Brighton Park Library is located on the north side of Archer Avenue between 43rd Street and Kedzie…read moreAvenue. (closer to 43rd St : ) PARKING Some parking can be found in the back of the building. You enter the lot from 43rd Street. There is a walk way between the parking lot and the front of the building. Street parking is in the area--meters on Archer Avenue. Bike rack is in front of the library. THE BUILDING Though not as large as some libraries, Brighton Park Library is a very decent size. I think it has a very nice layout. The front desk for check-in/out is one of the first things you will see upon entering. There is a nice children's section to the left and the adult section is to the right. The Community Room is toward the back of the library - -kind of behind the front desk a bit. There are two gender neutral restrooms. There is a hallway to the left of the Community Room and the restrooms are on the left side of the hallway. You will need a key for the restrooms. The keys are in a basket on the left counter side of the front desk. SERVICE I have stopped in this library a few times in the past year. I have not needed any help nor checked any books in/out, but the staff always seems friendly and willing to assist. The library always looks well - kept and nicely maintained. Extras : You can borrow a Wi-Fi Hotspot at this location As of this review, a CyberNavigator technology tutor is available to assist with computer/tech needs/questions. Call to check for availability and make an appointment. Check the website for various events like Story Time for small children ; crafts for older children; film screenings for adults--and more! Although I feel the parking situation is not the most convenient, I really like the Brighton Park Library. It is a pleasant library that has quite a bit to offer. Library Review #4 Brighton Park Neighborhood - Review #4

I'm on a quest to visit every branch of the Chicago Public Library system…read more This is the very first branch of the library I ever visited back when I was...well, I must have been 3 or younger. This branch has some of the most friendly staff people! Ask them a question and they'll help you find the answer, and they're quick so you don't have to wait too long in line. The meeting room in this library is pretty big, and the children's section is spacious. The chairs that have legs shaped like pencils!!! The computers here are usually busy, so book ahead of time if you need to use the internet. It can get a bit noisy, especially during after-school hours.

Love this library! The only issue I have (and it is 100% my issue,) is that everytime I want to go…read moreto the librarary, it happens to occur before noon on Wednesday. Otherwise, super friendly and knowledgeable staff. They have a 3d printer. Love it

Many people might not know this, but all CPL have word processing (Libre office) and allow…read moreUSB/flash/thumb/etc drives to save files. Computer help is also available here. The staff is friendly and helpful. Unless there are programs this library is quiet enough to get work done.

Normally I don't write reviews for public libraries unless it's as terrible as this one…read more This is a very small and old library with no parking spots for guests (see the sign that says employees only in the picture below) and the AC was barely working. I had to park my car at somewhere else and walked over. It was hot inside while I was there. The library computer only allowed 2 extension requests after using it for 1 hour. Some other libraries allowed more than 2 times. I'm glad there was wifi and restrooms at least. But I won't come here again. It was an unpleasant experience for me overall.

I love the Clearing branch of CPL. I am there almost every week for story time with my kids, and…read morethe Children's Librarian is fantastic. She knows all the kids names and is great keeping them engaged. Story time or just browsing books, we've never had a bad experience.

Completely beautiful Completely quiet…read moreYou have to get a guest pass before entering After a while the wifi cuts in and out frequently so you have to keep logging your guest pass code

VERY cool library with ginormous reading room. Even has piped in white music. I seriously wouldn't…read morehave as many excuses for my GPA had I spent more time in spaces like this.

How can you say anything bad about a library "It's Free". Returned some books from Harold…read moreWashington library there with no problem . Librarians have to be the most calming, mellow and friendly people, well at least at this library. The lady I dealt with would make a good yoga instructor.

Location On the south side of 55th Street, just west of…read moreCalifornia Avenue, hidden among a string of unassuming, somewhat depressing storefronts, you will find the Gage Park Library - - if you look hard enough! Honestly, if you don't live in the neighborhiid and know that it is here, well, you wouldn't know that it is here. I was in the library one day when a woman walked in and told the clerks that she lhad been walking past this place for years and just realized that it was a library. I have frequently overheard the clerks explaining over the phone to some frantic person from another neighborhood who is trying to find this place so they can pick up a museum pass before someone else beats them to it, where this library is. "Your at the gas station? Look straight across the street.". A Bit of History Yep, the Gage Park Library does not look like any other library these days. There was a time when there were many storefront libraries. I think that the Gage Park Library may be the last of them. In the 1950-60's, it was known as Gage Park Sub-Branch Library. I am not sure when CPL dropped the "Sub" part, but I think they should have left the name alone. At least people would have a clue that this is not the type of library people in other neighborhoods have come to expect. They still have have the "blond" wood tables and chairs that I remember as a kid when they used to be located on the sw corner of 55th & Mozart in the '50's -' 60"s. I am not sure if they moved to the current location in the '70's or' 80's. Parking There is no parking lot and if you park on 55th Street, be sure to feed the meter. The meter also goes around the corner to Mozart. You can park on California Ave, but be aware of rush hour restrictions. And in the winter, keep in mind the snow restrictions on 55th and on California. And watch for residential parking restrictions on side streets. Maybe it is best to walk or take the bus here Valuable Service Although this place is small, may be hard to find and doesn't have any convenient place to park when you find it, it does provide valuable service to the neighborhood. You can find some interesting books here, although you are probably not going to want to sit here and read them like you would in the larger, newer libraries. You can find movies here. Of course you can always order and pickup the books /movies that you can't find here. You can get Museum Passes here - - unless someone from another neighborhood beats you to it. (Really CPL there has got to be a less stressful way for patrons to get Museum Passes). You can use the computers. You can scan and print copies - - no more xerox machines in the libraries. Despite the cramped environment, the staff is friendly and if you come in here often enough you start to feel likel family--I guess that is the real plus of this small place. Final Observation/Thoughts I noticed that they put the name up in the second floor window. That can be helpful if you think to look up to the second floor. I think it would be nice if CPL invested in a gallon of Rustoleun in "Library Green" and painted the orange aluminum siding around the storefront. This could be another clue that this actually is a library. I like libraries. This was my first library as a kid and is still one of my favorites. It only seems right that it should be my first library review :)

