I love the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Walking in feels more like entering a castle or historic…read morelandmark than a library. The building is beautiful, and every time I visit I notice something new. The staff are always welcoming, friendly, and willing to help, which makes the library feel comfortable and inviting. What I appreciate most is that there are so many activities and events that are free or very low cost. There are plenty of programs for teens, families, and adults, and everyone is welcome. It's definitely worth the drive from the suburbs if you're looking for a unique place to spend a few hours. Between the architecture, the helpful staff, and all the community events, it's one of the coolest libraries I've visited. I wish I would have known about this place when my boys were little, it would be a great stop after visiting the museum.

A beautiful library filled with tons of amazing resources and interesting and unique finds!…read moreOne of the things I loved was that this branch has a music library! I could spend all day just in that section. You can look at (and check out) all sorts of things from musical scores, concert programs, newspaper clippings and more. They even have instruments you can check out! I don't think there is any other library in the area that offers this sort of department. There is something for everyone here (and then some!). I've been here with my kids when they were babies and have taken them here for a variety of programs or even just to stop in when we are in the area. There are plenty of places to relax and enjoy your book (including a cafe) but lots of quiet nooks and seating areas as well. There is no parking lot specific to the library, but there is a ton of metered parking in the area. I highly recommend visiting this library, especially if you are looking for something unique. Or even just to enjoy some quiet time in a beautiful space.

Each branch of the Carnegie Libraries of Pittsburgh has their own special attributes, and this one…read moreis definitely worth visiting. It's not on the main drag, but once you find Fisk Street, it's easy to find. One unusual feature is tombstone in the reading room. It's a long story, but connected to the extraordinary history of Lawrenceville and Stephen Foster's entrepreneurial father. There's a special collection of reference books in this branch that cover the history of the Foster family. The library had a makeover several years ago, and they lovingly preserved most of the great historic characteristics of the building. The staff is helpful and welcoming, and there's rarely a wait to use the technology.

This location has great customer service and is SUPER accessible. But what happened the the…read moreSTACKS??! Very limited selection of titles on the shelves, but a great space to study or work

I was on the Board here years ago. It's a fabulous resource for children and families…read more One aspect is a shared play space where families can meet other families in an educational play space. The other side is the library, which loans toys to children to take home. It's a wonderful idea, as children don't always play with all their toys, this is a great way to recycle those toys and put them to good use. The toys are often better quality and educational value than the ones in stores. I especially love the handmade toys, they are wonderful. If you are looking for a place to donate toys, this is a great choice. Those toys will get used by hundreds of children. Same with the donation of money, they stretch their resources a long way.

Super place to have a children's birthday party! The kids loved it, clean tidy, interesting toys to…read moreplay with, convenient. Definitely heard other parents saying they were going to use it.

This is a busy library branch. It has some meeting rooms that are for public use. The librians here…read moreare so helpful. The collection is somewhat small, but you can request materials from other libraries in the network. There are computers available for use. The location is convenient to bus routes and the parking is metered.

I love being able to walk to this local library. While it is smaller than the main branch in…read moreOakland, it still has a great selection and useful services. The tables when you first enter hold several copies of the most popular books fiction and nonfiction. They now have a pod available for rent. Don't want the pod? There are multiple computer stations and tables perfect for getting some work done. I come here when I just want to be productive without having to trek to Oakland.

4.5 stars. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is a public library system that was funded by the…read moreindustrialist Andrew Carnegie in the late 1800s. The library system has about 20 locations throughout the city, including this location in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood. My husband and I visited this library once recently. When we entered the library, a security employee kindly greeted us. We walked around the entire library and saw items such as nonfiction books, fiction books, CDs, DVDs, puzzles, and more for both adults and children. We also saw information desks, dozens of computers, and desks and chairs. Furthermore, the library's website says that visitors may use Wi-fi, photocopiers and printers (for a fee), scanners, fax machines, and meeting rooms. Overall, we liked this library. This library in Squirrel Hill is not as large as the main library in Oakland, but I think that it is a great place for people of various demographic groups to read, study, relax, or work.

This library is great. I love the seating and events they have. Some seating is right on the window…read moresill which is fun and relaxing.

The Hillman Library is the largest library at the University of Pittsburgh and is one of the…read morelargest libraries in the country. According to the library's website, the library contains approximately 1.5 million volumes, over 200 computers, and study capacity for 1,500 people. These other reviews are several years old. Please note that as of spring 2025, this library has completed renovations of the atrium entrance, help-information desk, computer lab, bathrooms, elevators, audio-visual suites, etcetera. The renovated building looks very nice. I recently used this library for several hours. I saw lots of tables and chairs, some sofas, many meeting rooms with whiteboards and televisions, photocopiers and printers, some artwork, etcetera. A women's bathroom was clean and in good condition. I am no longer a student or employee of the University of Pittsburgh, but I greatly appreciated that I could obtain a temporary username and password from the help-information desk, so I could search a grants database on a desktop computer.

Hillman is a fantastic library with an enormous collection of information!…read more PROS: lots of seating lots of computers plenty of printer stations friendly staff a total of 5 floors full of information and seating areas Lowest level has a cafe (but no food/bev outside of the cafe--though I don't think that close-able containers are too heavily frowned upon) CONS: the only one that I can think of is that I wish that there were more plug outlets throughout the building for plugging in laptops instead of just in the designated "laptop area".

This building was originally the first Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, but it is no longer a…read morelibrary. It is currently under renovation for a new purpose as part of the Children's Museum. It's a really cool old building. Sad it is no longer a library, but glad it still serves a cool purpose.

I'm Presbyterian, so I am quite proud of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Their students are…read morewell prepared in interpreting scripture, preaching, and congregational leadership. I would encourage you to find out about the hundreds of events they host at the Seminary, it's hard to even keep up with them. Although many of the lectures are geared toward ministers, there's lots to choose from if you are a layperson, too. There are even occasional musical concerts, as well. My favorite are the archaeology lectures, which are free and open to the public. The library has lots of books on religion, and the staff there are very friendly and helpful. It's a 13-acre campus which is lined with trees and beautiful spaces. There's lots to explore here.

4.5 stars. This Carnegie Library in downtown Pittsburgh is currently open six days per week during…read morethe daytime. This library offers a wide variety of publications as well as public computers, printers and copiers for a fee, free Wi-Fi, and meeting rooms. When I lived downtown years ago, I could easily walk to this library. Now that I live in the suburbs, I can either park in a nearby garage or take public transportation here. Most recently, I used this library virtually when I scheduled a grants-database training with a librarian. She began our Google Meet call on time, and she spoke very courteously and informatively to me. I appreciate her advice about how to access the databases.

Wow, just wow! I had the opportunity to tour this downtown library branch at their Grand Re-opening…read moreevent in April 2021. Thanks to the donors/grants and job well done to CPL-Downtown leaders/staff for creating the bigger, brighter, beautiful, full of the latest technology library space. If you haven't visited this location this year, I highly recommend checking it out. Besides the incredible business space with reservable co-sharing glass door offices, meeting rooms, desk tables, there are separate designated spaces specifically designed for teens and children. There is even an audio room designed to record podcasts. This investment is a tremendous public resource for the Carnegie Library patron community.