Multnomah County Library is one of the city's best institutions - I have found some of my favorite authors from librarian recommendations, and being our neighborhood ballot drop spot makes them even more of a benefit to the community. That being said, I'm disappointed with both the process and the results for the recent Belmont Branch renovation. The old branch didn't have much in the way of parking, and they intentionally made it worse. Much worse. The public was allowed 'input' on the design of the new space, and the response to my questions about their survey claimed that a 'majority' of the public preferred the new design (the actual results were 317 votes out of 812 cast for this illusion of choice). The voting was for one of three designs, where one of them would involve the unthinkable destruction of the historic wing, and both of the other options had vastly reduced parking. Clearly, all decision making had been done before asking the public. According to PSU, over 156,000 people live in the 12.5 square miles of the two mile radius service area for this branch. A claim that this many people prefer walking, biking, or public transit for their library visits is absurd. The results of the recent construction are underwhelming - if you stand in the doorway between the new lobby and the old building (now the children's library), you see a bright, open space in the old wing, and massive beams supporting the ceiling of the new lobby, visually reducing the height of the space, making it dark and unwelcoming. For some reason, the lobby floor is higher at the south end of the lobby, requiring stairs and a ramp to take up prime space inside the entrance. All in all, the ground floor of the expansion seems to only contain a book return, a holds pickup area, a two person librarian's counter, and self service checkout kiosks. I assume there are workspaces for staff, but a claimed doubling of space offers very little for library patrons. I wish we received more for our money - the barn that they slapped onto the end of the old building seems lazy and drab. read more

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It is completely baffling to me how our tax dollars could be used to build this beautiful new facility and provide only 4 parking space total. 2- Handicapped and 2- 15 minute. It most certainly is not an easily accessible location either. read more

I love the Belmont Library in the Mult Co Library system - it's the closest one to my house! (I live between Cleveland HS and the Clinton Street Theatre.) I find our entire library system to be excellent, and I *always* vote to support it when it comes on the ballot. I'm eagerly looking forward to the branch reopening in a mere 10 days! Yipee! read more

The Belmont branch library is located in a nice building in what appears to have been a former chapel. I love libraries. What is good about this branch is that you can have books put on hold and shipped here from other branches. Not a whole lot of tables and chairs for reading. The selection of books available is limited yet appreciate the lucky day books aka popular books on offer, staff picks, and new books. Take advantage of your local library! read more

Multnomah County Library - Belmont - Libraries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Haters be hatin' when they expect a SMALL, local branch to have all the space and amenities of the Central Library headquarters!!! Do they want the library system to move it to a bigger building or construct extra space on the current one? Lets just accept that not every neighborhood library will be expansive, and won't have tons of space for everything everyone wants! I live a few blocks away and I reserve just about everything online and then just pick it up once it arrives, so for me this location super convenient and serves its purpose without any complaints!! I almost never use the branch for internet, reading, browsing, or studying, so I can't really speak to the problems of others, but I've never had any issue with them, and the staff are super friendly (usually there's an overabundance of staff working at any given time). I actually cancelled my Netflix account because the DVD selection at the library is so good! You already pay for free access to the library via your taxes, why not use it? Admittedly sometimes you have to wait a couple weeks for a popular movie, tv show, or book to become available, but it's not like you can't find something else to read/watch in the mean time! ***Review #19 in the Yelp 30 in 30 Challenge!*** read more

The library book selections are diverse and in great condition. The sign up process is very easy. The librarians are very helpful!

This place has next to no parking (i.e., it is difficult to get in and out of), and doesn't have much in the way of services or employees. I went through there just before closing yesterday and there was a HUGE line with only one employee. Great thinking... plus, what's the deal with those checkout machines? It takes longer to use the checkout machines than it does to wait in that long and annoying line. What the? Overall I really never have a good time when I come to this place. It's so totally annoying to park there (okay, I could bike or walk if I weren't so lazy). But then it's so packed when I'm IN there that I would rather pay some kid on the street to go in there, grab my hold, and bring it out to me. Why didn't I think of providing that service when I was a kid. Damn it - another lost opportunity. read more

