This place is so fun for babies! My son loved the outside story hour…read more In the children's section of the library there is a play area with a toy kitchen and activity tables. You can sit in a castle and read to your baby. My son was fascinated with the display of origami cranes hanging from the ceiling. What I think is really interesting about this library is that you can check out activity boxes full of supplies to do crafts or teach hands-on lessons to your kids. You can also check out other cool stuff such as American girl dolls.

I love the Verona Library. Excellent space for the community with many fun and engaging events…read more Beautiful, bright space. Helpful staff and of course a great selection of books, puzzles, movies, etc...

Cutest nicest neighborhood supporting library you'll ever find!…read more Story time is the best but they ALWAYS have events for the family so you'll never be bored. Today was the spooky stroll treat stop and they were the most prepared with a scavenger hunt!

A nice, inviting library that's part of the South Central Library System - if you live in Madison,…read moreyour card will work here. The main floor houses fiction and kids/teens. There's a good selection of graphic novels, a display shelf near the checkout counter of pop culture books, and plenty of spots to sit and read or do work. The lower level with nonfiction has a quiet designation and people take it seriously. Despite speaking at a near whisper, I felt like I was yelling since literally no one else was making noise. There are private rooms you can book to study or work in, as well as open tables. This library also offers several self-checkout stations throughout the main floor, which makes it easy to grab your books and go. I appreciated the attached number key pad since I am exactly the kind of nerd who has her library card number memorized, and entering it was easier than digging out my wallet. The parking lot for the library is pretty small - no matter when I've stopped it's been at or close to capacity. There is street parking and other city lots nearby, but if you're wrangling children and armfuls of books, be prepared to hoof it. My only other thing of note is that the return dates were inconsistent among items. I checked out three graphic novels in a series (none of which were new), and each book had a different due date a week apart. If you're used to Madison's standardized due dates, be sure to double-check your receipt.

absolutely beautiful large modern library!! that actually has space for all ages!! they even have a…read morelittle store on the second? floor with very affordable books. it was actually so pretty, id def go here to do work or study

Excellent public library, a great place to find reading, listening material. Friendly helpful…read morelibrarians, there's a printing station if you're staying a downtown hotel for business or a scientific seminar. If you forgot your book at home there's a small but pleasant used bookstore here with a great selection of used classical CDs. Lots of interesting events. Comfortable and peaceful seating. Because democracy requires an informed and literate citizenry I consider this library to be part of the bulwark of American freedom.

We actually came here as out-of-towners during a snow storm... we had a bit of time to kill and my…read moreson needed to move! We had to check out of our hotel and in an effort to find a place to go for a little sensory/movement, I stumbled upon this place! So glad we did. I'll speak only to the kid's section, but the rest of it was definitely clean and spacious. The kid section is in the corner... so not disruptive. They can roam freely in the open space and you only have to corral them into the corner! There is a train set table, coloring books, colors, manipulatives, puzzles, and all kids of fun pretend-play toys. And of course...books! The parking isn't so super and the entrance to the driveway nearly too my bumper with it! But overall, this place was the perfect getaway for us and a much-needed opportunity for my son to stretch his legs before our 2.5 hour drive back to Chicago.

This is a wonderful library for families…read more The children's section is spacious and set off to the side with a great variety of books. My kids are able to find a big stack of books that they are excited to check out each time we visit - and we visit at least weekly. The books are organized well and there is room to sit down and read. The kids programming is wonderful. The librarian remembers kids names and greets them as they come in. My kids love Ms. Rebecca. She makes the sessions engaging and fun. We have done science classes, art classes, and general story times - they have all been well done. I don't do a lot of browsing for books here but I often find one at the "too good to miss" shelves on the way to the kids section or I just put books on hold to grab on our way in. It is a wonderful neighborhood library.

First time at this library and it is so much bigger/nicer than the Alisha Ashman library that we…read morevisited last week. Came here for a meeting and there are conference rooms available on the 2nd floor. Will definitely stop by when in area next.

