I'm partial to this library since I'm Tommie and it's located on the St. Thomas campus. However, it…read morereally is a special place for non-students too! The architecture is gorgeous, from the steps outside to the bell tower that rings every 15min and plays a tune everyday at noon. A local favorite is the 2nd floor, because with all the brick and wood and chandeliers, it looks like something out of Harry Potter! If dark academia isn't your vibe, there's also so many tables near windows to get sunshine while you work. There's plenty of computers for students and a couple of computers available for use by the community. The librarians are incredibly helpful with research (online databases and print books). While the library doesn't have as many new books, they are well connected and can borrow books from other University libraries across the country. As a bonus, the coffee shop is now open on the 1st floor. Check out Stacks Cafe for espresso drinks, tea, chai, and a few pastries.

The student workers are so rude. They always have an attitude and when they told me my study room…read morereservation was over they had an extremely awful blonde guy with glasses (not even know or say hi or anything in a nice manner) barge in the room and tell me I needed to leave the SECOND my reservation was over. Like not even a minute or two. It was ridiculous. The guy with painted nails at the front desk was also insufferable. Like they all have attitudes for no reason. I'm a desk worker at UST and I work super late nights with a lot more chaos and I would never treat a student like that. I will never be coming back - those students or whoever they are were so awful.

I've gone to this library a few times. I like that it is not huge but they have it divided up into…read moresections. The coolest thing is they have private rooms that you can use for free. I had to do this to rehearse for a Play I was in. Make sure you pay attention to hotel of operation though. Sometimes doors don't open until 12 on the dot, even if you have reserved a room for 12pm.

Lots of natural light, easy parking, nice areas for kids and reserved teen spaces. Nice…read moreperiodicals, magazines and newspapers and pickup area for borrowed materials. Reading spaces with lots of natural light are appreciated!

Another nice representative for the library system. Plentiful books, materials and resources,…read morecomfortable space to enjoy them, community support, nicely presented art, good accessible technology and very friendly customer service! This well used library is an excellent public resource and should be a point of pride to all local residents.

I used to go here somewhat regularly for baby or family story time because it was the only one in…read moreMinneapolis on Fridays, but I find it a bit too chaotic. I really like the libraries that have a separate room for kid's activities, it contains the kids and helps keep calm. But E. Lake doesn't have this, and the children's area it not set up in a way that facilitates story time. It also tends to get really crowded here, while for some reason many other libraries get almost no kids for story times. More and more families seem to arrive as the activity gets going, each new late family plopping on the floor behind another, not in a nice neat circle that generates a sense of order for the kids. Ironically, I also like when the facilitator responds positively to little kids who do choose to get up and move around, but I get little sense at E. Lake what the kids are supposed to do.

Great old Carnegie library, one of the 4 in Mnpls. Cool old style architecture and design, filled…read morewith rich local artists and content. Well utilized and busy even on a weekday afternoon, this library appears to be more of a rich community center than "just a library". Take some time to dig into this well preserved and stocked snapshot into local culture and history.

This is a Andrew Carnegie Library, on the list of US National Register of Historic Places! The…read morelibrary is well worth the visit, even if you're not in the mood for a book! From the wide entrance up the steps to the mosaic on the fireplace, the skylight and beautiful windows, you can feel the love and historical importance of this place. It has always been the Phillips neighborhood library, home to the immigrants that were here. Originally, the shelves included Scandinavian materials-today it reflects the current neighborhood. If you have a question (which I did), you can find a friendly HELPFUL librarian at the reference desk. The librarian didn't know the answer to my question, but together we found the answers online! Just what I hope everyone learns at a library: you don't have to know everything but you can find out by asking questions and looking things up! Cheers to the Franklin Library!

Very unique public library with great art and access. Resources for everyone including community…read morematerials, children's books and resources, and of course books, computers and everything for adults to meet, study, or just relax. Nicely nestled into Dinkytown, the library is a great community resource and positive reflection upon its namesake. Be sure to ask for the tour if you choose to stop by!

Time for a new review. We can now ignore my previous review as the building has been completely…read morerenovated and modernized and using two floors now. Expanded spaces in every department and a very large children's section. More computers, more meeting rooms, and a discovery area with more classic and new novels which were almost starting to be a thing of the past in the old space. Wha books? No books here, just videos and music. So now books galore and everything else and showcasing the beautiful unique architecture of Ralph Rapson.

