I went to the library for an interview I had. I was told I couldn't be there doing the interview,…read moreeven tho you have people there watching videos on their laptops and making unnecessary noise. They told me my noise wasn't allowed. Julie, the lady that told me said she was in charge and I had to leave. I asked why others can but I can't, and she refused to answer the question. I had everything in my headphones, so nothing could be heard by anyone there. She was nothing but rude and when asked who her boss was she wouldn't tell me. I had to call into the library and ask someone else to find out. She gave me a dirty look as I was walking out. Definitely don't feel welcome here as a Chicago ridge resident.

The library is very nice and the youth section is amazing. Unfortunately the librarians were not…read morevery nice nor welcoming. We've been to lots of libraries and a make a break for a good library is the librarians.

I love Chicago Heights Public Library. I have been a patron there for 70 years. I have found the…read moreemployees to be knowledgeable and helpful, especially Sheila she goes out of the way to be helpful. If they don't have the book they get it for me from another library in the system. Thanks to all of you. Jan Szpejnowski

I drove the Chicago Heights Bookmobile for 1 year from October 1974 to October 1975. It was a great…read morejob. When not driving our route I did odd jobs around the library.

Absolutely stunning, great for kids as well as adults. They have activities for the kids which is…read moreamazing, with packets to take home as well as a play areas.

I would recommend going to this library. Every time I go there everyone is so help and kind…read more Especially Katie and Colleen

Clean building nice staff and just blocks from my home. Good hours and mixed selection of booksread more

The Whitney Young Library has been remodeled in the last couple years, and now has a very sleek,…read moremodern look, reminiscent of a Miesian style. I think that is by design (love a good pun), because after I first viewed this building I found an article wherein the architecture says he is inspired in his work by Mies. (Apparently Mies was a mentor, so the connection makes sense!) I have heard of Whitney Young, of course; one of the top selective high schools in the city is named for him (a school that only became more high profile because Michelle Obama is an alumna). I didn't realize that he was a Black man, a civil rights leader, and served at the helm of the National Urban League. Whilst I appreciate that the city/CPL has honored Black and brown leaders by doing things like naming branches after them, it would be nice if they would do so in areas besides the Black and brown neighborhoods (Chicago is one of the most segregated cities in the country, yes, in the year of our Lord 2022). It might make a bit more sense if Whitney Young was from the neighborhood, but I don't think he had any real connection to Chicago. But... I digress. It's got a pretty small footprint, and is a single level. It was designed by Jay Carow (pretty sure that's his name, not Hay Carow as the branch webpage might have you believe), Though there's a small collection of books compared to many other branches (not a problem since you can have books transferred from branch to branch for pickup within a few days!) it does have some useful services. There are several computers, and there's a relatively large children's section for the overall size of the building. There's a small enclosed courtyard at the southwest corner of the building. They have a few study rooms, one specifically geared toward teens. And in addition to that, there's a maker lab and a recording studio. The recording studio was a surprise and pretty cool to see; it would be neat to try it out sometime. I don't know how the reservation process works but luckily they have a phone number, email, and a website! There's a good sized parking lot at this location. They have an outdoor plaza too, and I'm curious what they use that space for. The west exterior wall has a really nice mural that spans the length of it as well.

As an update to the last review from 8 years ago, it still has a great children's area, good amount…read moreof mega blocks, board games and a kid's carpeted play area. Lots of diversity in the children's books. We had a nice time hanging here on a rainy Chicago afternoon.

