All of my friends know that I spend a lot of time reading books. I can plow through a book in a day, so this is where the library comes in handy. The Firehall Branch is the closest one to me, so I end up going there the most. The Firehall Branch is on the second floor on W 10th Ave between Granville and Hemlock Street. It's a short walk from the 99 B-Line stop at Granville Street.
The library itself is pretty small. They have a decent selection of children's literature, fiction, magazines and dvds. They also have computers available that you can pay to use. The best strategy with this library is to put books on hold online, then request them for pickup at the Firehall Branch. I find it can take up to 4 days for a book to be transferred from a different branch, but you receive an email as soon as the book is ready for pick up. The books you put on hold are alphabetically organized on the shelves to the right of the check out counter. There are two express check out stations, as well as two librarians available to check out books for you, which makes things really efficient.
The hours of the branch are a bit lackluster compared to other locations. It's open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 AM to 8 PM, and Thursday to Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM. It makes it easy enough to pick up books after work, but I wish this branch was open on Sundays as well. Also, I find the librarians aren't as friendly as you'd expect. I donated a huge bag full of plastic bags since they had a sign up asking for some, and the librarian seemed annoyed.
If you're looking for super cheap paperbacks and books, this branch sells books for as low as 50 cents each. It's a great deal if you want a new book to read and don't mind its condition.
I give this branch 4 stars because I've had no problems getting in any book I've desired in a reasonable time frame. For a small branch, it's in a great, convenient location. If you want a new book to read, save yourself some cash and borrow it from the library! read more