Joan is a wonderful, cultured, and exuberant woman who can give you much insight on Ann Arbor's history, UM's football athletics program, and just about anything she collects (UM football memorabilia, miniature books, red items). She knows her way around so please feel welcomed to ask her for directions. Her cozy abode is quirky at first but you'll be drawn by the deep passion this lady has for these knickknacks. Home is well furnished: community bathroom, community kitchen, 3 bedrooms, and dining room (red room) for breakfast. Very clean and full of color. She cooks a pretty good "eggs in a basket" dish that's a scramble of eggs, asparagus, almonds, cranberries, and chicken/asiago cheese sausages. Croissant (so good!), coffee, tea, and orange juice is also available. She's very accommodating so don't be afraid to ask. The only issues we came across were the extra soft beds and fleece sheets that may be uncomfortable for some. Room's aren't too spacious but enough to house two people comfortably (but who stays in on a vacation?). She does have cats but they stay in her room and may roam in the breakfast area. I'm allergic to cats but they were not a problem for me at all. Please do keep the library bed and breakfast in mind the next time you come to Ann Arbor as her price is comparable and she'll make your experience a pleasurable memory! read more

I cannot say enough about the experience we had here. We admittedly called VERY late in the afternoon after a day of Antiquing. The owner, Joan Knoertzer, indicated that she was late for an appointment, but asked for a minute, then came back and told us to come by anyway! We arrive to a non-description residence covered with grapevines and trees on Mary Street, just off the busy corner of Packard and State. You could almost throw a rock and hit the Athletic Administration building we were so close! We parked on the street and walked up the curving steps to warmly greeted by a wonderful lady decked out in full Maize and Blue. This was just the beginning, as we entered which could best described as a bibliophile paradise crossed with a museum to all things Ann Arbor/ U of M. Climbing the steps, you first encounter the Poetry and Mystery Rooms, followed by a full Pullman kitchen and sitting area. If your into Ann Arbor's past, you'll find two great hanging lights from the old Pretzel Bell Restaurant, surrounded by books of all types. Last is the Tiny Book Room, which is filled with - you guessed it - tiny books. We had a great dinner later than night at Melting Pot (review forthcoming) and went to bed early and slept great. We woke up the next morning to amazing smells coming from downstairs, where we and another couple were greeted to fresh coffee, OJ, homemade pumpkin bread and pumpkin butter! This was followed by a fruit course and an amazing quiche. Mixed with a wonderful conversation, we felt like we were totally at home. Even the three cats, Kipling, Cinnamon and, well, I forget the third, treated us well. We then spent the next hour talking about everything books - we just didn't want to leave! Trust me, there is no better place to stay in AA, especially for the price and the food. Try it, you won't be sorry! read more

See all

I stayed at this B&B based on the review I read here. I am so glad I did. What a comfy place! Clean, beautiful, quirky, and full of books to read. As stated elsewhere, Joan, the host, is the best! She is wonderful company, is full of good advice, and she cooks a mean breakfast. read more

A great bed and breakfast ideally located within easy walking distance of the central campus. Joan prepares you a terrific breakfast at the time of your chosing. The sleeping quarters are very well appointed and immaculate. Joan does have a lot of her Michigan memorabilia about, but they do not interfer with your comfort. In the living rom, she has a nice flat screen television and anything you want to know about the Univeristy of Michigan, she has first hand knowledge of. She knows many of the present and past players and coaches personally. Her cats are in the living room, but not in the bedrooms. She has email, but prefers that you call her (734/668-6815). When we return to Ann Arbor, we'll be staying here. read more

I had a wonderful stay with Joan from July 7th through July 12th! :-) Her location made it possible for me to walk to a class I was attending that week in downtown Ann Arbor. Her breakfast entrees were very-delicious and unique. (Her culinary-creativity is wonderful!) My bed was quite comfortable. I would like to point-out that I'm just over 6 feet tall and the bathtub's showerhead was still high enough for me. Also, there was ample hot-water. Thanks again Joan! read more

What a wonderful place to stay in Ann Arbor! This is one of the best B&B's I've stayed in for the price, which is incredibly reasonable. While some aspects of the stay could have been more comfortable -- the bed was a bit stiff, we had to share a common bathroom, etc -- one thing couldn't be better: the host! Joan was wonderful company and served excellent breakfast. She is a bit quirky, but she is a true book lover and a real fixture of the Ann Arbor community. Overall, I would highly recommend the Library Bed and Breakfast for anyone who prefers B&Bs over hotels due to the hospitality and service -- it couldn't be better here. read more