This neighborhood library always delivers. My son (7) and I come nearly every Saturday and we are pleasantly surprised by the library offerings. This location is small but accommodates nicely. We have been coming here since he was 1 yrs old and attended story time for babies. When he sprouted into to a reader over the last 2-3 yrs, we have taken advantage the "Reading to Dogs" program. We love our Belmont library! read more

Multnomah County Library - Belmont - Awesome children's section! - Libraries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

*the security guard is obviously pretty bored because he was creeping around my car 3 times before I even went in. Then has the gall to tell me I had too many devices plugged into their power strip (I had 3), and was worried it would start a fire. *they seem to love letting kids run around and scream and stomp back and forth. *the librarian turned away a mans book donation, He said "I'm just trying to do the right thing", to which she replied "yeah, nobody will take these books". Very rude. *bonus. The same librarian made sure to place reserved signs on the table in front of me for an event that wasn't going to happen until four hours later. This library is small, smelly, loud, theres rarely anywhere to park, and the librarian and security guard are quite rude. If you can make it to ANY other library in Portland, I suggest it. read more

I love the neighborhood feeling of the Belmont branch library. The kid's section takes up about 1/4th of the space, but that is the way it should be (start them early!). While the other areas aren't as well stocked as one would hope, you can reserve/hold books online and have them shipped to the nearest location. Warning: go early in the morning or during the week. This can be a very busy location during peak hours. read more

Multnomah County Library - Belmont - from their website - Libraries Near Me - Portland, Oregon

With 4 voracious readers + 1 very budget-conscious individual in our household (that last category wouldn't be me...), it's important to get real familiar real fast with your local library. I am, & I'd really like to give more than 3 stars, yet cannot in all good conscious. The parking lot is fine, tho' we walk or ride our bikes & scooters here. The people who work at the various desks all are helpful & friendly. Even the Summer Reading Program dogs are charming as all get out. So, what's my down-side, you ask? Here's a few items that need attention: 1. There are no desks for kids to do homework upon. They are all filled with computers. More screens. Great. 2. While the system is fine for placing books on 'Hold', I find that I always have to do it. The books I want are rarely on the shelves. 3. The usual Winter loiterers hanging about make this spot less than desirable for me to really grab a book & try to read there. Personal hygiene issues abound with no one addressing them. While I loathe the sorts of folks who move to Portland from the Bay Area (like I did - not hiding anything here, folks), then compare endlessly, I will state that the Berkeley Public Library System far outshines what I've seen in PDX. Here are some tips: 1. Make some space for people to actually read. Shocking but true! 2. Have an area where older kids & teens don't feel like little kids. 3. Someone needs to speak up when urine-stench gets too strong. I'll keep searching for another branch library that meets our needs better. Till then, you'll find me bemoaning the demise of the card catalogs, quiet corners for reading, & environments not requiring respirator masks. read more

Multnomah libraries where I spent most of my childhood trying to conquer those stacks of books. The Multnomah library branches are the best, but to each their own. This particular one is very small. You can tell from their parking lot which only first about 10 cars so parking on the street is the safest bet for you if you're driving. As I mentioned before this library is very smaller compared to the other ones I visit which is the Holgate branch, the Woodstock branch, Central, and also Midland. But just like all the other branches if you can't find a book you want just put it on hold and wait for it to come to you! Biggest gripe is that there is very little table space, especially for college students or high school students trying to study for exams, I had to sit with kids at the kids section to actually get any space because the adult tables had people circling like hawks for a seat to be vacant. read more

One of the first things I did when I became a Portland resident was obtain a library card. I have been ordering books online ever since, and they magically appear at the library's Belmont branch for pickup. I walk, so parking is not an issue. Good thing, too, since parking in this area can sometimes mean the immediate loss of your vehicle's catalytic converter. Sometimes I order more than I manage to pick up, but no one judges me for my pathological lack of follow-through. And, I love, love, love the self check-out feature. WhenI find myself suddenly obsessed with a bizarre topic, handing a stack of books on such a topic to a complete stranger is out of the question. As often as I have been to this library, I don't believe I've ever spent more than 10 minutes inside at any one time. I don't know where they keep things other than the "for pickup" items. Judging from the amount of books that are waiting for pick-up, I suspect this is the majority of the business that is transacted here. How can I not 5-star such a smooth operation? Did I mention the books are FREE? That is, provided my pathological lack of follow-through does not prevent my returning the books on time. read more

