This library is top notch in every way. It is also very enormous. One full very large floor for…read moreonly kiddos. The second floor is for teens and adults. The staff is great, and they have lots of events.

I did not expect to find the Farmington library as part of a larger town government complex. If I…read morewere a betting person, I'd blame the seventies. The outside of the building is very austere and gray. There is a fair amount of parking available, so watch out for pedestrians. The building itself is huge; there is a map in the lobby and it is helpful. The lobby has so much on its own - a used book sales area, movies, space to sit.... There used to be (if memory serves over several years) a coffee station but now holds maps for planning information. There is, off the lobby, also a whimsical duck statue. The Friends of the library do a book sale once a year. On the last day, it starts as a normal sale, and in the afternoon goes to $10 per bag you fill with books. There is a gap between those two sales, and a place to queue until the bag sale opens. You're not going to pull one over on the Friends and sneak in as the first part of the sale ends. You'll be asked to wait outside.

On a bit of a roadtrip down the Connecticut coast, we arrived in New Haven a little after 3pm, and…read moreI knew I had only had a little time before things/attractions closed at 5pm. So after hitting the Yale Center for British Art, we speed walked (sped walked?) over to the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Why? Google it and you'll understand when you see the pictures. Beinicke is Yale's rare book and manuscript library - not their main university library or their law library. The reading room is open to registered researchers only, but the public are welcome to visit the library's exhibition hall. And everyone visiting New Haven should! The library was built in 1963, and the the architecture is incredible. The building is a granite veneer shell, fastened to a structural steel frame. Inside that structure is a glass-enclosed tower of book cases. The granite was milled to 1.25 inches thick to allow filtered daylight in - in the afternoon/early evening, the marble turned an amber color. We walked back past it at night for a different view of the building. It is really incredible architecture, and the library hosts exhibits you can see in the exhibition hall when you visit to enjoy the building (when we visited, the exhibit was "Taught By the Pen: The World of Islamic Manuscripts"). The building is incredible and definitely worth a visit if you're exploring the Yale campus!

there is NO PUBLIC BATHROOM in here, but the staff directed me to the closest bathroom in the…read morebuilding across the courtyard.

Plainville Public Library came into fruition in 1894. The building it's currently housed in opened…read morein 1931; after many renovations, it has expanded to fit more books for the growing population. There are meeting rooms, children's room, fireplaces, and many seating areas. There were plenty of parking in the large parking lot; there were two electric vehicle charging spots as well. The building was large and inside was spacious. It's a very nice library but I noticed the hours are more limited compared to other libraries I've been to. I went on Friday at 3:45 and they were closing at 4. I went downstairs to the children's room. There were many books, computers, and toys. The area was spacious and a great spot for the kids. There was a train table, play kitchen, and coloring table. The librarian downstairs was friendly and I checked out a few books. I was able to drop off a few books upstairs the front desk. Overall, it's a nice library!

I'm always jealous of places where people get out of their house so much, there's a significant…read moreamount of people even at the library. The parking lot is a good size to accommodate this crowd - the children's library is downstairs and the adult on the ground floor. It's huge and open, although with a substantial amount of books on the shelves (enough to where they have two small shopping carts available for patron use). There is a puzzle lending section, and for the month of February they have displayed a "blind date" book table where all you know is the genre of a mystery book to try. They also have display cases spread throughout the library with birds eggs that (if I'm reading their display cards correctly) are over 100 years old, and a copy of the Gutenberg bible. It's looks to be a great asset to the town!

I've been here a couple of times now and I'm completely obsessed. I love the music records area and…read moreI can camp out here for hours. It's almost dead silent and it feels like one ought to do important work ... in such an important-feeling space (which is a wonderful motivator). Wish that more of the library was open to the public but I understand that in the New Haven area and with as many visitors as Yale probably gets, that's simply not possible. Note: This library is also open until 10pm on some days! Thank you!

The Sterling Memorial Library is the most beautiful library I've ever entered! The Gothic arches,…read moreceiling vaults, and details embedded in every nook and cranny blew my mind. I felt like I was walking the halls of Hogwarts and didn't want to leave. If you love architecture, I highly recommend checking out this library.

