Stopped by this library on a Sunday since it was one of the few open, and parking was super easy -- always a plus. The building itself is pretty spacious, but you can tell some of the facilities are on the older side. The restroom was out of order during my visit, and overall the space felt a little dated. What really stood out, though, was the staff. I watched three different librarians patiently help someone with a computer issue for almost an hour, which honestly says a lot about how dedicated and kind they are. Even with the older interior, the service here makes this library a solid community spot. read more

I'm a city girl and I am use of the people outside and inside. WONDERFUL place to study and if ur a Lookie Lou, then U can handle the cultural differences! Thank you Kent Library staff for having borders on disruptive people! I enjoyed my stay and the opportunity to do my accounting ;-) read more

Kent Library - Kent Public Library in downtown Kent, Wa - Libraries Near Me - Kent, Washington

I just moved to Kent. The other afternoon I stopped by the Kent library downtown. I was hoping to find a place where I can sit at a table and work sometime (offline, using my books and notebooks). I was disappointed. The interior is a large ugly box. There is little seating or tables for adults, and what the library does offer is uncomfortable looking. At least a third of the library space is computer terminals. For me the whole effect was cold and uninviting. I left without getting a card. read more

This used to be a nice quiet safe place where the doors were still on the opening to the restroom, there were comfortable reading nooks, and it was a quiet calming clean environment. Now there are boxy wood dividers with uncomfortable plastic chairs, people who smell and drag in what looks like all of their possessions in carts taking up space. There are people who will stare at you, sleep, or have loud conversations. The restrooms when they are open have had the doors removed and the one time I was almost desperate enough to go in, a screaming hostile women went in first completely removing any desire to go in with or after her. To top that off when the police came in after her they called her by name, implying that this was a regular occurrence. The little park next door has also been overrun with sketchy people making an outdoor space that could have been nice for reading, look hazardous for just walking by. If this wasn't the closest library to me, I wouldn't go here. read more

Clean, local, and has friendly staff. Recently, I was able to donate a lot of my books. In the past we have used their classroom for our club meetings. read more

Well yes some reviews do hit it on the head.... In this day and age people of all types are surrounding us. But this is a good place to use the computer, they have a great selection of books and DVSs, and for those of us who just mind our business and come for the amenities offered, it's a great helpful place. read more

Nice library that can be found in downtown Kent. I came by here on a Tuesday around 1:15 pm. The place had a good amount of people but it wasn't crowded. I liked that there is a small computer lab section available for those to use and there is also free WiFi here in case you want to surf the net with your phone, laptop, mobile devices, etc. The main reason why I came in here was actually to use their internet. I just wanted to look up some things and sit down and relax for a while before getting on my way to Seattle. Although fellow Yelpers complain about the homeless being a problem here, I did not see any on this visit. Also the ladies' restroom was very nice and clean upon this visit. read more

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Too much harass and employee misconducts rude and disinformation going on there! No cameras and not safe! Complaints continue and very interfering with patrons using computers! read more

I love the Kent library! I love that they offer classes for the little ones and that they are a 2 minute walk from the sweet themes bakery lol... Story time: I LOVE story time at the library... Fun nursery rhythms and my kid loves the shakers!! I made some at home but she doesn't seem to enjoy it as much as the libraries lol Kaleidoscope Play & Learn: great concept and nice to have since it's free, but toys are never in their set station and some parents see this time as gossip time with their friends and aren't watching their kids.. Leaving a lot of misbehaved kids running around... read more

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I thought this was a library, but it seems like it's more of some sort of "community center." Children screaming, people eating lunch, people talking at full volume in the "quiet zone," people playing cell phone games with the volume on...the noise just doesn't end! If you can't afford to go to a café I guess this is where you're supposed to hang out now. For those of us that would like to study? Just stay home! read more

This is a nice library in downtown Kent that's unfortunately ruined by the large homeless population who take the place over. In other libraries that I've visited in Colorado and Arizona, the homeless never presented much of a problem because there were people willing to enforce the rules. Those who did cause problems were quickly dealt with by the staff or by library security guards. However, the staff don't enforce the rules or library etiquette, which allows bad manners to ruin the atmosphere of the place. Each time I've visited, there's tables and chairs taken up by people who are very clearly sleeping. This is a very small library with not a ton of available space, and when you have half of the tables and chairs being used as beds it makes it hard to find a place to work. These aren't "once in a blue moon" occurrences and the people who do these things are regulars that I often see. I wish the library staff would do a better job at solving these issues, or at least hiring a security guard who can do it for them because I honestly think it's driving people away from wanting to visit the library for legitimate purposes. read more

