I used to love this library, but I found staff and security are addressing the wrong issues. The other day, I was not approached, but attacked for having fruit snack packages. I'm an adult who knows how not to get sticky fingers on books. It was so demeaning! They do nothing about loud talkers on cell phones or screaming children, but have to find a scapegoat. Staff Not as friendly. One shout out to sweetheart librarian Charlene. She's Always friendly and nice to me. read more

I love the Phoenix public library system. The staff at the Mesquite branch helpful and the selection is good. You can always order what you want from another branch and it will arrive in just a couple days. The seating is comfortable if you want to relax for a bit with a book and there are plenty of tables if you need to sit down and get to work. There are also a fair amount of computers available for use if needed. Check out is a breeze if you do it on your own or there is someone to help if needed. Check their schedule they offer some interesting events at this location from time to time that are family friendly, especially during the summer. read more

Wonderful library! Relatively clean, except for the toys.. my child got sick twice after playing with those toys. So we don't do that anymore. But the books are great. Decent selection. A great feature are the Culture Passes! You get 3 free tickets to a long list of museums and cool places to take your kids! We went to the Japanese Friendship Garden, it was lovely. read more

I just recently started to use this Phoenix Public Library and am impressed by their service. I love how simple it is to check out books now. I tend to reserve my books online and wait for the email telling me they are ready for pickup. Once they are ready I just use a kiosk and check out my books...so simple, I love it! I'm always in and out of the library. The staff here is always super helpful and friendly! read more

Decided to try again since it's close to home. Still the same (le sigh). Phones ringing, people talking in normal voices, little kids squealing. Oh well. Btw staff is awesome I just wish there was a policy about being quiet in libraries like in the old days. read more

I love this library! My wife or I take our 2 year old almost every week. Staff is very friendly and always willing to help.

Well this is my local branch....again another locale within walking distance of my apt. My favorite aspect of this library is the self check out. I love how you can just let scan your card....place your items on the pad....the computer checks them out for you....and you receive your receipt. It is fast....easy....and you don't have to talk to anyone....not to mention there is great parking. My other favorite aspect of this branch is that you can put a hold on books if you have an online account with www.phxlib.org and when you materials are ready they will send you an email and you can go to your favorite branch and pick them up. This is a great service offered by the phoenix library system....and the customer service staff is very helpful when you come into the branch. They also have free Wi-Fi....computer access....all the latest CD's and DVD's and plenty of children and adult activities on a daily basis. So get out to your favorite branch and remember to Eat, Drink, and be Merry my Friends!!! read more

I'm shocked that people mention this library has a good selection. Maybe I'm spoiled in that I was used to Burton Barr- this library NEVER has anything I'm looking for! The kids section is nice though, with an assortment of toys. The programs are limited though, and people fight over the small amount of tickets given for each program. read more

This library has been around for a long time. It used to be on 32nd St, north of Cactus in a small little building. They have a great selection of books, videos, and music. They also offer classes for your children for free. Books! Check'em out! read more

I love the story time program here! I started coming this summer after having a baby and wanting to get my toddler out of the house while beating the heat. The staff here is amazing! It is a 30 minute session of singing, dancing, stories and bubbles. We look forward to this every week now. My daughter loves the take home cut out and coloring sheet. The first thing she does is come home and color it. I am so thankful for this free program. read more

Been going to this library often now as it is the only one close by. Good selection of books and audio for such a small library. I've found it's a great place to spend time reading in one of the large chairs or out on the patio. I ride my bike their and it's so fun to just take a ride on a Saturday with my pack and go to the library for a few good reads. The book check-out is all new and very simple to work, and the customer service desk is very helpful. I remember when the library was flooded a while ago when heavy rains were brought in by the monsoon. But even through that, they redid everything and looks like it never happened. Also got to love the unique, and interesting architecture of the old building. Got to go see it. This is my favorite library!! read more

I've been coming to this library for over 10 years. I really like it. The location is great, I can charge my car at the blink station while I'm looking at books and its open late. read more

This is our local library and I am a fan. It is one of the smaller public libraries in the area but it is great for children. They have a large children's book section along with DVDs, books on tape and music CDs. Computers are also available for kids (or adults) to access the web, including educational games. They have a large open area for kids to play with building blocks on the floor. This area is surrounded by sofas for parents. They also have activities on some of the tables for kids to draw. You are allowed to check out 35 items at once, including 10 DVDs. The self check-out process is very simple and all automated. The parking lot for this location is very small but you can park across the street in the mall's covered parking lot (which will save you from getting heat stroke when you get back in your car). read more

It's dumb that we try to take our kids to this class "baby time" and they offer 10 tickets to the ENTIRE valley. It's once a week and if you don't camp out over night to get your tickets, oh well, your turned away. Why not have a bigger room? Why not have it a couple times? read more

Very helpful staff. I walked in and apparently looked lost. Staff approached me and immediately directed me to where I needed to be! I was shocked bc I've experienced so much poor customer service in this city! This was a welcome change! :) read more

This is the best library (other than Burton Barr which is 4 floors and hard to beat). The Staff are always friendly and when you use their 'hold' system, you can get in and out really quickly. The only complaint is, for the 2nd busiest library in Phoenix, they sure have a small parking lot. read more

