Best food in Belfast so far. Linen Hall breakfast is fantastic, vegetarian Linen Hall breakfast is…read moreevery bit as good. Poached egg on avocado toast with walnuts and feta highly recommended. Service quick and friendly. Atmosphere absolutely beautiful and a library to boot. Prices lower than many others of lesser quality and ambience. Don't pass up this Belfast gem.

The Linen Hall library is plonked inbetween two banks which for something steeped in so much…read morehistory, it was somewhat a surprise (borderline disappointment) to actually find out where this place was located. I love books, bookshops, librarys, words, dictionaries, the old 'shift+f7' shortcut on word, but there is just too many flaws with this place to make it five stars. Yes it has the history, yes it has a proper traditional uneven floors and some books which you know if you tried to sell you could probably get a holiday out of it. But... and I don't strive to be controversial, the entire library and the entire experience is ruined by the coffee shop. It is an old-fashioned library set in the heart of Belfast's city centre. The Library is tiny compared to Queen's Library and simply cannot compete for the depth of knowledge or academic texts. But what is has is character. So why, please tell me, would you take this terrific library and stick a chain coffee store in the middle of it. If you step outside and throw a book, you will probably hit a coffee shop. Don't stick one in the middle of the blooming library. It's not necessary, it's trying to capitalise on the experience of going to the library and if it were to be taken out, you could put in a few squishy, coffee smelling sofas and a couple of newspapers to read. The library has character, it has history, it has a proper library atmosphere. It should not have a chain coffee shop (even though it is a NI coffee shop) in the middle of it. Let it be a library. Don't try and make money out of it.

Close to work, so that's a bonus. Opens until 8 o'clock on a Thursday evening. Parking can prove…read moreto be a challenge. But nice and bright space to work. Free WiFi and a good few sockets to charge up your phone. If you get bored you can always look out the window and stare at the lagan. #ThroatPunch to anyone who chitters in the library.

I like this library, and have used it a lot as I always seem to end up living around the Ormeau…read moreRoad end of the city when it's time to look for a new place. Their noticeboard is huge and is packed with info about community groups and events, and they have a really decent children's section for those of us who like to be nostalgic by rereading Just William and Billy Bunter. The fiction section is of a decent size too, although some of the non-fiction categories could be a little bigger I think. The best part of this library for me is the big reading tables right by the window, perfect for browsing over one of the newspapers on offer and watching the world go by.

Belfast Central Library is a great institution. One of the first libraries opened in Ireland, it…read morestill provides the general public with innumerable services and facilities. There's a lovely cafe on the ground floor selling coffee, tea, hot chocolate etc. and after you've refreshed yourself you can make use of the free computer and Internet facilities which are available for use throughout the building. The top floor houses the only dedicated Music Library in Northern Ireland, which is a great service and costs a small amount to rent out the Cd's. The Library also houses a number of special collections including archives, extremely old books (i.e. printed before 1500AD!), Irish Language manuscripts, literary manuscripts, maps, postcards, photographs, theatre and cinema collections. It also holds the F. J Bigger Library and Archive (a practising solicitor whose chief interest was Irish antiquities, he devoted his life to the study of Irish archaeology and Ulster history.) The building also houses a fine collection of maps, both contemporary and antiquarian. There's also the 'Theatre Collection' which consists of three thousand Irish theatre programmes. It's quite a comprehensive historical collection (the newspaper reviews, posters and programmes date from 1821 onwards!) In the Library there are various facilities available for use including public lifts, public toilets, meeting rooms, exhibition Space, a fax service and photocopiers. Call in to the alluring old building and check out some of these helpful services. The staff are hospitable and the building is a beautiful example of Victorian Belfast. N.B. The Library are currently carrying out some renovations and at the moment the outer facade of the building can't be seen (such a pity!) hopefully this will be completed soon though!

Although it is a fine resource I have mixed feelings about Belfast Central Library, having spent…read moremany hours in the Irish studies section researching local history. Just about anything in that line that you might need is available like other large formal libraries there is a system of requesting a book that staff will go and get for you. Mostly that worked fine but there were occasions when staff members really didn't seem willing to help and it creates a bad impression and puts me off using the library unless I'm really desperate. There are other libraries in the city with a much more welcoming atmosphere. On the other hand the opening hours are useful if you need to come here after work and there plenty of computer terminals for access to library members, with quite a good lending section on the ground floor and a useful coffee shop downstairs.

very interesting place to be in you will be glad to know i wasnt arrested, i was there to take…read morepart in the mock trials via school, its a class place to get to see, great views out the windows, and really modern rooms, which still keep with the idea of it being a court also loads of facilities, bar library is right across the road, as well as the magistrates courts, so the legal scene in Belfast is very self contained sadly however people somehow fail to appreciate the building when they are on trial somehow

This library is of a quiet and relaxed atmosphere which made doing some work a lot easier with no…read moredistractions (very easily distracted woman here) The staff were helpful explaining how to logon with my password etc and also gave me a new card as i had misplaced my old one! Only down side was that it was 4.25 to print about 8 pages!! Although it needed to be done there and then and thats exactly how it happened everything was fast and made easily accessible

This library would probably be pretty quiet if it wasn't for the staff. They are approachable and…read morehelpful, but when you're sitting in otherwise almost silent environment trying to focus on something, well it's your own fault for coming to a place where people work. What was I thinking? I can't expect employees not to converse with each other all day, sometimes from one room to another, just because I'm in a library. Yep it's pretty frustrating. There were a few kids there as well but they were really quiet. They were just sitting checking a few things on the internet as the staff went about their daily conversations. But what can you do? Take off to another library I suppose. I was to be further disappointed when I was going to print a load of pages out. 50p per sheet was the levy for that. No thanks. I'd about 50 sheets to print out and didn't fancy parting with £25 to do so. I went up to PONG, making sure to completely avoid the inhospitable disorganisation that is Megabite (see my reviews), got on the internet for a while and got the sheets printed out, all for around a tenner.

