What a gem of a place! A true dive bar in the age of trendy craft beers and gastro-pubs, if you're looking for a super cheap drink and an old time, almost dingy feeling then this is your place. Full of both regulars and all around friendly people, both customers and staff alike. I've frequented this place for quite some time now and have been recommending it to everyone I know ever since my first visit. Cheers Library Bar! read more

Cheap drinks, good service, great vibes. Visited from out of town, searching for the nostalgia of the college kid experience. Highly recommend! read more

Good food and cool setting! The servers are nice and welcoming and service is always great!

A great cheap bar in the campus district! I stopped in on a Tuesday and drinks were cheap. I had such a good time that I stopped back in later in the day. Very friendly staff and regulars alike. read more

Happy Dads were such a hit--the drinks tasted amazing and had that smooth, refreshing flavor that kept the vibe light and fun. Everyone was laughing, smiling, and enjoying the atmosphere, which made it feel like the perfect balance between relaxation and energy. The crisp, easy-to-drink style of Happy Dads paired perfectly with the upbeat setting, giving off a laid-back but lively mood. Between the great taste and the great company, it honestly couldn't have been a better time. read more

This bar has a cozy feel, both on the main level and the downstairs area. They have a small patio out back. The inside was pretty clean and the bartenders were attentive. Drink prices were reasonable. Looks like they have some good weekday specials and events including trivia on Monday, karaoke on Wednesday, mug night on Thursday and live music on Friday. Would definitely come back here! read more

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This is such a cute bar with good drinks & great service. The environment feels welcoming & was able to make some friends at their karaoke night. read more

The Library Bar is the best dive bar on campus. It has cheap drinks, fun games, and the best place to chill. This place has been here forever and it's fun simply reading the carvings on the booths and walls. It has real cheap beer even if not happy hour. The pinball machines are also cool to fuck around with. I always have a good experience here. The drinks are cheap and they're good. It has the basics like Bud, Miller, and PBR. The Long Island iced teas are small but stiff. Wednesday after 9 is mug night. It's $2.50 for a full mug and $1.75 each refill. The happy hour prices are $1 house liquor, and beers are $2.75 a pint. I like the old wood interior. It adds to the bar's old beaten feel. There are years of carvings on the booths and walls. I sure enough have added my fair share. The basement is something else. It's a pretty nice place to relax and you can get away with smoking here. They also have some kickass games. The best were KISS and Walking Dead pinball machines and the foosball table. The jukebox used to be better. It has too much pop. They still play some great metal and rock. I make this a stop if I am around there. It has a lot of character and is a link to campus's past. This isn't trendy like other bars but you come here without caring what anyone thinks. read more

Library Bar - KISS And Walking Dead Pinball Fuck Yeah - Dive Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Great bar. Good for all crowds, young and old. Drinks are fair priced and fairly made as well- bit watered down. Woukd recommend!

Great little dive near the shoe on Lane & High next door to BW3. They have a Touchtunes juke box, so I can play Illinois Loyalty over and over and over again. Small but nice selection of beers on tap. Miller Lite pitcher for $7.50. Even Kevin can soak up the suds! Also ran into some fellow Illini here. And, ran into my first guy that wanted to engage me in conversation because of my Illinoise shirt. I asked him if he knew which of the twin states I came from... read more

Library Bar - a bar with a clock behind a wire fence - Dive Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I started going here in the late 90s. I met my wife there. It has an old campus feel to it and then somewhere around 2015 these antifa types took it over and it was awful. It got real dark, political and depressing. I have heard it has been purchased and turned into a proper sports/Ohio State buckeyes bar. I will check it out and increase the rating if that horrible emo bunch is gone. read more

Luke said it best. "Old-as-shit campus bar" full of regulars and locals. This has been a staple for years, do to a few friend's constant close proximity to the place, so it's usually where we end up if we go out for a walk and don't keep heading south. The bartenders are good with the basics, and the crowd is often a mixed bag. It may not attract the douche bags, but instead you are surrounded by the "college hipsters" and the jukebox is locked down to prevent any offending song from being played. Except Justin Bieber. Seriously. I couldn't play a lot of songs (indie rock, rock, hip hop) but I could play Bieber. So we did, as we left the bar, just to listen to the collective groan of everyone there. I apologize kids, but it was totally worth it, and that's what makes me come back. read more