I'm not sure why this says "Chicago City of" as the title of the business, but the address…read moreindicates that this is the Martin Luther King, Jr. branch of the Chicago Public Library. So, I'm reviewing this branch of the library. Located at 35th and King Dr., this library is super tiny. However, what this tiny library lacks in space, it makes up for in attention to detail and care. The two ladies that work the desk here are really, really busy but still manage to be helpful. One directed me to where I needed to look in the fiction section of the library and the other continued to help the other patrons at the desk. Again, very small selection of books. However, they really have made the children's section of this library and amazing space. Most of the books in here (or maybe at least 50%) are children's books - awesome for kids in the neighborhood. There are really great displays of all sorts of genres, subjects and authors for the kids to look at. They are also members of the Lincoln Readers Club, so kids are learning all about Lincoln and all that he did during his lifetime. Yay! Pretty decent selection of adult books and magazines. Obviously, like any other library, you can request to have anything delivered here for pickup if it's not available at this branch. There's also a really large selection of computers with free Internet available (as is true with all Chicago Public Libraries). Definitely a great part of this library, especially since a lot of people in the Bronzeville area do not have Internet access at home. I liked this branch of the library. I definitely see myself coming here more often now that I work so close by.

I am writing to express ongoing concerns regarding my experiences at the Midlothian Library as a…read moretraveling therapist serving young children and their families. In my role, I work with children of varying abilities, including those with developmental differences. Unfortunately, I have had multiple unpleasant interactions with staff that have made the environment feel unwelcoming and, at times, inappropriate for the families I serve. I have observed what I perceive to be differential treatment toward families of color, including nonverbal cues and behaviors that come across as dismissive and judgmental. One particularly concerning incident involved a child with autism who was experiencing a brief meltdown in a private room. During this time, a staff member, later identified as Sue Eckhardt, entered abruptly and stated, "What the hell is going on? I can hear the banging in my office." The tone and approach lacked sensitivity and were not appropriate given the situation. The interaction escalated an already challenging moment rather than supporting a safe and understanding environment. Additionally, I have received repeated feedback that typical toddler behavior--such as speaking at an indoor voice level--is "too loud." I have also been told that my therapeutic singing is disruptive, despite it being a standard and necessary component of my sessions. At the same time, there appears to be inconsistency in expectations for noise levels among staff. I would also like to note concerns regarding the physical layout of the children's area. The toddler space is centrally located with high ceilings, which naturally amplifies sound. This design contributes to noise concerns that staff have raised, yet the responsibility appears to be placed on families rather than considering environmental factors. Public libraries are intended to be inclusive, welcoming spaces for all members of the community. Based on my experiences, I feel that the current environment and some staff interactions fall short of that standard. I strongly encourage leadership to reflect on staff training, particularly in areas of cultural responsiveness, disability awareness, and family-centered practices.

It was ok, staff has some attitude but mostly Ok…read more One time I went to the bathroom and they were all messed up. It smelt bad and what I think was soap on the mirror.

This is a fairly large library with bright colors and a neat setup. We visited on a Saturday…read moreafternoon and our young girls had the whole children section to themselves. There were puzzle sets, stuffed animals, magnetic tiles, Legos, rocking horse, and a reasonable selection of children's books. The children's book seem a bit "disorganized" because there was one long set of shelves right next to the children's section and then two rows down would be another long set of shelves with more children books. Nonetheless, our girls had a good time and we spent at least an hour there to play and read.

got yelled at as soon as i walked in with my 4 year old daughter for having a water cup. as did my…read morefriend with her 1 year old daughter. we were trying to get our girls so we could take the cups back out to the car and they came up to us again and said even if the water is in the bag it can not be in the building. very rude front desk. if you have small children or even want to enjoy a coffee while studying, i do not recommend. against having drinks, yet they have bottle fill up stations.. doesn't add up.

Wonderful staff - very helpful and friendly and pleasant. They keep the library very clean and…read moreorganized. Always enjoy going in there. Positive asset to our community.

Most of staff is friendly and nice except the lead person on second floor, Bonnie with dark hair…read more The childrens area. She was super rude to me and my children. She obviously has none. She was reprehending my 1yr old for moving the chairs. My children were not loud, we not making a mess. They did not close for another 45mins. I was on my cell but was rudely told its not allowed. Ok i put the phone to the side &I starting packing up my kids & my diaper bag to leave. Told my son to pick something up that fell outta my bag.Another rude comment not needed. I asked her why are u being like this? She then scolded me. She then started to bicker with me. Whatt??? Just let me leave and shut yr mouth.