An extremely busy and somewhat noisy place- but gladly, well used. The downside is only that a lot of its traffic is about computer usage. If you're looking to get a computer, good luck. I just need books, never needed them. I have found the staff to be more than accommodating and very knowledgeable. Also very helpful to me was how they've reorganized the children's books by color coded category first. I can find what I need for my preschoolers much faster now. Yes there is the occasional homeless person, but most are only concerned with themselves & don't bother anyone. We are in a modern time with little public funding to help them, so, there you go. Your tax dollars, not at work. My only annoyance is needing more parking. Some days lot is full. read more

This is a pretty decent library but not one that I would frequently visit. The decor is dated, pretty decent selection of books, very friendly staff, but noisy. I came here with the intention to get tons of studying done but didn't accomplish that. Instead, I was easily distracted and absorbed into people watching. I would definitely echo what the fellow yelper Theresa said below. It does feel like a "community center." It seems very busy here with people pacing quickly around either looking for books, socializing, or looking for seating. There was this one couple fighting, another person just loitering around staring into space, and one fellow who was getting medical assistance by paramedics in front of the library. Hope he was ok. In an earlier visit here, I sat at the quiet study tables behind the stack of books hoping to shield myself from the noise in the lobby. I was also trying to get some studying done but was distracted by the people who sat at and near my table. To be clear, I was very entertained by them albeit they were distracting. Some watched movies and played games on their phone, while others smelled like smoke or slept near by after they unloaded multiple plastic bags. I'd say if you plan to visit this library, it's great to people watch and casually hang. Did I mention they have roughly 80 computers!? That's the most I've ever seen! Unfortunately, it's not such a great place to get much studying done. read more

WENT I SAY 'KENT', YOU SAY 'REGIONAL'. Kent Regional Library has a large selection of books with a large amount of computers to use. They even have shared computers now. Their foreign language section is awesome and so is their kid's section. It's so nice. I like to bring my niece here and pretend that I'm a good aunt and read books to her but I'm really just doing it to get out of my house. read more

This library is more like a transient meeting area than anything else. All around the library, people will do drugs, and go inside the library for the climate controls, bathrooms, and free entertainment. The parking here can be difficult to get to if you're trying to park at the library itself. Parking at the library and doing business elsewhere is both against the rules and generally unenforced, so park at your own risk. read more

People needa stop hanging out by the front of the library. It's not where the coo kids are supposed to be hanging out at! The library has the most uncomfortable chairs to prevent people from sleeping in there. Lots of computers though! read more

So many of the reviews here are complaints about the amount of homeless folks that hang around here and so little about the library itself. Could the staff do more to prevent the bad crowd? Maybe. But before criticizing the library (which is a public space after all, so while they need to ensure safety of their patrons, they need to be available to everyone), perhaps we should talk to the businesses in downtown Kent that are against a putting homeless shelter in the area. Where else is there for the homeless to go if there isn't a shelter? But I digress. On to the actual library. So the parking here is often insufficient (but it's Kent, so there's plenty of free street parking on nearby blocks) and you do have to wade through a rough crowd to enter at times (I call this the character building, teach-my-child-and-myself-about-all-facets-of-society aspect), but once inside the library is nicely designed. I don't use the computers here but there are plenty and I always see a few open ones. The selection of books is good and the children's section is wonderfully designed - like a little cocoon. Naturally I spend the majority of my time here with the little ones. The staff are pretty nice, although there's always one or two who are remain aloof. But they seem to mean well. Like most libraries they offer several programs. On a recent visit they hosted a large group of infants for reading time and I was impressed with how well the sound was blocked from the room they were in. If you can look past the issues, you just might enjoy this library. Give it a try! read more

Why didn't I check Yelp before heading here? Feels more like a Chuck e Cheese than a library. I'm seriously looking for another place to study as I write this review. It may be because its summer (although these reviews tell me probably not) but there are a ton of people in here doing the kind of stuff that they should be doing at home. Like anything loud. Also, staff dont seem too friendly. I was in the only quiet-ish place in the library until this woman interrupted me to tell me that the room was going to be used for some kids activity starting in 20 minutes. I say ok sure and glance at my watch. I go back to intently reviewing with the idea that I'll just pack up after about 10 minutes. She then says they will be setting up....and using the tables (mind you I'm at one of only five tables in the room and she's already moved the other four into place). You can't wait ten more minutes, lady? It doesn't take 20 minutes to move a table! Oh, they do have parking though. So there's that. read more

