We absolutely LOVE the Centralia Timberland Library and feel it's the best Timberland branch in the…read morearea! The staff are extremely friendly and helpful in whatever you might need - whether it finding a book, getting something put on hold, or answering general questions. They all are eager to help and support. There are thousands of books to browse through and check out. They really have a robust selection of all the genres that you would be looking for. Because they are a part of the Timberland Library group, it's easy to request a book at any of the many branches in the area and they'll get it delivered here. There is a smaller second floor that houses all of the teen and young adult books. There also is a teen only space up there for book groups and studying. I think it's great to have that genre of books all set up for them like that. In the whole library space, it really works. Best of all (at least for us), is the children's section! It's huge ... and it's walled off so the noise does not travel out to the rest of the library. :-) There is a ginormous selection of children's books and videos here. Additionally, there is play space that has lots of creative toys and traditional toys for the kids to play with. My boys love going here and spending time reading and playing. Plus, they have children's scavenger hunts around the entire library and offer stickers for the little ones who complete the hunt and/or clean up the toy space when they're done! The library also offers several classes or groups in various topics or arenas. Lego Club, Creator/Maker Space Club, Read Aloud/Storytimes, etc. Lots and lots to chose from. Regardless of your age or your book genre preference, the Centralia Timberland Library is the place to be! It is one of our GO-TO places in town!

With all the financial problems why are there people sitting around? Everytime I go in I only see…read morethe same older gentleman doing any work. The rest are sitting around talking to each other.

I came here to study for a bit after dropping my son off at camp. We do not live in Olympia so this…read morewas my first time here. I almost let the negative reviews steer me away from coming and even tried a local college library first before arriving there to find it closed. I decided to come by to this branch and see what it was like for myself. It was clean, quiet and not overcrowded. I didn't ask for assistance myself but witnessed many people getting help from staff. Yes, there were some people who appeared to be homeless but they all seemed to be sitting in isolated corners just reading. I didn't notice any foul odors other than the general wet dog smell that places like this have when it has been raining & it was raining moderately when I arrived. They appeared to have a large selection of zines and other local literature and many offerings for teens. Everything looked well organized. I'm glad it was open and able to accommodate me.

Ever wonder what happened to all those punky, independent riot grrls from Olympia's glory days?…read moreThey're librarians now. They mostly sit around looking at computer screens and gossiping. Sometimes they host boring events featuring Oly dorks like Calvin Johnson or whoever, and very few people actually attend. The place itself is filthy and a bit small for a city library. Homeless people seem to be welcome judging by the state of the bathrooms and various areas of encampment. The staff doesn't want to be "uncool" by asking anyone to leave, because, revolution?

When I had to spend several hours in Tumwater while my son took the SAT at the high school, I…read morethought the library would likely be a typical underfunded small town example, with one grumpy old librarian who has to do all the work, but hopefully open and usable to get some work done. I was surprised and pleased to find a very nice, obviously very well funded library. And I think there were at least six employees there. The one I asked about a reading area was cheerful and helpful. If anything, it's maybe even a bit better than the King County Library System I enjoy at home, and KCLS is widely recognized as world class. I had a very enjoyable, productive time there. If I could go there often, I would.

The whole Timberland Regional Library System is awesome and we are so lucky to have it in the South…read morePuget Sound. BUT by far, the Tumwater Library is the best of them all. The library is clean, quiet, and you don't have to plug your nose while browsing for books like you do at the downtown library (homeless people, God Bless Em, sleep and hang out there and the library smells very foul and I have seen two very physical fights on two different occasions with homeless people while I had my small children with me......we don't go there anymore - doesn't feel safe) I am sorry people are homeless, but it sucks that we can't even enjoy the library. Anyway, I digress.......Tumwater library has easy access, great parking, and the staff are all super attentive and very friendly and want to help you. I love this library!