The rounded roof of Holywood Arches library resembles a treasure chest and it's a fitting…read morecomparison as a local library is most valuable, especially in a down beat area. Though small it is well formed and a bit of a haven with a modest book collection and a good selectionof DVDs which you can hire more economically than from commercial outlets. There is free internet access for library members with about 15 PCs, printing facilities and a photocopier but no fax. As it's near the childhood stamping ground of CS Lewis, author of the Narnia books, some explanatory information is on exhibit and of course you can't miss the commemorative sculpture outside that depicts, in lifesize, the writer as he opens the wardrobe door.

In terms of books there's not a big selection and there never seems to be anything new, as a whole…read morelibrary its got computers and you can get photocopying done too, its a valuable resource for that alone as there's few places in the area with those facilities. They can source books in if you know the isbn number and any other library has them available to transfer in.

During a hot afternoon spent walking about the city a stop off to use a library such as the one on…read morethe Shankill Road is very welcome. It's old fashioned in style, built by the Belfast Corporation in the late 1920s. The library is on an upper floor, approached by quite steep steps and stairs although there is also a lift. On a hot day the room is airy and bright thanks to high ceilings and big windows, some of which are old fashioned stained glass, and there is an old parquet floor. Like most local libraries it has a large supply of fiction books, a children's section and DVDs. There are plenty of computer terminals, always very handy for free internet access and enough people about to prove that as ever, libraries are an invaluable resource in the community.

I have been a member of this library since i was a child and i have seen many changes in those…read moreyears, i have always enjoyed going to this library as i find the staff there very friendly and helpful. my son and daughter who are now both adults are also members of the library and have been since childhood. i hope that this and all the other libraries continue for many years to come as i find that they are a vital part of a child's education. Many Thanks to all the staff in Shankill Library for your help over the years Arlene McVeigh

Helpful staff, printers, scanners, newspapers and computers. Not many books but they can be…read morerequested from other locations! #Knowledge

I have been using this library since I was 5, so thats quite a few years and much as I favour…read morewriting with honesty, I'm not going to say just how many. Anyhoo since then this library has been a great resource for me and continues to be so for my children. I love that. From the outside the library looks pretty grim as the building is a bizarre haxagonal shape which was probably the latest thing in architecture back when it was built. Inside things look much better - bright and airy with lots of space and light. Every possible literary taste is catered for - chick lit (my guilty pleasure), reference books, hobbies, biographies, the lot. Downstairs is given over completely to the kids, with loads of books and cute little tables and chairs. There is a kids book reading session every Wednesday afternoon too. There are also audio books and large print books for anyone with a visual impairment. You can surf the net for free too on one of the banks of PCs. I know you can buy all the latest book releases for next to nothing in Tesco these days but there's something pleasingly frugal in taking the kids to the library and all coming home with new books to read.

A remarkable sculpture at Holywood Arches that depicts the author CS Lewis as he opens the door of…read morethe wardrobe where the journey to Narnia begins in the well loved series of children's books, of which the first is The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. CS Lewis grew up in nearby Ballyhackamore and some of the landscapes described in the Narnia books are identifiable with north Co Down nearby. Ross Wilson was commissioned to produce the sculpture in 1998, the centenary of Lewis's birth. The Searcher stands just outside the library, a surprising sight when you first see it, especially in a rather unassuming part of the city. As a landmark I suspect is not as well known as it might be.

The people of East Belfast are always proud to refer to the likes of George Best and Van Morrison…read moreas having come from the area, and rightly so. Oooh, story time... [The podiatrist I worked for has dealt with Van Morrison's feet, and this somewhat excited me, though he never appeared while I was working for her. I was quite gutted to say the least...I had rather hoped he would serenade me with "Brown Eyed Girl", but it just wasn't to be.] Anyway, back to the review! One of the most famous and recognisable stars to have come from this side of Belfast is CS Lewis, though he is often forgotten about amidst the other names, such as the aforementioned Best and Van Morrison. I absolutely love this sculpture, as it epitomises CS Lewis' most famous work, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by including him in it, as the narrator of another of his books from the Chronicles of Narnia - The Magician's Nephew. I remember The Searcher being erected, and I can't believe it was 12 years ago in commemoration of the centenary of Lewis' birth! Since then, CS Lewis has become a bigger talking point for the tourist industry, with tours based on his life occurring every Sunday of the month from June to the end of September, and on the first Sunday of every month from October to March. Tickets are available from the Belfast Welcome Centre. I truly hope this wonderful and inspirational man is remembered for another hundred years, and East Belfast will continue to be proud of a man who was born here, educated in Campbell College, and lived here for much of his life.