An old house turned college bar. Lots of fun nooks and crannies to hide in with your PBR. Touch Tunes music so pray the Woo girls don't get their picks in before yours. Men's toilet is a trough. In short, good if you're drunk. read more

I have it on good authority that, despite rumors to the contrary, the Library will remain open for the foreseeable future. This is a good thing. Like a handful of campus survivors, the Library hearkens back to when college culture was invented. Much like Mickey Mouse, college culture lost a lot of personality once its shares became publicly traded. The pastime of having some beers, though no longer subversive, was still a long way from the Van Wilder cliche it has become. The paradigm of fun times for fun people lives on at the Library. Three cheers for that. read more

Solid dive bar near the Ohio State campus. The inside is cozy and completely unpretensious and where you can be leered at by creepy old men. Plus you know you are at a dive bar when you see a child running around! Drinks are reasonably priced...I believe this past weekend, my friend's bar tab was around $77 which was all of our drinks for the evening (some glasses of wine, 4 or 5 rounds of shots for our group of 5, and many many pitchers of beer). There are darts and a pool table in the very dimly lit basement, which is a good hangout especially if you are into defying the smoking ban. Parking isn't the best if you are driving there...there is a little lot in the back off of Norwich, you can search for street parking, or you can take a chance on Curl Drive at Ohio State. Overall, a great choice when near campus if you just want to relax without a care in the world. read more

My favorite bar on campus I love the hometown feel and the comfort of this bar. They're open all days of the week and the staff is friendly and will recognize you once you start going regularly read more

Let me tell you a little something about the library. It is definitely not just for studying. It is for cheap drinks, good times and divey goodness. This place is clearly not for any of you that want a trendy place to have a beer and hookup. It is for the night owls looking to get wasted. When you are wasted, look up! You'll see a very vintage ceiling. Look to the left! You'll see carvings and sharpie on the wall. Look to the right! You'll also see carvings and sharpie. You might as well add your own! Just don't look down! You'll see sticky floors and a lot of shame. If you want a chill cheap drink just head to the library! read more

Library Bar - The reason why this review might be a little sloppy... - Dive Bars Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Writing a review for the Library seems completely against the ethos of such an illustrious institution, but here we are. The epitome of a dive bar. Unfortunately, these kind of bars are becoming harder and harder to find - especially on campus. I never actually came to this bar while I was at OSU, but have been many a time since. Came with a group on Saturday night, and it had been at least 5 years since my last visit. Nothing had changed except a new Walking Dead pinball machine and a slightly more varied selection of taps. Last time I was here (circa 2010) people were still smoking inside. Cheap beer. Pitchers for about $8 and I had a glass of burgundy for $2.50. It tasted like a $4 bottle of red, but for that price I'll drink it all night. There's a basement and a patio, and one of the sketchiest bathrooms in town. They have darts, pool, and pinball, and just enough TVs. There was a decent mix of college kids and regulars here, and everyone was pretty chill. The Library - check it out! read more

While it's no Larry's, the Library is still a pretty decent dive bar in an area that could use plenty more. Located just north of Lane Avenue near OSU, the Library offers a cheap, hassle-free escape from the crowded college bars that line High Street. At first, the somewhat cramped quarters and occasional sketchball local here and there may make it may feel like a place you'd take someone that you were planning on murdering within an hour or two, but after a few more visits you'll definitely warm up to the place. The draft selection is unremarkable, but it's doubtful that you'd be coming here in search of an obscure Chilean IPA or a fine single malt scotch aged to perfection. The Library has cheap beer at a cheap price; 'nuff said. On of my favorite of this dive is its hodgepodge of entertainment options. There's a pool table located in the back of the bar, a foosball table near the entrance, a couple of dartboards in the side room, and this really groovy shuffleboard-bowling type game that's always good for a laugh or two. Larry's has the Library beat with their Playboy pinball machine, but the Library's otherwise superior selection of hokey bar games makes it the runaway winner when it comes to ways to occupy yourself while getting intoxicated. read more

