Excellent library. Everything you could want and apparently overcoming our government's war on…read moreeducation.

The main branch of the Louisville library located at 4th and York is in a beautiful building,…read morewhich, according to a plaque, was built between 1905 and 1908 and donated as a gift from Andrew Carnegie. While a gorgeous building, I can't properly rate it as I haven't used the library as a patron -- I haven't borrowed a book or spent time in there studying, so I don't really know how good a library it is. But as a tourist passing by, it was a good place to stop in for a look at the architecture and to use their washroom and fill up our water bottles, which was very much needed on such a hot day. [Yelp collections: Louisville/Indianapolis 2023; Louisville, KY 2023; Libraries and Bookstores; Pee for free!]

Being born and raised in Louisville, I'm not sure how I missed this library's existence- my mom…read moredidn't know about it either! I came to visit the Western library to catch a play. Specifically, the very last showing of the two-person Hamlet play. Kentucky Shakespeare partners with the Louisville Fre Public Library to bring free two-person acts to the libraries, and I had missed all of them up until this point. I own Hamlet leggings with words from the play strewn all over them, so I was not going to miss the last opportunity to see the play AND wear my leggings! The play was very family-friendly, so from beginning to end, the actors did a great job of engaging the audience. They even had some kids join in to "help" with acting bits. There were also chairs set up for us to sit in, and there were times when the actors walked amongst the audience. That was a pleasant surprise! I could tell that the library employees enjoyed the play, as they watched it with us from their desks. They thanked me for coming as I was leaving, as did the two actors. P.S. The actress said she liked my pants (win!) P.S.S. The restroom here is located on the lower level and you need a key to get into it.

Beautiful new library. Great kid's section, nice tables, and nice window views…read more The kid's section is great. Fun and friendly setting. A must visit if you are in the neighborhood.

I am an avid and passionate library patron and have been exploring more than my home branch, as my…read morepreferred library location is under ongoing construction (finish any time now, plzandthankyouuuu). The St. Matthews branch is close to a couple of my dogsitting clients and in the area of where my choir usually rehearses every week. Things I appreciate: The ample parking lot. The seating and reading spots and places. It is bright and modern. Things I don't love: Why doesn't my data on my phone work when I am inside this building? Why don't apps work or load well on my phone when I am on the library wifi in the building? Why won't my computer connect to the internet when I have connected to the library wifi? If I am here to just pick up some holds or to sit and read, its a-ok. If I am here to work on things...I can't understand why the wifi kills my devices' ability to function OR why I can't seem to get my data and hotspot to work inside this building, even sitting next to an entire wall of windows, not even deep in the building. That has been frustrating on several visits. Still...READ A BOOK y'all.

I love coming to this location they have exceptional customer service. They always have phenomenal…read moreresources and array of crafting and cooking courses accessible. I would recommend others to tap into the free resources offered at the library.

We attended the "Yes, Chef" program at the library this evening featuring Nina Greipel and her…read morefantastic cookbook for her family's restaurant, The Gasthaus. Library was easy to find and a very impressive facility. Demonstration kitchen with video display and audio were all great. Parking lot was fairly well lit, but did have a few burnt out roadway bulbs, which caused us to walk very gingerly off of the curb to our cars. Looking forward to future programming.

Stopped by the Martin's Raid Historical Marker and it's a quick but interesting read. Cool little…read morepiece of Civil War history right in the middle of town, explaining how locals defended against a raid back in 1864. Not a long stop, but worth checking out if you're already nearby.

Located in the main part of Shelbyville, this two-sided marker points out some antebellum and Civil…read moreWar history. It is near Stargazer Plaza. On the front, the marker reads "The Blockhouse. Built in 1858 by townspeople for civil defense against guerrillas. Located in middle of intersection. Measured 12 by 18 feet with loopholes on all sides. Manned by townsmen when alarm sounded. Several encounters with gangs attempting to raid town. Torn down in 1870 when civil law and order were assured, and marauders had been dispersed." And on the reverse, "Martin's Raid. In August 1864 Capt. David (Black Dave) Martin and gang attempted raid on courthouse to secure guns stored there. Thomas C. McGrath, merchant, J. H. Masonheimer, tailor, and others defended town against raiders. Three guerrillas were killed, and McGrath wounded. Mission failed. Martin died in 1896 and was buried in Grove Hill cemetery." The marker is in good condition and there is street parking nearby. [Review 350 of 2024 - 246 in Kentucky - 21383 overall]

