Four stars because this is a PUBLIC library, meaning I don't pay a penny to use its services and resources. If this were a private BUSINESS, I might give it 3 stars tops, and this is the main reason why: It's basically a hang out spot for the unemployed and possibly unhoused folks in the neighborhood. I don't think I've ever felt threatened or unsafe here, but if I were coming for a quiet place to read or study and didn't have use of my trusty noise-blocking earbuds which work very well, it would NOT be a good choice. Today there was a guy who was talking to a hallucinatory entity non-stop and neither staff nor other patrons seemed to bat an eyelash...it was just business as usual, lol. Call me paranoid, but I would not risk leaving any valuables unattended for much more than ten seconds. The attached photo of signage in one of the two unisex bathrooms (which you have to actually sign your name to a wait list for if both are occupied and there's a wait), gives you a pretty good idea of the urban reality this place is situated in. Bright spots: the staff are quite nice, helpful, and do their best as they can. There is a nice collection of offbeat movies (BD/DVD) and music (CD) that you can rent, with a wonderful self-service scanner! I appreciate that they're open till 9pm on Tue/Th (albeit just 6pm MWF, 2pm Saturdays, and closed Sundays). They have some nice programs, like free English conversation classes for immigrants, basic tech help workshops, etc. In conclusion, can't really complain. It is where it is, and what it is. read more

Central Square Branch Library - Inside one of the two unisex restrooms. - Libraries Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

A smaller branch of the Cambridge Library which is limited but still has books and periodicals and research materials and of course, a free and unfiltered wifi network. I was here for about an hour today. The library is quiet and comfortable. A perfect place for working or studying. [Review 10145 overall, 1731 of 2018.] read more

See all

I hate to give 2 stars to a library, as I really appreciate the staff working hard to maintain a public space. The library itself is pretty small, with only two floors. The second floor has children's books. I had a good time perusing the children's books, and reminiscing in old memories but I was told I could not sit on the second floor because it was dedicated for children. Fair enough. This only left the first floor available. The first floor definitely is a lot less cozy. Another reviewer described it as cold and gritty, and somehow that description fits it perfectly. The first floor was a bit on the dirtier side, and unfortunately there was a funky smell of griminess? in the air. Overall, it pains me to complain about a free public resource, but unfortunately this was a library I did not want to spend a prolonged period of time in. read more

It's nice to have a branch near my place. Good thing is that Tue and Thurs opens until 9 pm. Very convenient. Staff are friendly. Not too many selections because it is a branch, but still able to find recent movie (I found la la land) this evening. read more

This branch of the Cambridge public library is pretty good. It is a little small and not very fancy, but having this local branch is very convenient. I never look through the books on the shelves. I use the online catalog and pick things up here. I can borrow books from all over Massachusetts. They are delivered here where it is very convenient for me to pick them up. All for free. It is all free. Yay public libraries. Also, very nice that they stay open until 9 PM two night per week. I am not reducing any stars for it being a non-fancy building, because the main Cambridge public library is a big nice building. I see extra location as an added bonus that makes the system even more convenient. Did I mention all these services are FREE. read more

My friend and I came in tonight to resume her tax return, and there were no computer stations readily available nor was there a queue where we could log a position in line to wait for a computer station either... come to find out! Despite this, a very helpful librarian by the name of Felicia came to our aid immediately and looked for an available Chromebook provided by the public library for us to use. I am so thankful for her being there, since she was the only one who was readily helpful and eager to assist my friend and I. Thank you again, Felicia! read more

It pains me to write this about a library. As a bibliophile, I'd never been to a library that I didn't love. Until now. The Central Square branch comes through in a pinch. They have the literary staples: most Shakespeare, a nice lil' dvd section and a computer lab downstairs, but I can't get over the cold, gritty feel of the place. My favorite part is the information and event board near the entrance. It is a sad day for books, everybody. A sad day indeed. read more