Solid hangout! I used to live right across the street. Had my first drink on midnight of my 21st birthday at the bar! Me and so many of my great friends would go to the library all the time. Got to know all the regulars and bar tenders! You never really knew what was going to happen on a given night at the library. Sometimes it just gets really weird. It smells in there and its covered in wood. This is the best part because it keeps the meatheads and the clueless people away. Only until they hear all of their friends talking about how cool it is, then they come. Pinball is a great time there..they used to have a really sweet star wars one in there. There's a company that changes the machines up every so often so there's some variety. Played many a night of pool there as well. During the weekends your lucky to squeeze in a game at night, but get there early enough, or write your name on the board (if anyones looking at it) and you can join a team. The basement is a basement and it smells even worse, but you can still chill down there. Oh and the bathroom is not a pretty sight. You pee into a bathtub style urinal and it smells like an ancient mixture of urinal cakes. But it is what it is..There's the back patio and thats a nice little spot as well! I live in California now, but will definitely be heading to the Library bar on all my trips to Columbus. read more

I love this place! It's an old dive bar but for some reason, updates just don't seem necessary here. The beer is super cheap and it's a laid back, yet fun atmosphere. There aren't many little 21 year olds hanging around in here, which is an added bonus. The bathrooms are clean, service is always great, and it's a good, fun time! read more

A true dive and dive bar lover's dream. Old as shit wooden tables, salty bartenders and regulars, cheap beer, and a trough urinal. Yup...all the makings of a great dive. A couple of pinball tables a jukebox...bonus plus bonus. A great spot that I hit before the Bucks game. I will be back... read more

I have no historical connection to this bar, except that a teacher of mine from high school used to go to this bar in college back in the day. I'm not a hipster, or a frat boy, rather I'd like to think I'm somewhere in the middle. Perhaps this is why I also get a normal, right in the middle, vibe from this dive bar. It was nothing extremely special, but nothing I can't appreciate either. There are some pool tables, there are some lower priced domestics...wooden tables, booths, and stuff. It's a dive bar. My friends who smoke, love this place. Somehow The Library has finagled the Ohio law books to allow smoking in (at least) the basement of the bar. Or perhaps the bar is drafty enough that they consider the whole place a patio, I'm unsure. Again I say, nothing amazing here (but do bring a sweater if you're lounging here in the Winter). I had a positively average evening, overall. I saw a drunk man smash his beer on the stairs and get yelled at. I watched a couple play pool together. I talked with some friends about life over a pint of domestic, which seemed moderately priced. I'll probably be back to see if something extraordinary happens, or if the positively average atmosphere consistently lulls me into a deep emotion of some sort. Until then, The Library is simply... a bar. read more

This place is one of the diviest of dive bars. - General lack of windows: Check. I believe it has 2 total windows - Well Worn Decor: Check. The tables and booths must be 40+ years old. - Old Bartenders: Check. No offense cause they rock. Staffed often by the owners who will chat with you about anything and everything. - Locals: Check. They come in cause they know the bartenders. - Graffiti laden bathrooms: Check. Bonus for having a trough! - Odor of Stale Beer: Check. At least I think it is beer... - Old POS pool table: Ehhh. I think they got a new one in the last couple years. First time I have ever called that a negative though. Overall I really love this place. So much character. One of the only campus bars worth your time. read more

To answer the question at the end of my last review... the basement. I had been to The Library countless times without ever visiting the downstairs and for awhile didn't even know it was there despite the staircase being directly on your left when you walk in. But this last time, The Library was apparently the hoppingest place in town and there was virtually no where to even stand, especially for five people. It brought me back to high school/early college days of hanging out in a damp, drafty, unpleasant, unfinished basement when there was no better option. But now I'm a grownup who can legally enjoy alcohol and don't have to hide out in a bomb shelter to get my drink on. There is a pool table, darts, and a Simpsons arcade game but none of that would be enough to lure me down there again. It was more enjoyable once more people were also forced down there due to the packed upstairs - it at least made it feel like we were at a bar again. Before that, I was practically waiting for my mom to yell down and ask if we wanted Pizza Rolls. read more