I am an avid and enthusiastic library user and was in the area for a dogsitting gig when my checked…read moreout books were due. So I swung by to return them and stopped in to see if there were any easily findable books that caught my eye to check out. It is small, but it was lively. Folks setting up for a meeting in side room, people using the computers and using reading spots. I love to see it. I found a few books to check out and take with me. And I appreciate that this location also has self-checkout. I miss that at my temporary home library location, with the Main branch being closed for a year. A good sized parking lot, shared with a senior community center, and just off the J-Town main drag. Love it.

As an adult, non-college student, I got my first library card when the pandemic first started. I…read morelearned about the app "Libby" where you can listen to audiobooks and read digital books for FREE. That's right, free.99! I was also looking forward to using LinkedIn Learning (Lynda) to take advantage of free digital courses to enhance various skills. I was fortunate enough to be able to sign up for a card online but recently it expired and I had to go in to renew my membership. This LFPL was very clean and the staff was extremely friendly. There was open computers available to use and it was quiet. Once the pandemic calms down, I would love to revisit again and bring my son. Just finished my first book for 2022 thanks to Libby!

It's been a while since I visited the library. I was looking for some specific DVD's to watch so we…read morewent there today. I walked in and was amazed at how much things have improved. They have a separate and special place for teens to come and enjoy the resources and quiet. There is also an area that is a work shop where they teach classes on computers and/or offer extracurricular activities. There are separate areas where you can curl up and just enjoy a book or rest in quiet. The place is so clean you could almost eat off the floor. A resident can be proud of what the county offers here.

I forget about the library. I get all caught up in the tactile overload of Barnes & Nobles (pretty…read morestationary! coffee! flashy book covers!) and the book snob in me LOVES judging a book by it's cover - then bringing it home to keep forever and ever. And read once. Maybe lend out a time or two. Haul it around in a box from one stop in life to another. Then sell in a garage sale decades down the road for 50 cents. My budget and my brain don't always agree with one another. So when I don't have pocket money for flashy book covers and coffee I home brew my own and head over to the OC main public library. Where they've got not just books but CDs and magazines to rent. Where they'll hunt down a book and get it in within days if it's not sitting on the shelf (or, in a rare instance, even purchase a brand new book just for me). And it's all free, minus the late fees that I accrue like it's going out of style. But trust me, six months of racking up late fees MAYBE equals 2 fancy B&N coffees, so I think I'm still ahead. If you haven't been to your local library lately - go. Try it out. The more we patronize these services the better they'll be. Your wallet will give you a big thumbs up too, it's a win/win.

This library is ummm...small!…read more Looks like they're doing renovations as some parts upstairs were closed off. There are tons of study areas though and you can get something to eat/drink at the little Starbucks in there. You can tell it's an old building. The carpet was way outdated. It was a sharp contrast to the modern looking stairwell. They've got computers here so you can print stuff out or use if your computer crashes or something. I'm not sure how busy it gets, but there were students here and there studying. There were plenty of tables though. Seems like a fun place to hang on campus!

The Ekstrom Library at U of L has been a great home for me under many circumstances. When I first…read morestarted going to school here a few years ago, it was a little meh. After all of the improvements though, I can say it has vastly improved. First off, the architecture and design of the inside and outside are very nice. The library is very large, appropriate enough for the large number of students that occupy the university. The main reason I go here is to use the computers, either for schoolwork or for the printer. Thankfully there are enough computers to where I've never had to wait for one, especially with the new expansion on the other side. There are 5 floors for studying and books, which are nice and quiet, with many tables and private desks. I will say during peak hours I can sometimes have trouble finding a desk, but there's usually always at least one open. To conclude, although I'm a big Heine Bros fan, I do really like the new Starbucks they've replaced it with. The design is beautiful and modern, and the baristas are super friendly in there. I've been to multiple libraries at different universities, however I think the Ekstrom stands to be my favorite.