a big fan of the Libraries of Dublin City. Rathmines is probably one of the…read morebest too. Maybe its the building or the really helpful and slightly eccentric staff. The place is well stocked, books are usually in pretty good condition and you can usually order in either online or with one of the librarians. Its also an idea spot to work if you need a bit of peace or are studying. The upstairs study room is usually full. Theres wireless throughout the building, which is thankfully free. Which makes a change as a coffee places are starting to charge for it now. PC's available as well to go online. Another thing thats good to see is Libraries stocking more and more DVD's. They probably won't have the complete box set of the Soprano's anytime soon but its a start. Theres also a newspaper reading room and all the government forms and reports you'll ever need .

Oh Dublin! So THIS is where you've been hiding all the good looking men?!?!…read more I think I'll spend more time 'studying' here...

A poor man's Book of Kells, this library can hold its own. Entry is under 10 euros and the…read moredisplays should keep you busy for about a half hour. I would not say it is a cannot miss in Dublin, but if you have extra time or are here for a return visit, I would certainly recommend working it in. So what will you find. Tons of old books. A bit of history on books, writing, and the printing press. A cool Instagram-able shot or two if you want a smart looking selfie. Enjoy!

We bought the combo ticket with St Patrick's Cathedral and really enjoyed our visit to the Library…read moresince it had an exhibit showcasing the oldest printed books in the world. Inside every shelf and bookcase were packed with so much history. More impressive than the setting for the Book of Kells since many of the books were under restoration. The oldest books for the exhibition were in display cases to highlight specific topics, authors, designs, printing methods and/or age. It was really quite impressive. I got a kick out of the Easter "egg" hunt they crafted for Easter weekend. The Lego minifigs were hidden throughout the library and we just checked off our handout as we went a long. We did find all the minifigs eventually so they did a good job of placing them in the library. Staff here were so outgoing and informative. Always ready to provide more details or answer questions. As we exited through the gift shop we walked through a quiet but pleasant garden. Must see in Dublin!

The Ussher is my favourite of the Trinity libraries. The basement is full of interesting…read moreperiodicals on topics ranging from literature to psychology to geography. The first floor was my old hangout, where English literature from all over the world was housed on endless shelves, alongside psychology texts. Second floor is French, history of art and music (history, criticism and scores), third floor is languages, fourth is classics, ancient history and philosophy, and the fifth is given over to religion. The building itself has been highly acclaimed internationally for its innovative design. Depending on where you seat yourself, you can bask in sunlight or hide away in the shadows. The layout is very open plan, which means you are forced to save the snoozes for later and concentrate despite the distractions happening all around. The side wall of the library has floor to ceiling, wall to wall windows looking out onto the playing fields and the Pav student bar, which was a very big distraction indeed. I was lured away from my studies on many occasions towards the end of summer term by the sight of the crowds gathered on the grass drinking cans in the sun.

I really dislike the exterior of the Ussher library, like someone was trying to play the part of a…read moreradicalist and inject some weird mode of laissez-faire into a landscape they thought of as being overflowing with grandiose buildings. Those buildings of course convey what makes Trinity so enchanting, historical buildings set within an imposing campus. Instead of being a noninterventionist little horror and trying to sway the sense of convention Trinity exudes the architect Ahrends Burton Koralek would have done, in my opinion a more gratifying job creating something more complimentary and in some ways more respectable (without trying to sound like a grouchy granny) to what already stands. Sticking out a sore thumb, the Ussher exterior (that consists of ashen grey concrete akin to a gnarled Soviet Block) couldn't appear more uninspiring if it tried. Thankfully when you get inside things become somewhat more rousing. The bookshelves are all positioned in a slanting fashion so that the light shining in does not discolour the aging books too much. The second floor reading room offers panoramic views of Trinity's playing field and Pavillion bar, certainly one of the most stirring views in Dublin. On a summer's day this view offers a wanted distraction away from your tedious revision, although be careful that a 'wanted distraction' does not become a half hour musing looking across the playing field and watching the crowd in The Pav get bigger as the time gets later. For study purposes this library offers more than adequate study facilities and is a very easy to concentrate within. This library is only one of five legal depositories in the UK and Ireland, which means the College is legally entitled to a copy of every book published in Great Britain and Ireland, and consequently receives over 100,000 new items every year. Anyone that can produce a university ID card from any university in the world is able to gain admission to the reading rooms within the library. If however you are not able to produce this yet still wish to gain access then it is recommended you enter via the main entrance and speak to the steward on duty who may be able to access you a day pass on grounds that you are doing research. Whether you wish to read porn, pokemon or Poe it's all under one roof and within the prevailing and comfortable interior that the Ussher proffers. Don't be put off by the bleak exterior, just head straight inside to pander to the world's literature.

