Top Public librarys in Brooklyn, United States

Half of the staff is friendly and will answer your questions. However, two of the guys that work there play Tetris on the computer all the time and often seem annoyed when asked for help. Otherwise, surprisingly clean and the security guard is nice and always greets me as well. Haven’t had any issues with place being a homeless hangout like some of the other reviews have said. Not the largest selection but you can order books from the other branches as well as utilize the online collection. This isn’t their fault so much as it is the cities as library funding continues to be cut. Thanks so much Eric Adams :/ Maybe not the quietest sometimes but I’d rather the kids enjoy the library over whatever they’d be doing out on the streets.

I am always going to give a public library 5 stars because of the invaluable public service they provide. This branch is clean, well maintained and the staff are friendly and welcoming. Doesn't have the largest selection in the world but there is Internet access and the resources can be used to get books from other branches in the Brooklyn Public Library system. Definitely a must visit.

Love it. It's been a while that I can walk into a library and just vibe peace!

Very helpful and mindful. Eager to assist. My kiss love it here.

Be very aware of this man he is rude and disrespectful he puts the middle finger out on adults and children 🙄 he says horrible things racist to the Hispanics and African American community.i have spoken to the staff and they said its out of their hands.

Please be aware 🙏 😔

This is a very large library that's very easy to access with a lot of activities for children. Every inch of the building is spotless including the restrooms.
There is plenty of street parking and the building is handicap accessible. Currently they are running the book of HOV exhibit for the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop and there are fees required to enter. The library and the surrounding area is great for taking photos.

It was important I made copies so I had to go there. I don't usually because I know its a homeless hang out joint. Sure enough it was full of homeless people. One smelled so bad I could barely concentrate on adding funds to my library card. I completed my business quickly but felt awful that had a story time for small children. I can't fully comprehend having them literally steps away from ripe smelling persons. I'd never bring a child there and wouldn't go there again unless it was imperative and I'd only stay as long as I humanly could

The Book of HOV exhibit is amazing.

It’s hard to capture decades worth of major contributions to music, philanthropy, prison reform, community/world issues, sports and culture into one exhibit but this one does an incredible job of telling his story.

Glad we got to see it, would definitely see it again.

The Jay Z exhibit was quite spectacular showcasing many different Jay Z and Rockafella Items and antiques. The presentation in and outside the building is awesome. This is a free exhibit that every New Yorker should see at least once before it is removed. The Grand Library is also very beautiful with old architecture on the outside and new architecture on the inside. Great Exhibit for a NYC legend!

An awe-inspiring sight indeed! What a breathtaking library! Just across from the beautiful Prospect Park and historic Grand Army Plaza sits this incredible library with a vast array of books, movies and other media. Theres even a passport service here.
Besides the usual library services like computer use, scanning and printing this beautiful well-kept space offers really nice meeting rooms you could reserve for free! Theres also English language classes, art classes and computer classes among others.
Theres so much going on here, it warms my heart to know that many many different humans, communities and organizations have come together to keep this well oiled machine running. This IS what community is all about.
Theres even a cute cafe with delicious pastries right in the lobby.
Currently theres a Jay Z exhibit so its also a museum 💜
I have been wanting to give Agatha Christie a go and sure enough this library had a wide range of her works to choose from.
There are water fountains to refill your bottle and the workers are really nice. It’s obvious they are proud to work in such a lovely space. I learnt that the unique design evokes an open book with the spine facing the Plaza whilst its pages open onto Eastern Parkway and Flatbush Avenue. How utterly remarkable 📕
While the history of this structure dates back to 1889, this building actually opened to the public on 1st of February 1941. Imagine what that must have been like, right smack in the middle of a terrible horrific world war, one could come here perhaps for a little peace and reflection.
Thats what I imagined when I was here. The frightened citizenry who found solace in this lovely building. And perhaps they felt glad to live in America and enjoy such a luxurious space.
I know thats what I felt when I first set my sight on it: wow, what a wonderful rich and lavish country I live in, to have a library like this. And I felt grateful to be here 🗽🎈🇺🇸

I love the big windows at this library

This Jay Z exhibition is amazing. One of his rap lyrics is written on the wall of the building. If u are a true HOV fan u are going to love this. This is a tribute to one of the greatest rapper in the world and business man out of Brooklyn. If u have time, go see this exhibition. It is also free. Will be there until the middle of October.

Awe.

The exhibition was amazing. The staff were very helpful and friendly and they had it organized from top to bottom!

Many vendors alongs the front and the streets.