I started coming here a lot more recently to be tutored twice a week for my college level math class. There's two things that I noticed right away: there is not nearly enough seating and it's very loud. On one side of the library there is the younger kid section and all the way on the other side is where there are maybe 10 small round tables and a few soft chairs for people to actually work on things. The last time I went in there must've been at least 50 kids in the kid section and all you could hear throughout the entire library was kids screaming, babies crying, and toys being crashed together. I was on the complete opposite side of the library and it was still distracting to me. I do wish that the noise level could be controlled more. I also really wish they'd get more tables and seating. The round tables they provide are barely big enough for two people to work at and they're always occupied for long periods of time making it difficult to find a place to work. I will say that I do enjoy how nice and cool it is especially since it's summer time and for the most part it's very clean and kept very well organized (I always see staff cleaning and tidying up). I also love the free WiFi as well especially since it's very fast! read more

First, let me say that I have used and loved the Mesquite Library for many years. I listen to audio books (CD or MP3 disc) since I don't have time to sit and read and I now am at the age where reading the print is a challenge. The Phoenix libraries have decimated the audio book section, it's less than half of what it once was and I normally reserve my audio books online and so many have been removed. I'm guessing they were given to Friends of the Phoenix Library who no longer have book sales for their members (of which I am one) and I notice now that Friends are selling books to Half Price Books instead of holding the book sales. Nice for the members that have paid a membership fee to be treated that way! OK, back on subject. The Mesquite Branch and all the other branches, are removing audio books at a rapid pace, the Mesquite seems to have turned into a Blockbuster Video, that has become a massive section in the library. I understand that people like movies but really, they are taking over the library and I've always thought of a library as a place for books and reading . . . silly of me I guess. Not that I'm against movies but really, why are they taking over the place. And lastly, I do agree with others, the library is noisy, it seems that some are not aware that libraries are supposed to be a quiet place. read more

WOW wow WOWwwwww! At first I expected this place to be a grocery store and was a little disappointed at first, but man was I in for a pleasant surprise. This place actually has books! Tons of them! I'm from Bosnia and wasn't familiar with the whole library/rent a book concept and at first I was offended that they wouldn't take cash for the books I had chosen! I fought a bit ....especially when the worker said to bring them back in 3 weeks! However we worked things out! It's an amazing concept! You get to read a book for free and then take it back and choose a new book! America is so great read more

Used to come to this library often while I was in school. Haven't come here many times after 2007. But still come here once or twice just to vote for City of Phoenix elections. Very good location right by PV Mall and near SR-51 and Loop-101. I believe the city cut the library hours, so this location doesn't even open on Fridays anymore. But I would agreed on the good librarians working in the library. read more

I really wanted to like this library because they have a great children's section. I have a 10 month old son, so when I learned of their baby time classes- I was ecstatic. It's difficult to find ways to entertain a crawler all day. This was the one thing we look forward to on my days off. Today, I showed up for the class (on time) and was turned away because they "ran out of tickets". They wouldn't even make an exception for 1 more baby! I mean get over yourselves! I plan my baby's meals and nap time around this class. Then to get him dressed and myself ready to go and drive all the way down there, to be turned away. I have been to other library classes who don't use tickets and pack the class with as many babies as possible. I am also not a fan of the new babytime instructor. She is extremely soft spoken and does not do a very good job of getting the kids excited. I would rather have someone who puts more effort into being animated. Acacia library classes are much better in my opinion. read more

This is the best library in Phoenix. The kids section can't be beat and I am always sad when my library day lands on the days they are closed. The selection is excellent and I always walk out with too many books. I guess that's not a bad thing. read more

I like this library very much and only giving 3 stars instead of 5 because of a fake review that said "I grew up in this library" This library is new and she looked old. Down side no study rooms, lot of noise, little parking but supper nice people. read more

I really wanted to like this library. They have a nice children's area for kids. And I have a few friends in the area that lived near by so we would meet up for the story time with our kids or meet there for the kids to read and play. I took my 18month old daughter there to play, read, and socialize. My daughter was playing with a kid and let out a few playful screams. Well lets just say the librarians weren't very nice when they asked me to control my daughter and be quiet. I understand its library and we need to be quiet (and yes we want to be respectful of others) but come one she's 18months. I can only do so much. I had already gone over to my daughter to tell her to be quiet. She let out another scream so I walked over to her and picked her up to leave and with in minutes this man came up to me and asked me to leave and was being so rude about. I told him that is what i was doing! He kept repeating the policy with me, If your also going to be a kid friendly library they should also be understanding kids are going to be be kids. Have your kids area be enclosed! We should be encouraging our kids to read and socialize! read more

I have to echo similar sentiments to other posters about the noise level in this library. DO NOT COME HERE IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A QUIET PLACE TO STUDY OR READ. I'm in my mid-twenties as well and have a small child. So I would say I'm not that out of touch with society, people's needs in a library, etc. It's not just how rude most patrons are about talking loudly, or the staff's disinterest in reminding people to "talk in your inside voice" (Remember hearing that phrase as kids? I still teach my kid that concept.) But it's the multiple tutoring sessions with children taking place all over the library...at full volume...and right on top of one another. I'm a student myself and am trying to study as well, but it's extremely difficult to do when you are also hearing math lessons on measurements, grammar lessons on prepositions, and conversations about a kid swallowing a quarter all going on around you. Right out in the open. It's rude and inconsiderate of people to host lessons in out there like that. They should be held in a conference room in the library, at the child's school, or heck even a fast food restaurant where wifi is free and noise and conversation is acceptable to be had there. I don't understand why the staff allows these tutoring lessons to take place all over the library. It completely undermines the purpose of the library. read more