Unfriendly children's librarians. They DO NOT like children here. My kids are well behaved and I am…read morevery kind, to a fault. We don't bother anyone, cause ruckus, or do anything destructive or make noise, yet every time we go, the different ladies that work the desk in the children's section always have something to say and scold us about and it ruins our day. It makes us feel more and more unwelcome. I am a taxpayer and believe we should be able to use this public library without absolutely witches coming at us and acting like we are invading their personal homes. It's not just us either. They are always annoyed by kids that visit here and scolding them, with rude attitudes, for every little thing. They also always sound annoyed with their responses when kids ask them questions or for help with something. Tired of this treatment and them with nasty attitudes and making us feel like crap. Librarians at Middleton and Verona libraries have been much friendlier and welcoming to children in the children's sections. If you have kids, avoid this library.

This library is the best and only one in Oregon. Although it doesn't have some books that I'm…read morelooking for, you can always place holds. I love how there's a place in Oregon where you can sit back and chill.

A great small town library. All the staff are very helpful. A nice selection of books. They could…read moreuse more books on tape/CD, but with the Dane County system they are easy to get.

Located downtown near the heart of Baraboo's square is the amazing library for adults, teens &…read morechildren. They recently did a complete renovation of the building, adding on a modern addition to the historical library, which they did a fantastic job preserving the integrity of the wood shelves & classic elements. This side has turned into the adult section with multiple levels, accessible by stairs or elevator. The new addition has an incredible bright children's section on the second floor; complete with floor to ceiling windows & a modern feel. Great play area includes a lego table, lighted table for colorful tiles, puppet area, play kitchen, dolls as well as computers & tables available. Comfy seating for adults. Fantastic programs going on weekly for kids, some daytime & some evening. The staff are lovely & fun. The new building has a great, large room that has been used for community meeting & events, as well as smaller study rooms that you can reserve throughout. Nice little teen area on the first floor too. Great self checkout area or front desk staff available. The new parking lot is great & has plenty of spaces. Keep yourself up-to-date on library events for kids as young as babies, teens & adults just by visiting the website. Books can be reserved online for pickup as well. Baraboo library has knocked them all out of the park! Come see for yourself.

An outstanding small town library in an historic building. When "tear it down" is the operative in…read morethe discussion of aging historic structures in the "Frank Lloyd Wright myopic Midwest," Baraboo dodges the wrecking ball in it's commitment to preserving and expanding their neo-classical Carnegie Free Library. Keeping in step with the visionary planning of the library board is a dedicated staff that knows patrons by name, works many more hours than is asked of them, and provides an expanding breadth of uncensored circulation. Sadly, there is the passing of CFL-Baraboo as a "quiet library" due to the increased patron count. This translates to an absence of "shushing" from the pursed lips of the library director...it'll never be the same, but a great library no less.

One of the first things I do when I move somewhere is go to their local library and see what it's…read morelike. Coming from an actual city, and being in Janesville, I was prepared to see a few copies of a phone book, someone's yearbook from the '70s, and maybe a few old Dean Koontz novels with the jacket cover taped back on, and some pages missing. I was definitely in for a pleasant surprise. While they don't always have all of the latest books you'll have on your GoodsRead list, and they aren't open on Sundays, this is a very nice little library, and definitely the best community asset to Janesville. When you get a library card you get to choose between white or teal cards. The ground floor is a cafe, with seating where people are sometimes seen playing chess with strangers, or enjoying books that they've purchased, or picked up for free, as you can just drop off books there for people to grab, and also the "community room" which can be reserved for large meetings/gatherings. Other, smaller rooms are available on the second floor for anyone to reserve or request, as well. The second floor has a hold shelf for reserved books (you can put a hold on books online or at the library), self check out stations, an employee recommends section that lists what genres those employees are into so you know if their likes are a good fit for you to choose from, and all the the books. There's also a bulletin board with a listing of all sorts of local events going on in Janesville, and some going on in the library. There's a table with hand sanitizer and lotion. The real thing here is the events. This library hosts so many events and does so much for the community. It's truly impressive. The only thing I dislike about this library is that the return slot inside the library is not clearly labeled at all, and I wandered around like a fool until I saw other people slowly putting their items one at a time into a small, unlabeled, conveyor belt hole in the wall one at a time, and asked them if that was it. Haha. All the employees are hella nice. According to the website, there are other return sites for the books, including Woodman's, which I've also done a review on. Woodman's is open 24 hours a day, so if you're out getting your groceries in the middle of the night and need to return your library book, you can kill two birds with one stone, theoretically. I've yet to do so. I have attended a writing workshop here, an open mic event, a support group, and picked up a free craft project. I've only lived here a couple months.