Playground and garden directly next door.

Beautiful community to walk and bike riding lanes and paths.

Thank you for the experience!

Philly love us some New Yorkers.

Always a nice vibe but not on Sundays. It's closed😁

Went for the Jay-Z exhibit! It’s perfectly curated and you’ll find yourself learning more about him than you ever dreamt. There was a very long line for entry, so I recommend visites during the week. There are two floors of exhibit, but it’s basically a 30-40 minutes view. It’s completely free and they do give you a guidebook of exhibit. There are bathroom but because of the massive amounts of people, they aren’t the cleanest. There were about 10 food trucks, and 5 street vendors.

Amazing staff and super helpful. Helped me reopen my account and started me with my Jay-Z BPL collection

This library looks modern. It is well-kept. What surprised me was the computer area which had an area for people to go record music in a book and software to mix their creations.

I went during the Book of Hov exhibit. I highly recommend going to see that. It’s inspiring to experience and a must-see.

A wonderful addition to Brower Park! So grateful to have such a lovely library with such kind staff so nearby.

Jay z approved go out enjoy your summer break get a book catch a show or kids or teens program valid on every level good vibes only go get ya card before they run out 💯 📚 📖

Visited new location of Brower Park Library @ Brooklyn Children's Museum.
Compact and technology outlets in adult section.

The neatest thing was being able to capture a view of the Children's museum through a window.
Reading nook, cultural displays.

Stroller and bicycle ports
Handicapped accessible
Meeting room

The smell.of new books. PRICELESS 👩‍💻♟💿💻🔌🖨📖📖📖📖📖📖

Air conditioners cool the rooms too much, otherwise everything is fine.

The space is tight knit and enclosed in a wonderful protected and inclusive neighborhood. I wish the library would uphold those values as well. There's a wide variety of people, but the noise level (especially coming from the children's section is extremely loud. not their fault because there are NO walls due to poor funding from the government. remember to vote folks!)

there also seems to be only one staff there. would like to see more staffing and monitoring of the noise level because it got quite chaotic when it was filled with nannies and toddlers (even through your headphones)

It is a beautiful Library its all open space nice staff they have tables n chairs to sit outside n enjoy the weather n read a book or use your laptop

Great place wonderful staff I enjoyed my time there.

Rec Center, not a library!

Not QUITE ALL. I really wanna say it’s a charge station for phones, or telemarketing company, and a gaming center. So that’s why I get the idea of a recreational center.
But make sure you
pack earphones
Download Rain Noises to block out all the extra noise.
But everything else is amazing but don’t look forward to needing a quiet place to study and get work done. Will be super distracted and disappointed with the sounds.
And Hint the security and Liberians can not tell you to step outside if your kid is yelling and acting out and you leave them in the middle of the floor (which parents that's- an example of abandonment at an early stage)
But anywho just a heads up…had to go back and change my review!

Honestly a pretty underwhelming library, that doesn't follow traditional norms and library standards. The building itself is quite small and lacks a lot of books, making that bad enough, the staff isn't really any help and actually come off as quite cold. Their is no etiquette in terms of noise control, meaning babies and toddlers are allowed to wander about screaming, crying and dropping things, not a great place to work or check out a book, but the outside garden is nice

I'm leaving this review of the Park Slope Library as an event space. If you didn't know, upon closing at night, this historic building can host an event, or in my case, a wedding! As an avid reader since childhood, I will treasure it forever as the magical public library where I was lucky enough to get married and celebrate with my loved ones. Jennifer Herklotz, the library's events coordinator, helped plan my wedding with my planner, Krista Rae, and together, they made the planning process simple for me. All of the library staff were extremely warm and helpful. I had both the wedding ceremony and reception here and while it can only host about 100 people for a seated meal event, I was not bothered because I had always envisioned a small wedding. Once you get in there, and try to imagine the space with no plastic desks, piled with computers, you'll see the space is filled with architectural details - just the fireplaces alone cinched it for me. My wedding was in May, and I am still receiving compliments from my guests on the unique and charming venue. (All photos @ Sequoyah Daniel Photography)

I love this branch. Its alot more quiet than other libraries i've been too. But it is also alot more activities, lots of kids are usually running back and forth or getting tutored. Not much of a distraction though. Nice branch !!

For some unknown reason the staff refuse to control any noise from any person. Not the place to go if you are looking for a quiet library. Too bad because it's a beautiful building but the staff are ineffectual.