Campus has evolved tremendously in the past few years, but thankfully we still have a few gems here and there that have retained the beloved grit and grime of High Street. The Library is one such place. Cheap beers, dark wood walls and fixtures, sticky floors and a pool table. What more could you need in the hunt for the perfect college dive? read more

I was there with some work colleagues mid-May. Originally, I was looking for a place to eat nearby there, but the place was closed because of summer hours so we decided to stop by the Library instead. It's a typical college bar-- Cheap drinks so that was a plus. I felt a little bit of nostalgia sitting in a college bar... But at the same time I sure did feel old. :P read more

Library is a dive bar, they know they're a dive bar, and they're not trying to NOT be a dive bar. Pros: Absolutely cheap prices. Fast, friendly service. Women's restroom is alright. HUGE basement with pool tables! Cons: Little liquor selection. Tiny patio out back. Men's restroom is... it's a trough with ancient wood paneling. read more

This place has been around forever. Seriously, one of the cheapest happy hours you will get in the area. While it may be a dive bar, you won't feel out of place- unless your dressed like a street hooker walking up King Ave. Check out the basement, it's a solid hangout, and scope out a booth and order a pitcher. Stay for hours, you won't regret it! I hardly frequent this place due to all the smoking! So, despite the history and tradition, I cannot rate this bar too high. read more

Josh the bartender is very handsome quick with a drink quick with a smile and he touched me in ways I never felt I love the library bar I took them over two grand and then he came home with me post review read more

My buddies and I from WI stopped in here both nights when we were in town for the UW at OSU game. The customers are friendly and the staff even more so to a bunch of out of towners. Recommended to anyone who wants to just relax, drink some adult beverages, play foosball and hang with friends without all the annoyances that come with some bars on campus. read more

One of very few old-as-shit campus bars left. A total dive, with tons of old timers and regulars hanging out drinking. Everything is wooden, which I think gives it a nice tavern feel. Salty staff takes no gruff. Cheap everything, especially at happy hour. I think they even have a foosball table if I recall correct. read more

Pleasantly surprised by the Library. Went in with an open mind, and I enjoyed it. It is not the typical campus bar, with people from all walks of life there. I was able to actually talk to the bartender and the people sitting around me. Drinks were also very cheap. Location is prime! read more

So, here's the thing... This is one of the last dive bars left on campus that has stood the test of time. I came here in college back in the late 90s. It is still the same...but it seems much busier now...with actual students instead of deadbeats and bikers. It's tiny, dingy, dark, cheap, nonjudgmental, often smelly, and smokey. But it's a cheap place to come and forget the night. Oh...but the jukebox is not as good as it was back then. Miley Cyrus? Only 4 Black Sabbath songs? Crap. read more

I've been coming to this bar since 2007. It's never let me down! The drinks are cheap, the atmosphere is friendly, and the music is great. I've never had a bad time at The Library! This is my go-to spot when I want to be guaranteed a good time. If I sound redundant, it's because it's the best bar in Old North! (Or, to me, it's the best bar in the entire city of Columbus!) read more

Divey, can get crowded, generally filled with salt of the earth people.

I'm not gonna lie. I come here often. There isn't much I can add that other's haven't already said but the place is cool. Bring some friends and sit in one of the many booths available and read what folks have written on the walls. Get a pitcher or a PBR for $1.25 some nights. When you don't want to explain yourself to anyone or you just want to sit and watch the game, c'mon in, there's a seat. If you want a group of buddies, well, there's space for that too. Oh, and the jukebox has some decent tunes on it. read more

The reviewer before me has summed it up better than I can improve upon! A real campus classic dive bar.

Chill spot. Lax atmosphere. It gets smokey...

In my years at Ohio state, nothing stands out quite like the library. Always a great crowd, cheap beer, and just the right amount of dive. 6/5 stars read more