As far as Library locations go, the Uptown Branch of the Minneapolis Public Library is a win. When…read moreI went in to use their computers because I had to upload a resume that only uses Internet Explorer (I have a MAC), I realized it had been so long since I used my library card that I had forgotten everything associated with my account. The circulation desk was very supportive and assisted me with everything I needed to do with my account. The only reason I am giving them 4 stars is because of their hours. This branch happens to be open only under 5 pm on most days. No extended hours. They do maintain it well. It is clean and some of the younger users need to remember library etiquette, keeping it a tranquil place. I rarely use the library, but this is a nice location to come in and to have a quiet place to study, read or get involved with reading groups. The focus of this library seems to be focused on employment assistance and does provide library access for our homeless population, which is unheard of in some other major cities requiring people to have some form of identification. So it's good to see that there is some form of outreach to help people to get back on their feet. I also felt the library was very climate controlled. The library was nice and cool compared to the very warm temperatures outside. If there hours were expanded, I would utilize the library more.

The Chaska library is a smaller library in downtown historic Chaska…read more I agree with other reviews saying it is pretty noisy. It's also in an older building and it does smell like it - or at least it did on a hotter day. I really give it props because it tries to embrace the community aspect of a library. Nearly half its section devoted to kids and teens. Many posters around about community events. Seems to be balanced with books offered on the shelves - I get you can't please everyone. For all these reasons - I am appreciative of this location. Is this where you go to have a quiet place to study for your SAT/GMAT doctor's exam? Absolutely not. Will you find supportive staff that will cheer you on? Probably. If you have a Carver County library card - make a visit! (...And then walk down the road to Firemans Park for a fun day out!)

Attended Brodini's magic show today. It was fun and several children were present and he made sure…read moreeach kid was recognized. Laura was very nice and kept the crowd under control. Very friendly library.

Browsing these aisles was an illuminating experience for me. I love libraries, and I've been…read morepleased with the number of queer works in my nearby Wescott public library (and I was even pleased with the number of queer works in my Buda public library back when I was stuck living in Texas), but being here shifted things strikingly into perspective... Cisheteronormativity stifles our collective voices and power. Our community has built so much, page by page, sharing our wisdom. With so much queer literature (both fiction and non-fiction alike), I could never hope to read it all in my lifetime, yet here it was surrounding me. Not a couple of shelves or a couple of rows, full AISLES reaching from my feet to above my head. Their collection of books pre-dating 1969 was also impressive, as was their periodicals. An absolute treasure trove of queer history sitting on those shelves. Anyway, I was here for a meet-up that was going on as a resource for trans folks, since I myself am trans. This place has a packed calendar of goings-on for everyone in the acronym. If it's open, there's probably something going on, which is just so amazing and awesome. Places like this matter deeply to the minorities they serve. The place was modern, clean, and maintained, while also feeling comfortable. A space towards the front with couches and chairs serves as a meeting place for book review clubs or to just sit and read while there. There's a multi-purpose room towards the back for gatherings that need a little more space to spread out or that need privacy. There's a computer you can access in the back as well. The restrooms were, of course, gender-neutral, and quite spacious for accessibility reasons too. There is a parking lot accessible off 13th street with 20+ parking spaces available, but if it's looking a little full, you can also easily parallel park on 13th like I did. At the entrance there's a drop box in case you need to return a book after hours (this is important because the library is fairly exclusive about its operational hours, being volunteer-run and all). They also currently have their front door locked (due to understandable concerns about I.C.E.), but if you knock loudly or call the desk, they'll let you in. While I was here, I applied for my Q library card (something I've been meaning to do for months). They had forms out with clipboard and pen, which made it a breeze for me to complete, and the volunteer staff member got it all inputted while I browsed, then found me to give me my card. Just holding it made me so excited! My reading rate has been in a bit of a slump the past few weeks, so I held off on checking anything out, even though the urge to grab 3+ books was strong. I'm sure to be back later to rectify that situation, because so many of the titles stood out to me! So much knowledge to acquire! I'm also likely to bring friends and family members by in the future to share this very special place. I think every queer person should see it at least once in their lifetime.

Truly a (national) gem ! We in the TCs are so fortunate to have this resource for its books and…read moreDVDs. I've yet to encounter a poor staff-volunteer. They also do a fine job, and I understand are trying to do more, community special educational events, eg: its upcoming seminar on 'Long Term Care Insurance.' And for 'mature' dogs like me, they still have many classic DVDs.... All this for only $25 a year of you're over 60, $40 if younger ! Come-out (again) and support this quality GLBTQ resource !