The staff ladies in front are very helpful and friendly. We talk about our dogs and how things are…read moregoing. Jun, the manager, is leading a social justice book club. The books have been very enlightening. We get all our holds here. My sisters and I enjoy visiting this library.

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.

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

Rating based on location of library…read more Well, if there was an award for "Least Common Sense and Consideration When Designing a Library" - I think the people who designed this library and the people who approved this library are definitely "WINNERS!!". "Winners" in the most cynical sense of the word. The location of this library - - and, even more so, the address, are like a sick, demented joke that the powers that be in the City of Chicago played on this neighborhood and Library Patrons. This library is in the Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School building at 2111 W. 47th St. However, it is not accessible at this address! I had heard that the library was "in the back of the school". So, when I got to 2111 W. 47th St, about 3:30 PM on 9/7/19 - - a beautiful Saturday afternoon--I knew better than to walk up all the stairs in front of the building. I walked south on Hoyne Avenue, one block south to the back of the building. As I turned to enter the area in the back of the building, I happened to notice two people walk north on the east side of the building. (It's best to check the photos I've included to understand what I am talking about.) As I walked into the area behind the high school, I noticed one car parked to the back of the parking lot. Aside from the two people who were now gone, everything was very quiet and pretty desolate. The doors at the back of the building were locked and gave no indication of being a library. With a bit of apprehension, I decide to walk up this ramp that was on the east side of the building - - the area where I had observed those two people. As I got half way up, I noticed some doors and decided to try them before continuing further north up this path. These were locked also. As I progressed a bit further, I realized that I had finally stumbled on the right door and, finally, the library! There is a small park section between the path and a brick wall off Hoyne Avenue. It is pretty and creepy at the same time. This really isn't the safest neighborhood and this area is very secluded. It did not feel at all safe walking up that path to the library. I sure hope this area is well-monitored. Although, if anything happened, I wouldn't count on anyone actually coming to the rescue. LIBRARY INTERIOR The library is new and fresh. It is not very large. It felt rather congested even though it was pretty empty patron-wise at the time of my visit. There are some libraries where you can go and sit and relax and read a book--if that is the kind of library you want, I recommend Archer Heights, Brighton Park or McKinley Park Library. The restroom was nice and you can find it to your left as you enter the library. STAFF The staff was very pleasant. They were helpful when I asked a few questions about the library. ONLY ENTRANCE I learned the entrance that I used is the only entrance to the library. PARKING I learned that the parking lot is for the school. Library patrons cannot park in the lot. There is only street parking. I understand that some of the street parking is restricted, so be careful where you park--should you decide to visit this library. HISTORY of Back of the Yards Libraries - to the best of my recollection Before they updated their latest website, the Chicago Public Library used to have a little history about each branch. I don't know what happened to it, so here is my version: In the 1960s, the neighborhood library was a storefront library on the west side of Ashland Avenue about 46th St. It was known as New City Sub-Branch Library at that time. I am not sure when it closed. The Chicago Public Library dropped the term "Sub-Branch" at some point. This was probably in the '70s. The library ended up in a storefront on the west end of Yards Plaza and was now called the "Back of the Yards Branch Library". The building had it's flaws, but it was more accessible than this new location is. The Back of the Yards Branch Library opened at this current location--hidden inside the school building but not accessible to or thru the school address that it sports on August 26, 2013. Here's an interesting article about the new library : https://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/back-of-the-yards-public-library-when-a-library-cant-serve-its-community/ IN CONCLUSION Well, it was interesting to see this brilliant (cynical) use of tax dollars in action. If you decide to go to this library, at least now you will know how to find it. Unless you live nearby, I can't imagine anyone driving to this library when there are nicer libraries that are a LOT easier to access. Honestly, who thought this was a good idea?? Library Review #5 Back of the Yards/New City - Review #5