I have been coming to this, Library since living here in Brooklyn always clean good as will as. The stuff my loving wife and I both have known since living here, in Brooklyn and they are always on hand happy to help when you need help! I honestly don't go to another one but this one..My loving wife and I both give them more, than 5 gold stars

Lovely space but I have never been in a library in which the staff themselves are SUPER loud. They don't make any effort to speak quietly at all, quite to the contrary. There seems to be no awareness for the fact that they are in a library. I'm not saying they need to act like church mice, I'm saying they are LOUD. They also seem to think their back office area is sound proof. They are even loud compared to typical office chatter. Much louder than a coffee shop. They sound like they are working in an outdoor depot. The space is cavernous and therefore echoes. They'd be loud even without that affect, but with it, you can't escape (I tried). One of them clunks around in loud heels providing a stiletto back-beat to cacophony.

The irony is that most library visitors are quiet and carry themselves with the soft demeanor that is typical of, well, libraries. However, the staff's behavior is contagious, and any time a guest interacts with them (say to look for a book), they start conversing loudly together, like they're out on the street or something. The whole reason people keep it down in libraries is bc they're met with quiet upon entering.

Btw, I'm a young male and don't mind a bit of noise. This is just ridiculous and really annoying if you're actually trying to get some work done, study, or read a book. There is a difference between the constant drone of a busy space, and the incessant piercing STAFF voices. I'm wearing nice Sony noise cancelling headphones, with a sound blocker playing, and it's not quite cutting it.

These people, the contra-librarians (rsrs), are oblivious. Perhaps a quart low. Strange, unordinary, annoying af, and a shame.

The greatest place to the community! I am so thankful for this library where I can access all the books I need. Book transfers and requests are super speedy and the staff are always kind. Love the outdoor seating for COVID times

What a gem this branch of the Brooklyn Public Library system is. Tucked away in the heart of Park Slope at the intersection of 9th Street and 6th Avenue, this library invites you to come in and find a beautiful space for reading, studying, researching and writing. Immediately upon entering through the grand doorways, (there is also a ramp for wheelchair or stroller access) you find yourself in the quietly extraordinary classical revivalist architecture of the now landmarked building designed by Raymond F. Almirall in 1906. There are two grand, non-serviced fireplaces that give a warm feeling to the reading areas, and a lovely plaque honoring Andrew Carnegie, the great philanthropist of his era building hundreds of libraries around the world. The children’s book section is delightful, and there is a foreign language book section that is ingenious. Also, there are desktop computers for reading and book research. There is so much to say about this library that it is better you visit it in person and see and explore for yourself. Highly recommended. Keep supporting your local library!

Love this place reading is the key ..

Friendly and helpful staff. Small library but has tables to study and a children's section.

Great place to visit . seems like the community has a big involvement in the way things are set up .love the atmosphere it's very down to earth so visit if you have time and you will see the love and happiness that is going on

The New Lots branch can't compete with this branch, which is beyond sad. It's surprisingly well kept considering the area and very organized. And this branch even has real security that doesn't allow unruly guests to do whatever they want. Upon entering this library you may instantly think you are in a different part of town. And that's a good thing.

If you’ve got kids, great. If not....maybe head to a different library. It’s nice to have a library in the neighborhood so that you can pick a book up from a different branch you’ve ordered, but there isn’t much here apart from young-adult fiction.

Prospect branch, now Park Slope, is among 21 Carnegie Libraries in Brooklyn. Recently renovated, its audience is kids & care-givers.
Free wifi, clean gender neutral bathrooms, computers, beautiful interior.

I grew up in this library. I love that it is close to my house so I can soak up all the free wifi I need during business hours. I try to leave as soon as the after school children are coming in because it will start getting noisy. Not a giant selection of books, but a fair amount and besides, they can order the specific book you need if need be. Staff is friendly and there are programs for all ages.

Brooklyn Public Library - Brower Park Library - Brooklyn, NY, United States. Small library in my hood. I've been coming here since birth so I know all the staff and it's home

The staff was very helpful when asked for assistance. Unfortunately the adult computer area is located very close to the children's reading section. The level of noise made it somewhat challenging to focus on my assignment. In addition to the noise coming from the children the staff are extremely chatty and loud. The library is clean and air conditioned, but the noise is unbearable 😔.

The building itself is lovely, but parents treat it like a day care center. There were children running around and playing my entire time there. Also, there was a man singing, quite loudly, while at one of the computer stations, and the librarian didn't ask him to stop. I can't recommend going to this library if you intend to do some serious studying, but it's fine for casual use.