I wish I could give more than 5 stars. My husband and I had an incredible experience at The Library. Joan goes above and beyond to make sure her guests are comfortable. Her spot is in the BEST location for walking around campus, going out to eat, or going to the games. She's also a great cook. I highly recommend! read more

Joan was a marvelous hostess. The accomodations were very clean and comfortable. The food was great. And the location is perfect. Also, if you appreciate books and vintage celerey dishes you're in for quite a surprise! read more

Think twice before going here! My husband and I love B&B's and wanted to do something special. We were really excited because it was the 'Library B&B' and we both love books. I had emailed Joan what time we were going to arrive, when I called her later that day to tell her that we were going to be an hour late she picked up the phone and screamed into it because she was watching football and apparently that was more important than acting professionally on the phone. She informed that that she has been waiting there since 1pm and after all 'she has errands to run', so it would have been nice if we had let her know what time we were going to arrive. I informed her that I had sent her an email the day before letting her know our travel plans. She said that she had never received an email, which seems hard to believe because she had received and replied to every other one that I had sent her in the days leading up to our stay, but I'm guessing because this was a UM football game day that might have had something to do with her not 'receiving' my email. When we get there we were told by Joan, the owner, that we had to wait outside in the cold and rain because there was a minute 30 left in the UM game and she couldn't miss it! So we waited outside of the front door carrying 4 bags while we watched her through the window watching the end of the UM game. She didn't even have the common decency to let us in the front door right away. When we finally did let us in, the toxic smell of cat pee hits you like a brick wall. She has 5 indoor cats and 4 outdoor cats. So if you are allergic to cats... or the smell of cat pee makes you ill... DON'T STAY HERE! The game wasn't finished yet, so now we are standing inside of her living room, still carrying 4 bags surrounded by the smell of cat pee while she is screaming at the tv while watching the UM football game. She didn't even say a word of kindness to us, such as 'Hello', 'I am so glad that you are here' 'How was the drive?'. Nope, she treated us as an annoyance because we interrupted her during her game instead of paying clients, which we were! Before we get shown to our room or anything, she wants to get paid right away. Which was a little uncomfortable since I was treating my husband to a weekend away and no sooner than the game is over, she asks us how we will be paying, credit card or cash? She finally shows us to our room, which was fairly small, but we didn't mind. We were just happy to be settling in. The main disappointment that we had with our room wasn't the size or anything, it was the fact that even with the door closed we could still smell the cat pee wafting in under our door. And we love cats and have cats, but this would be too much for anyone to deal with! We went out to dinner and I did not want to return to the B&B. I was SO unhappy with the hour that we had spent at the Library B&B that I just wanted to have a nice romantic dinner with my husband and drive back home. The next morning we all went down for breakfast. Joan informed all of us that some people already had assigned seats, which none of us seemed to understand. But there was one woman there who wanted a specific seat. So, on my husband and my anniversary.... because this one woman had her assigned seat... we were going to have to sit on opposite corners of the table from each other. Luckily a young woman who was there by herself said that we could have her seat. When I spoke up and said something, Joan replied... not to me but to everyone... 'Oh, they want to sit together', in a very condescending tone. During breakfast Joan continued to watch and scream at whatever UM sport was playing on the television at the time. And to top things off, she was blaring the UM fight song on the stereo while we were trying to have a peaceful breakfast. She is a huge UM fan and that most definitely got in the way of her being an actual B&B hostess... and a polite one at that. This trip was supposed to be a very special and relaxing trip for the both of us, instead it was the worst B&B experience either one of us has had... EVER! Its called the Library B&B and while people have remarked on here that there are a lot of books to see, the majority of the books you cannot see or do not have access to. The books that you do have access to are what I would consider 'left over' books or 'throw away' books. Many just seem to only be there to fill up space on shelves. While there were many books, I would not consider 6 copies of Anne Rice or Danielle Steel rare or interesting reads. And to top it all off, neither one of us got a restful sleep. The floor in the room we were in was slanted. While the bookshelves and everything else in the room was shimmed to level it... the bed wasn't, so we spent the entire night sleeping on an angle. And the bedroom doors do not have key locks. So if you are going out for the evening, there is no way to secure your belongings in your room. read more

I felt incredibly fortunate to have gotten on this site and found the Library. This B&B is just a few blocks from campus. It was my first visit to Ann Arbor and I could not have been more happy to have met Joan and stayed here. She gave me a great history of the area along with maps. Her warmth and hospitality made the stay very comfortable. Communal bath and kitchen, nice rooms and a TV and dining room downstairs. read more