Godlessness, for years I've hated this branch of our otherwise stellar library system. Given the high patronage of this place, this shack is as cramped as a job corps cafeteria. Worse yet, this library attracts the sort of patrons that sent librarians in ancient Alexandria into paroxysms of rage: they meander along with dazed expressions on their faces, usually either pushing SUV-sized brat carriages or unsuccessfully trying to rein in those anklebiters more ambulatory. If they're not obvious breeders they're TALKING ON THEIR CELL PHONES! Hello? Library? Quiet? And this goes on most days for the better part of the day, especially when the weather is fair. What does the library staff do about all this? Absolutely nothing: an admirable study in non-resistance. Treat yourself right by coming here when late one rainy evening. And, only when you absolutely have to. Unless you like hanging out in something that's a hybrid between Pee Wee's Playhouse and a Lucky Lab, only without the food or the booze. read more

This is my neighborhood library, so I'm a little biased to it, but it's also the cutest because it's located in a brick colonial style building with many rooms and french doors. Now that's the kind of library I want! The main room has several computer stations, there's a back room entirely for kids, and the the side room has a good selection of periodicals. This is one library where kids are set loose--unlike the downtown or larger places, this is small enough and has a separate children's book area so parents can feel comfortable letting the munchkins wander a bit. I wish there were more reading areas in this library, and in general more areas to sit that aren't at computer stations, but that's my only qualm. read more

The Belmont library channels the largest number of transferred books of any branch in the city - in other words, the Belmont People read more books than any other neighborhood in the system. It may seem like they have fewer books, but you always have access to every book available in the Multnomah County library system. The multcolib.org website is easy to navigate and search out any publication you might want. Meeting rooms, children's reading groups, summer activities...so many things happen here. read more

I love the Multnomah Library's system. You can return books to any location, they have a great online system, they remind you when your books are going to be due--but most of all they have the most amazing dvd collection ever. You have to find items on the computer and put them on hold (you'll never find much on the shelf because they are so popular) but you can have a lot out at a time and keep them out for a couple of weeks and renew them online. I've watched many great British tv series that I checked out here. My favorite branches are the Belmont branch and the Hollywood branch. read more

It's cramped, it's crowded, it's peopled by weirdos who camp out for hours at the few available computers. But who cares when the inter-library loan system gives you more books, movies, CD's and other media than you'll know what to do with? My advice: get in, get your holds, and get out. The collection at Belmont is on the scant (and slightly random) side, and the DVD collection is especially hit-or-miss. I've heard that Belmont has the most traffic per square foot of any of the branches, and I'm not surprised. If you're doing anything other than picking up your holds, you'll likely have to maneuver and squeeze your way around others in the aisle. (Just time your visits to avoid the hours when mothers and their children cluelessly park their tank-like strollers in everyone's path.) The concept of a library being a quiet place is also kind of lost on most of the patrons here. Still, the librarians are quite friendly and helpful here, which is a plus considering the often-long lines to checkout items and the persnickety self-checkout system that can sometimes take just as long. read more

How can you not give the library 5 stars!? I mean they let you read books for free! And you can check out lots of other stuff, too. I have been renting a lot of books on tape since I have a long commute. Most of the time I have to put what I want on hold and wait a little bit, but no big deal. It usually comes available pretty fast. This little library is in a cute little chapel style house. They have lots of computers for you to use and everyone is really helpful. I love their new (ish?) system of checking things out on your own. It's so simple and convenient. I will always love the library! read more

I was worried when the Library system closed this branch for renovations that they were going to completely remove the option to have a human check your books out. It's taken me about a month to go back because of this, and, while you may think it is petty, I absolutely loath those robot book check machines. I won't use self checkouts either, they give me the creeps. Anyway, the renovation is not as bad as they made it sound, although they have got rid of some of the work space and replaced it with self-check terminals, a step in the wrong direction. The staff here are great, the children's section is ok, and the kids programs are good. More work tables, fewer computers, and fewer computers, and this would be great! read more