I visited this library for their annual book and bake sale. If the people streaming out with bags…read moreof books is any indication, they have a fairly loyal following. The selection seems to be ample, and the people working there were actually smiling. I've never seen that in a real life work environment (which may say more about me than them). Getting in and out change be a little challenging, especially if you're using a GPS. Parking is available behind the town hall/police station, and the actual building is on the street but if you're coming from the right, is across a split road. My dog and I drove around for quite a while before this dawned on me.

Great people working and volunteering here!! The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful. My…read morefavorite place to go!!

Very friendly librarians and clearly run by people with a love of books. They even have books on…read moretheir sign outside. The children's section is on the lower level by the entrance, and the adult section is upstairs. My only qualm is the parking lot off Terryville Avenue is very narrow and hard to turn around in. It can also be difficult to turn left with the significant flow of traffic.

Great small town Library our kids grew up in this town the schools are also good they are a small…read moretown working class people who try and do there best to make do with what little they have. This Library is small but very safe, quiet and historical you could literally drop your kids off comeback 3 hours later and it's that safe although I don't recommend anyone to do that. The staff are all locals who went to school here grew up here and live here what more American could you get. This town is very humble and extremely Patriotic the Parade every year is absolutely beautiful the most tight knit community great place to raise your children please do not listen to folklore because we lived and raised all our kids here and wouldn't change it for an tinsel town hobnob stuck up snot nosed town. The elders in this community genuinely care for the wellbeing of its citizens and to me that's worth its weight in gold. Now back to the Library in my opinion it's the best kept secret in Litchfield County and most drive by it without realizing this, the Mayor of town has done the most for it and the Police Chief has made some great improvements to the force all in all this town has lots of veterans who grew up and live here for that we are thankful.

This is absolutely one of the most gorgeous libraries I've ever stepped foot in. It doesn't have…read moremuch other than street parking, but the building is amazing. It's about 100 years old and built to be a library, it's not formerly something else. There are mosaics on the wall, gorgeous old fireplaces, a microfilm machine in front of a display of stained glass, and a book room out of a movie. The librarians are also very kind, able and eager to answer questions, and obviously proud to be custodians of such a beautiful building.

I took my son to the children's room and it was so cute the two woman that were there were friendly…read moreeven though they spoke after a few minutes of us walking in, however a high school girl that was tall with short hair came in to work and she never even spoke to us. It was awkward and weird that I had to leave because it was only us in the room. As I was leaving a father and his daughter came in and she didnt speak to them either. It is disgusting behavior, you work at a public library you should be friendly at least fake it. The front desk woman was very nice though. I feel so uncomfortable I dont think I will go back it was just weird.

What a beautiful Greek revival style building! It was built in 1917 and was the main library in…read moreFarmington until 1983. There is a playground and ample parking. Like other libraries, this place is a great resource for the community. The children's area was nice. There were plenty of books and some computers for them to use. There was a separate room with toys, magnetic tiles, dollhouse, and more. Overall, a beautiful library and the kids and I enjoyed our time there.

A lot more than…read more just books There are lots of libraries in the state of Connecticut. Huge efficient ones, small quaint ones and cool historical ones. But there are few libraries anywhere than can match the resplendence, elegance and comfort of the Barney Library. Built back in 1919 and called the Village Library until 1999, the Barney Library was the main library in the town of Farmington until 1983 when a much more modern and larger library was completed. Fortunately the Barney Library was kept open and given three million dollars in renovations. Walking into this library is an experience. You immediately notice such niceties like fireplaces, wooden floors, antiques, spiral staircases and artwork. One of the cool librarians that works here told me that many people ask if the building was once someones private mansion or residence but no, it was built as a library from the very start. Of course the Barney Library has books, computers, and all the other mundane things found in typical libraries. It also has plenty of programs for kids and various lectures and demonstrations. However if you go up the grand spiral staircase you will find something not so typical. Several beautiful rooms that hold art sales and concerts, complete with a kitchen and stunning antiques. The Barney Library is a very special place. Perhaps not the most efficient library around because of all the open spaces and gorgeous paintings and antiques that prevent certain areas from being packed with books. That doesn't matter, it is a library that takes you back in time, when libraries were much more than just a place to find a book.