I used to come here when I was a child. No. Wait. I'm old enough to say that I used to go to the Kent Library when it was where the current police department is. Annnnnnnyway... It's a great location. I can drop off or pick up books on my way home from work. I love looking across the street at the water feature that beckon squealing children from miles way. The remodel looks fantastic. It's always busy in here! However, I've never not been able to get a computer to print something out. The only gripe I have is that the parking availability is crap. read more

This is a really nice library. The selection of books is very good, they have an extra nice children's area, there are lots of computers, and I was incredibly impressed by the gigantic section of foreign language books. It is within walking distance of Kent Station, which is nice and makes it very accessible. Downside: They really need more parking. Most times my boyfriend and I try to stop by here, the lot is completely full. read more

This is a library. They lend you books. The idea after that is that you read and return them. I had to visit the location to sign up for a card so I could check out audiobooks and listen to them on my iPod. This is a nice location. It's not a super fancy library but it has a lot of computers. It's close to the Kent Station. It seemed pretty clean and not extremely iffy. There were a few crazy people, but that goes with any public service... right? read more

Was here in the evening in the middle of the week. This library is too loud. It's too close to the train tracks and the constant dinging of a bell at the information center doesn't allow for quite reading time. read more

Wow never new a library could be so grimy and ratchet like this one. But they do a good job with all the craziness here. I would never let my kid go here and study by themselves. read more

I've stopped in here several times looking for someplace to sit and read after work, but there are only four comfortable chairs to sit in, and those are generally taken by sleeping homeless folks. I don't blame the homeless folks, but the library COULD put in more non-wooden straight-back chairs. Regardless, those tend to be taken up entirely by high school students. There is no where to sit for a non-student or non-homeless person from 4:30-6. I guess we need a bigger library or layout. Also, if the librarians had any courage they might consider telling anyone talking louder than conversational tones to be quieter in a community resource dedicated to research and learning. As I looked around the place. They could tear out walls and make a larger common area. read more

Nice library with potential. Friendly staff willing & available to help. This LIBRARY offers a beautiful array of shelves and shelves of books and information to dive into. They offer a large conference room & smaller/private study rooms as well. Printers/Photo copiers available *Come here on a good day and you may catch a free boxing match. Live! IN the library! Like yesterday (01/19/2017) If only our community had better options for the "assortment of stragglers who just sort of linger" ... Not here for reading, learning or computer time... simply here to..Wait. What are they here for? The way they file in & out of the bathroom, (the lingerers) one might assume there's a secret teleport system in one of the stalls that no one told me about! Definitely don't let your kids go here alone esp. at night due to high volume of "lingerers" Clean establishment with a lot to offer if you can get passed the sometimes-silent-sometimes-obnoxious-outside-dwellers who roam in and out of the library making it an "interesting" experience for everyone.* read more

Lots of selection. Free wi-fi. Lots of computers. I like the layout of the library. It often gets crowded though. Sometimes, there is nowhere to sit. read more

As a major fan of King County Library Systems, the Kent Library location was an exciting find. I'm very happy to have access to KCLS in South Seattle. There is another Kent library that is significantly smaller than this one. Perks: There are a considerable number of computers at this location and a few study areas. There is also free printing which is incredible. Although it is one of my favorite places to go in Kent, there is a lot of theft at this location so BE CAREFUL. read more

I've been coming to this library for a while, but I think I'm going to have to stop. There could definitely be more parking spaces, but it's in downtown Kent, so you can always get parking in the surrounding area. Now the library itself. There is a great amount of technological resources available for use, so that's nice. The library is of good size, not too big or not too small. BUT, it is one of the worst possible locations to study or get any sort of work done! Half the people in the library are homeless, many of whom just holler and shout and don't know how to behave in a library setting. The "silent zone" really isn't that silent after all. Plus, the staff aren't of much help either. If you can get past the abundance of homeless people and incompetent staff at this library, it might be worth your while. But if you can, I STRONGLY suggest to avoid this library! read more

It's only a little uncomfortable when the first thing you see is a couple police officers standing ominously in the library. Not that the officers them self make me uncomfortable, just the fact that they are needed concerns me. Is that weird? Patrons in this library from what I've observed are typically less then studious. There are a few in the silent section though. I do love how helpful the librarians are. I've many times come in for help with research and even as they may not be able to help me immediately they are eager to continue researching for days and keep in contact via email or phone. Which is amazing and very helpful. Lots of technological resources. Pretty limited on big comfy reading chairs though. That's always a bummer. read more