OK, admittedly I'm new to Portland, and therefor to Portland's libraries, but this library is a little small, no? It's cute, and I love the building, but it didn't seem like there were that many, well, you know, BOOKS. I mean, I moved from Columbus, Ohio, it's not like I was in a super huge city or anything, but this library is definitely smaller than my old neighborhood library. And also, the self checkout SUCKS. Maybe it will win my heart, and more stars in the process. read more

I am on this quest to find all the libraries that I can bike to. It is a quaint and small library. The DVD and CD collection are wide and expansive. I was rather taken aback by the fact of the mysteries all collected on the shelf behind the check out counter. The librarians are always quite helpful. I suppose that the place does impact you in the fact that it resembles a house or a small church. There are a lot of bike racks outside the place. It is all about what you are looking for - and in this case it is about free books. read more

I am rating this library a 3, because despite it's quite limited selection, there are always tons of kids, smelly Oregonians, and unemployed lurkers hovering in the aisles...they have a pretty great graphic novel section. I'll probably kick myself later for alerting other readers of this and taking all my fav's, but I have to give a shout out to the nice staff who works here and their constant supply of very decent comics. read more

Need books, DVDs, graphic novels, zines, or wanna surf the web? Well, hello library! I love the library and I think they try really hard to give the people all sorts of different media. I've never had a problem at this location. I like being able to check out my own books at the self station or having books delivered to my home for a small fee. read more

It took me 9 months after moving to Portland, but I finally got a library card. This is my neighborhood branch so I've been requesting for all my holds to be sent here. The website is super easy to use and I'm getting my holds pretty promptly. This branch is really cute on the outside... looks a little bit like a schoolhouse to me. The inside is nothing to write home about, but it's functional. The library website says that this branch has been in service since 1924! The staff are always very nice and there is hardly any wait at the counter. It seems to be a bustling branch. The library seems adequately staffed, which I appreciate as a patron. I must say that I think the young library clerk was smirking a bit tonight as I picked up my CD holds... What's wrong with checking out a heavy metal box set, Soundgarden and Lady Gaga? HMMMM? read more

This is my local branch, and while it's not nearly as spiffy or spacious as some of the other updated ones, it's got a great balance of books, computers and media. The staff are friendly & helpful, and it's danged easy to pick up my reservations. read more

This library is ok if you want your standard classics, but they seriously lack in getting the new bestsellers. It's the small little library that could though: they have events weekly and you can order books to have shipped there (I get about 99% of my books this way). I love the self check-out so you don't have to worry about waiting in a long line. read more

I was just here to drop off my ballot, but it looks like a good branch. It was pretty small and crowded, and I like my libraries to be cozy, quiet reading spaces, so I'm not sure if it's my ideal branch. read more

I don't see why they don't have 5 stars, the people that work there are really nice and helpful and it's a nice library and very kid friendly read more

Small library, but there's always a place to sit. It has locked bathrooms. The librarians are really nice and there are always quite a few kids there. Only four stars because of the size. read more

This library has an excellent parking lot that makes for easy access and very friendly, helpful staff, with a very interesting dvd section. And a great ambience. read more

The Belmont Branch library is really close to my house so that's the one I go to all the time. I have had a Multnomah County Library Card since high school in the 60s, but I don't borrow books much at all anymore. I read most things online at home these days instead of actual books, but one service that the library provides that I use a lot is being able to print online stuff. I don't have a working printer at home, so I go to the library and use one of the 15-minute limited-time computers to access what I intend to print and then print for 10 cents a page. Very simple. The Belmont Branch is probably the smallest library in the system, but it's big enough for my needs. Also, I appreciate the helpful and friendly people who work there. Helpful hint: The library's parking lot is small and usually full, but the Walgreens parking lot is right across the street and always has lots of room. read more

Its small but a really nice library. We love coming here. The staff is also really helpful.

This is a great branch library. Love looking at the Staff Picks. The staff is really helpful at this branch, and friendly. But they are loud. It's like they don't know that a library is supposed to be a quiet place and they talk loudly to one another across the room. Forget trying to focus on anything when they get talking! read more