I have visited many libraries across the country but Hedberg is the best. How can a big library…read morewith so many services to assist the community can operate such a budget, including a vastly wide selection of resources on top of the books and dvds, from a small, and I really mean small, town of Janesville? It puts many others, especially those in the big city, to shame. Sorry, but I digress, that's a topic for another time in other forum. After many years in private business, I now had much time on my hands. M is a big fan of libraries and when I told her about this library from my previous recon trip, she could not wait to get here. There is ample parking any time you decide to come. However, during the winter, everyone is trying to get covered parking just to get away from the snow and be able to walk on solid ground. The 1st floor you will find books for sale by friends of the library. Volunteers work the little cafe where people can pick up coffee to keep warm or stay awake, maybe both. There are tables to sit and plug your device, whatever it may be. However, you may be asked to move if you have not purchased anything. I loved coming here to start reading a new book while sipping coffee. When you get upstairs, 2nd floor, to the left is the young readers area from toddlers to young readers. Towards the back, from the entrance is young teens area where you can find manga, comics and graphic novels along with books. Before you get to that area, you will pass two rows of current or new books, that can get checked out frequently. It made it easy to see what is hot. The dvd collection is extensive carrying everything that ever came out. If a copy goes bad, they will replace it just so they have it. You could get the latest dvd releases and it would still be free to barrow. However, there is a limit you can barrow. I believe it was 14 at the time. I made sure everyone had a library card. I tried to get the dogs one but they didn't have social security numbers. There were so many dvds I wanted to barrow. What made it more interesting is dvds from other countries. Korean, Mexican, Japanese to name a few. And they were subtitled. When I found Ran's Seven Samurai I was shocked and so impressed. Is there any other library in the United States that actually had this gem in their inventory? Not even the libraries in large asian communities have I seen this. There would be many more treasures I would find during my stay here. Their dvd collection was my greatest joy. The books were in very nice shape. And, it seemed if they could keep the hard cover they would. Not like other libraries carrying many books in paperback. I found several sets to The Dark Tower all in hard cover. I don't know if it's true for all libraries, but here if you did not find the book you were looking for you could request it and they could barrow it from another library that could be in another city in another state. They may even just buy it so it will be part of their inventory. I remember M wanted a book for a series she was reading. She put in the request and suggested it be bought to complete the series they already have. They called her in about a week to pick up the book. When she did she was shocked it was a brand new copy. They actually bought it. During the depression the library was a great resource to get retooled, find another job and study for exams. There were many computers to use for the internet. Computer classes were offerred free to attain the skills needed to get job placement. Staff could help you if you were stuck doing a resume or job application. Many signs, and information pamphlets to help guide one to resources to get a job. This area was always full right from when they opened. The young reader section was huge. That section alone was larger than all the libraries I've been to in the San Gabriel Valley of California. The programs they offerred to help turn your toddler into a reader was so extensive and free. I am so thankful for that because I do have a son that loves to read. There were also many other things there you could do to help develop your child, mentally and some physically. We loved this little room you could play games. Just have to check it out for free. Taught my son to play checkers there. I'm about to reach the word limit here. Let me just finish with... check this library out!!

What a gorgeous library! Lots of natural lighting with a beautiful wooden rustic feel inside…read more Outside you'll find native wildflowers and an outdoor programming space, plus a nature trail. There are also a few public art pieces, including one that's part of the town's Art Trail. Staff was very friendly! I spent some time talking to them about their building, programs and community. They have a real gem here and it's the only library in the town.

The Sun Prairie Public Library is such a beautiful place and has activities for people of all ages…read more The summer reading challenge for children (beginning at 6 months all the way high school) is amazing. They have so many cool prizes like free passes to the Milwaukee Public Museum, the state fair, a mallard's game, etc. They also have an adult summer reading challenge as well as a fall one. I participate in both each year and they have gift card raffles & small prizes for adults too which is awesome! The library also hosts lots of cool events like author events, puzzle competitions, historical events, etc. There are SO many things to do and get involved with and opportunities to learn. They also have an incredible collection of books and "book club bags" complete with multiple copies of popular books and a question guide for book clubs! They're currently doing an expansion and amphitheater as well. So grateful to have such an amazing library. Check it out if you haven't!