Definitely one of the bigger library we've been to, whether it's a King County or Seattle Public (excluding the one dt). Nonetheless, we were impressed on the size and selection but unimpressed on the type of patron that visits there. Don't get us wrong, it's great to see young kids use a library as a hangout spot vs the streets or shopping center, but how many of them are actually there to use the facility for its intended use? Again, don't get us wrong, on the appearing homeless, finding a spot to sit in and stay warm and dry. I'd do the same if I were in their situation.. I guess what I'm saying is, yes it's a large library with selections but no thanks to the type of crowd. I'll stick with my fairly decent size library in my neighborhood, can't wait til they're done doing what they're doing to it. read more

I like to use the microfilm reader. For some reason, you have to ask at the always-busy reference desk for the lens. They used to check it out to you on your library card. Recently, they've wanted to hold my driver's license hostage while I use it. What?! Update: Now, in addition to making the microfilm reader hard to use, they've shipped out most of their newspaper archives to the Bellevue branch. I can no longer do local historic research in the Kent Library on a drop-in basis. I need to know the publications and editions I want to research and then place--get this--an interlibrary loan request to have them sent to Kent. The last time I tried this they never even called or emailed me to tell me my reels were in. Basically, unless you want to deal with 405 to drive to Bellevue, microfilm research really can't be done. read more

Library reeks of marijuana constantly in bathrooms and quiet study areas filled with homeless populations? It is time that measurable actions are taken to help these people find an outlet of hope rather than an outlet of space that they come together to eat, sleep, and smoke. There are people coming here like myself to study for Boards etc. Please make it an acceptable public space that is safe for me to utilize as well as for our children, elderly population etc. Staff are friendly and will assist if you have any question but are untrained in terms of responding to disputes amongst homeless populations in the back of library. Nonetheless, books are fully stocked and plenty of choices for those actually studying. read more

I went here once to print my flight ticket on the way to the airport. I walked away from my library computer to use the printer for less than 2 minutes, and already a homeless bro sat down and started using my computer, which I was still logged into. Naturally, I'm not comfortable with him going through my personal emails so I walked over to confront him. I felt extremely unsafe around this person. As soon as I said, "Excuse me but I'm still using this computer," he reached over for a buck KNIFE he had set on the desk. Instantly I'm wondering if this dude is going to slash me for confronting him. He gave me a deer-in-the-headlights stare. I felt so unsafe with his hand on the knife. Now I'm just looking for any way to de-escalate and get away. I politely asked him, "Can you please logout before using my computer?" He stared a bit longer, but then actually did as I asked and logged out. Satisfied that my personal emails were now secure, I said thanks and bolted out of there. That whole place is so sketch and I would be hesitant to take kids there. The library looks clean and new, but still feels unsafe. read more

I went here a couple of weeks ago to get some studying done. I was hoping for peace and quiet in a library, boy was I wrong! It seems like the library is the place for people to hang out and socialize. There were some, for lack of a better word, shady individuals in there. People out in the parking lot were drinking beer and really didn't make me feel safe as I was walking to my car. No one pays attention to the "quiet zone" signs in the library and the staff just seems to not care. read more

Stopped by to return some library books and check out others. The library has an open feeling and it was fairly busy. The occasional train going by, blowing its horn, can be distracting. but that's not the libraries fault. The employees were friendly and helpful. They have free wi-fi which was nice. The worst part is all the people hanging out in the front of the library. You have to dodge and weave to get in the door. read more

ONLY reason why I don't give 5 is bcuz the train makes a lot of noise but Library can't control that. It's a big library with computers for adults and a computer section for the kiddos. I really like it. And the staff is really nice. read more

This place is complete trash. My husband and daughter have been here twice in the past month and both times it has been full of the homeless both loitering and harassing the staff. There was an argument in the bathroom and my husband felt threatened enough to physically prepare himself to be jumped by a guy who was shadowing him (the person reeked of feces) but he promptly left and we will not be back. read more

After the recent remodel, this place gets 5 stars from me! Close to home, Kent Station, and downtown shops in kent.

We love the Kent library. I take my kids there often for programs or to check out books. The staff are awesome. I appreciate that it is inclusive to all members of our community. There have been just a few annoyances that are not in control of the library itself: the intense smell of cigarette smoke that one must endure when checking in books, and a fight once broke out and made me feel unsafe for a moment. There is police presence frequently and that helps me feel safer. We love story time with Miss Laurin. She has always been sensitive to the needs of our family. The kids section here is awesome. I do wish there was a drive through option for returning books when I have sleeping kids in the car. read more

Great place to get books or get on computer. I like the large selection they got here as well.