I used to run through the stacks of the children's room when I was a toddler and rip all the books down as I ran... Or so I hear. My aunt used to run the Children's room (or at least, to me, she was in charge) so it's probably true. We lived about three blocks away when I was growing up, and spent enough time to almost call this place a second home. Things used to be more rough and tumble in the square when I was growing up. I remember the warning of never putting your hand up inside the paper towel because one of the children's librarians got stuck by a hypodermic needle when doing so. There were a few drug overdoses in the bathrooms when I was growing up, and the police used to make regular visits, sometimes to calm people down, or let them know that they were no longer welcome at the library. My sisters and I were home-schooled growing up, and so we spent a great deal of time here because of that. It was an activity that kind of "fit" into any area of what we were doing, and as soon as we could read, we could entertain ourselves while here. I remember they used to have these big blocks that lined up in front of the big windows at the back of the library (children's room) I couldn't tell you if they were green or blue, but they stacked up and looked like the biggest set of stairs you'd ever seen. I remember playing on them and using them as a chair to read in. I remember being at the library with our mum and knowing almost every kid there. They would be getting homework help from either our aunt or another one of the great children's librarians there (they don't make um like they used to!) or be reading a book by themselves, or come and sit and listen to my mum read books aloud to my sisters and I. They had a great big room on the middle floor, that had a ceiling, about 20' high? It was an impressive room. The toddler singing programs and other programs were held there. The theater group that my sisters and I were part of when growing up used to borrow (rent?) the space to rehearse and I have a feeling (though, my memories are kind of a jumble sometimes) that we even put on a performance in that room. My aunt also used to bring her guitar to work and do a sing-a-long with the kids regularly. Later on, my older sister and I would do the summer reading programs, even though we weren't in school, and most of the books seemed to be geared towards what people had to read for school - to then write reports on. It was fun to finish a book and get the librarian to mark it down as "read" with you, and move on to the next one. It was the closest thing to homework I found as a kid, but it was fun and engaging. My older sister and I also used to meet our tutors here when we were doing math and other subjects outside the home. They had a great amount of space to be able to work and not bother other people or be inconvenienced because of space or noise (unlike our house!) issues. When I was old enough to get a job. I got one here. I worked downstairs in the adult section, my older sister worked upstairs in the Children's room, as "pages". We both worked here for a couple years (first with the Mayor's Youth Program), and it was nice to be around interesting people - most of which we'd known for almost our entire conscious lives. It was also nice to be surrounded by all kinds of different books and newspapers and magazines. I don't think I even noticed what this library held until I had to help people find things, or find out where things had to be put back. The design of the building was always something that I wasn't sure if I liked or not. It's one of those blocky, mostly cement, with a few massive columns thrown around to hold up the other floors of cement. It doesn't look inviting from the outside, in fact it looks a little sad and old these days... But it has definitely grown on me in a way that no other place has. I'm a bit of a snob about the way buildings look and if I like them or not. This '80s cement/modern architecture doesn't do it for me, but this building has always had a lot more going for it inside, so the walls matter very little in the end. I appreciate the times that I spent in this library, without which I may not have had the same love, or fascination with the written language as I do now. I don't think I would have really understand how to use the Dewey Decimal system to my advantage, and it was one of the first jobs I really felt responsible for doing a good job at. Check, check, and check. read more

This is the loudest library I have been in. Came here to study, and the only place available is the first floor. You have people that come here to talk, eat, or people that talk on the phone. read more

This is a favorite haunt of mine even though the building is ugly as sin and it doesn't have a very large collection of books. It's location smack in the middle of Central Square is what draws me here--when I feel the need to rest for awhile in the middle of the day without spending money, or need to use the computer. I love that they always have tons of flyers up for community events and the people who work here are friendly. And, while I don't often find the book I've come for I usually pick up something else. read more

This library reminds me of TJ Maxx. It's small, dirty, and at first glance doesn't seem to have much of a selection. But when you go there several times a week like I do, you discover the hidden gems like the DVDs of Extras and the new cookbook that you've been looking for. The selection does leave something to be desired- if you are looking for a particular book, rather than just browsing for cool stuff, you have about a 45% chance that they will actually own it (75% if it's a children's book). However, this is what the Minuteman library system is for! You can get online and request pretty much any book you want, and get it delivered to Central Square (NB- this is true of all the libraries in the Minuteman system, which includes most of the suburban libraries including Brookline, Somerville, Newton, Watertown, Wayland, etc.) The DVD selection is pretty good; I think it's gotten better in the last year, including more TV show boxed sets. It will be pretty picked over if you go on a Friday, and then you'll be stuck with the Masterpiece Theatre that you have never heard of (because the ones you have are all checked out) and Lethal Weapon 2. Again, if you're looking for something special, they probably won't have it, but you may find a surprise gem instead. The children's department is upstairs, which is nice for a couple of reasons. It's not as attractive to the stranger elements that frequent this library, so your kid will probably be okay if he or she is out of your line of sight for 15 seconds. Also, for those of you who don't like kids, it means they're not running around the main part of the library. The downside is that even when the library is open until 9 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the children's section closes early (at 6, I think). So if you're stopping in after work, hoping to reread some of your favorite childhood classics, you will be SOL. The library closes on Saturdays during the summer, which is kind of a drag, but come October, they'll be open again for at least one weekend day. The staff is really friendly, nice, and helpful. I think they genuinely like working there. For those of you who haven't been to this particular branch, they get some colorful (and smelly) people there. Sometimes they're content to hang out on the internet computers looking at pictures of girls in bikinis, but sometimes they hassle the staff. The staff seems really patient, and I've never seen them lose it or even get snippy with anyone. If you are looking for a quiet place to do work, I would skip this place and head instead to one of the libraries at MIT (you don't need an MIT card to get into them). Because it's small, it's crowded, and there's also the homeless/smell factor. This library is also very conveniently located- just a couple of blocks from the Central Square T stop, and several bus lines run near it as well. It's much more convenient than the main Cambridge library, which is up near Inman (for now), so not close to a T stop. read more

Maybe it's because I work in a different public library and am used to an interesting assortment of people hanging around but I haven't noticed that there are any more homeless people here than at any other library, especially in such an urban environment. At any rate, it is a rather small library but it's just a branch and since they are part of such a large library network, you can get pretty much anything sent there to pick up. I kind of like the 70s/80s feel inside the building. It reminds me of being a kid and going to the library with my mom in Schnectady, NY. read more

I like it, its small but beside the hard wood chairs that squeak when your fixing to get up is annoying but its quite enough.

We're exiles to the Central Square branch because the Main branch is closed for renovations (reopening this fall). It's been quite the disappointment. True, we've only made it to the children's section, but from that experience, I won't be heading back. There are only 10-15 shelves of kids books, most of which have seen better days, and it feels dark and dirty. The staff is not on their best behavior either, perhaps because the dismal environment rubs off on them. It's a shame that the public library system in Cambridge, which is a fabulous institution, has not upgraded this branch. read more