Finglas Library is located up some stairs at the top of the old shopping center in the village…read more There are two sections, one for the children and another for the adults. I like that this library hasn't gone all clinical and sterile looking like other remodernised libraries but maintains that old-fashioned look and the smell of books. As you come into the library there is a little lobby area where lots of community stuff is posted including information leaflets for local services, sports activities and lots more. I grew up going to libraries on almost a daily basis and although not my favorite library I enjoy coming here for the books and occasionally for studying and writing reports. There is also a lift for wheelchair users so this place is accessible to all!

Great little library the kids section is separate to the adults so the kids don't have to be afraid…read moreto talk they have colouring pages and colours available for kids to enjoy there is free wifi and use of computers and printing and photo copying facilities. The library is located above some shops but buggies and wheelchair etc have the use of an elevator that can be accessed beside the shop dealz.

This is within Pearse library and it's the place to find copies of newspapers from a few weeks ago…read moreback to the 1800's. My Dad would always take me here each year to check the newspapers on the day I was born to see what was happening. Even though it was the same newspaper each year it never lost it's thrill on me. There is something exciting about the connection you feel with the events that were happening the day you got life. Well worth the visit especially if you can't think of anything to do to fill a few hours.

Love Pearse Library. Downstairs is a public library on the left hand side and an exhibition space…read moreon the right hand side and upstairs has the Dublin City Archives Reading Room. The reading room holds the Dublin and Irish Collections, the Dix Collection of mainly 17th and 18th century Dublin and Irish imprints, the Yeats Collection, the Children's Book Collection and imprints of publishers such as the Dun Emer and Cuala Press. A collection of Thom's Dublin street directories and other Dublin and Irish directories is also maintained. The librarians are extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

This is my favorite library in Dublin. There are several other ones much closer to my house but…read morethis one is located in the quiet neighborhood of Cabra in Dublin 7. The surroundings are full of green trees and the walk is nice enough. Getting there, the building is big and quite modern with wide open spaces and everything is clearly new or refurbished. It is never crowded so you can enjoy a full book reading in there as they have comfy couches also. This library is clearly the heart of the area as there are book reading and poetry clubs, adult education courses, kid's play and study areas with computers and game consoles - wow! There is also a very clean toilet open to users and printing services. Unbeatable quality library...a hidden gem for avid readers like myself. More info here: http://dublincity.ie/main-menu-services-recreation-culture-dublin-city-public-libraries-and-archive-locations-hours/cabra

This is a wonderful Library. The building is really big and spacious and they have a huge selection…read moreof books. I really like the open layout and I found it really easy to navigate around the shop, which is key to a good library.It is nice and bright with lots of windows. They have free wifi for those with laptops, but they also have about twenty computers with internet access. This is a great feature and there is never much of a wait to get a computer. There is a nifty little kids section as well and you often see kids on school library trips which is great to see. It shows they are encouraging kids to use the library and learn. They do have a little section of DVDs but its not very impressive, they also have a shelf of talking books and cds. The small film collection is the only let down in the Library. I found the staff really nice and friendly and you can have good conversations with them. They also have a scrabble tournament every week, its a real community Library.

The staff here fail to realise... They're in a library…read more There seems to be a culture here, in my eyes detrimental, of a library being a congregation point for the community and thereby giving free reign to both the staff and library users permission to speak at the top of their voices. I've never experienced entering a library and staff literally talking from one end to the other, receptionist right beside the study area ringing and answering calls constantly and people talking on there phones with NO SHAME. The entire morning I sat in the library trying to study for upcoming exams the librarian called countless libraries across Dublin looking to locate a children's book called "Foxe's". There is absolutely no consideration given to people trying to read. The reason students and others go to the library is to read books or study and the only environment conducive to these aims is to provide a silent area. Deansgrange library fails to cater for these needs and only operates as a public forum for chat. I understand certain people see the library as an outing from their homes but please discuss current affairs outside and not when people are working. The pleasant nature of the staff get them 2 stars however this is the worst place in the world to go in order to read.

"Wait wait wait, you're gonna give me a book for free and all I have to do is tell you my address…read moreand promise to bring it back?" Recession busted. Public libraries will save you a lot of coins and this one is especially nice on sunny days. You can sit on the benches outside whilst reading your book. The interior is pretty bad though, so only come on sunny days.

Unlike other libraries the children's and adult sections are separate. Both are large, bright,…read moremodern and welcoming spaces. The children's side is to the left and I have memories of walking up to Ballymun to get books that my own local library didn't have and sitting on the comfy chairs reading C.S Lewis and J.R Tolkien for hours before being thrown out to carry my armload of books all the way back to Drumcondra. The library remains to me a place of wonder and learning and nothing beats reading a library book, not even the kindle. I'd miss the smell of books if I were never to go into a library again. Ballymun library is one of my favourite libraries and i've been a member of a few, both in Dublin and London. There is also plenty of parking outside.

A very good resource for the local community in this part of Dublin. The staff are very helpful,…read moreefficient, professional, and knowledgeable. They have a good stock of books covering and ranging many subjects. There are also four computers, where you can book a 50 minute Internet session. In addition, the library permits members of the public to use the toilet - something many libraries in Dublin won't do!