Can I give the library 4.5 stars??? 4 stars for the library itself, and then 5 great big golden…read moreglitter-covered stars for the employees. The building is super nice -- light, airy, welcoming. The book choices (I'm mostly a non-fiction reader) are ok. I like that I can make copies. But the people who work there are top-out-of-sight knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. I 'm so impressed with every one of them. Applause to these wonderful folks!

Came here for the introductory sewing class led by Naomi, and I have to say -- Naomi is an amazing…read moreinstructor. They were patient, willing to answer every question...and I had a lot of them! They never made anyone feel bad for asking. They also set up the Zoom camera really well so we could clearly see what they were doing on the sewing machine, even when their back was turned to the class. It was a unique setup I have not seen before, and honestly something other instructors, coaches, and teachers should consider using for live demonstrations. The front desk staff were incredibly kind, foo. They took the initiative to introduce themselves while i waited in line and made surey questions were answered right away. They never acted too busy to help, which made the whole experience feel welcoming. I would definitely come back -- even just to study. The library has beautiful artwork displayed throughout, and the space feels open without being overwhelming, especially with the many book shelves. Overall, a really well-run class in a really neat environment.

This location is in the smaller side. Nice area for kids with blocks, toys, and puzzles. We didn't…read moreend up staying long, the smell inside was bad and 2 grown, homeless men hanging out in the back of the children's section made us a bit uncomfortable.

Nice little library by the Town Center. The staff is very friendly, helpful and patient. There is a…read moredecent selection of children's books as well as multi cultural reads. There are free computers to use as well as a section of computers that are specifically for job seekers. The only thing that dampened my spirit was watching and listening to how impatient the Assistant Branch Manager was with an elderly employee that I'm assuming was new. It made me uncomfortable to watch so I can only imagine how the employee may have felt! Other that, I think that it's a nice neighborhood library and I will continue to patronize it!

Wow, so nice. I love to visit libraries, especially as I visit new towns. This one is old and yet…read morelooking so clean, updated, and welcoming. Great use of space with so many things to look at and yet not cluttered. Good variety of materials upstairs and down. The homemade quilts and even the wall calendar just add all that much more to the vibe here. The parking lot is small but plenty. And recently resurfaces with clear white lines so it is easy to park just right. The kids are a lot of the ground floor space. Fills with so many options which is helpful as kids can go through books quickly.

Rude librarian. I was going to renew my card today (since we live in Kalama, not Longview, we have…read moreto pay $50 for 6 months or $100 for a year) and I was willing to pay that... but once the librarian was so rude to me/had attitude, I decided not to. It cost $0 to be a nice human & that customer service turned me off to the library entirely.

This library is great! Oakville library is part of the Timberline library system so although it's…read moresmall you can reserve whatever books are in the system and they will send them to the library. The librarians are super nice and kind. They have small crafts for the kids. They have a T.V. where kids can play video games. It's clean and a great to have a local library.

Super friendly staff set me up with a library card. Easy to find books, a nice wall of books you…read morecan buy! Cheap! I just got back from their book sale and they had a room of books they sold super low prices. Highly recommend this library. (Events for teens nearly every weekend)

I love a good library and this is one I can finally add on the list…read more I wish people gave grace and importance to libraries and the staff more credit because in my opinion they do good for the community. This library is super organized and the staff are incredibly friendly and helpful from the moment you walk in til the time you leave. The coolest thing I saw was the backpack you can rent when going to parks/trails that come with a map, binoculars, free park access and so much more. I don't even think people know how much access a library card can give you. Having a library card isn't just for book access. You can rent movies, tapes, computer access, print, fax. You even can have access to free resources such as help with resume, job search, entrepreneurship, business, you name it! I encourage everyone to go to your local library and get yourself a library card for you and your kid(s) if you have any and definitely take good advantage on what they have to offer. The process didn't even take 5 minutes. Even donate if your heart guides you to. P.S. the library card options are actually cute too. Not just a simple boring plastic card. Lol.