This library is not too far from home and has been a great place for me to work when I just need a…read moredifferent environment to be in every now and then. With a huge field outside and a playground a lot of the kids play out there in the summer. But when you walk inside there are 2 floors with large windows making it bright with natural lights, plenty of seating and computers for folks to use if they need. The staff is incredibly kind and willing to help if you need it. They also have tons of activities for families.

For now I will be rating this library 3 stars because of the noise level on the second floor. I…read morehave been going to this library at least 2x a week on the weekends since August and had interesting experiences. My husband loves the collection of DVDs and books this location offers. It also seems like a great library for children. The playground next door looks amazing and there seems to be many activities offered. It's nice that there's also ample parking. I will be sharing about two specific experiences in this review. First, I had a situation where I was sitting at one of the booths and was approached by a stranger. At first I was trying to be friendly and allowed them to say hello. After they passed by they suddenly sat next to me and touched my feet. I was so upset and alarmed that I immediately got upset, yelled at him and then went to the librarian to report what happened. I appreciated her help and soon after on the following weeks I noticed there was an employee that patrolled around the second floor. Now today, I was at the library between 12pm-2pm. There was a man near the copiers who was on his phone with the speakerphone on. Even with my noise canceling headphones on I wasn't able to hear my lectures online with his phone blasting and him talking. After 30min of continuous phone usage, I went to the librarian and asked her if she could ask the man to take his phone off speakerphone and take his call outside. When I meant outside I meant just not the second floor where right behind him there were many people studying. Couldn't he be asked to go downstairs at least? I was told that this is a "social library" and that if I needed quiet that I should move to the back corner of the library or get a room. Or if I need earplugs they can provide some. I'm sorry but when did it become acceptable to have long phone conversations on speakerphone inside a library? And what's a social library? I expect the first floor to be louder because there's many children activities that go on throughout the day. But why can't the second floor be a space respected for people who want to get some quiet reading or studying done? What if I don't want to go to the back of the library where it's not as brightly lit or don't want to be secluded in a room? The noise on the second floor has been complained about from previous reviewers and I wish this library can really hear us out. It's understandable that certain parts of the floor have different voice levels but if someone's behavior is being bothersome to others around then please do something about it. I don't feel like it was appropriate to tell me to move or wear earplugs when I specifically went to the study section at the booths. I go to the library making sure my actions don't bother others. I walk, use a whisper level if I am with someone else, use headphones, respect the space I'm in and I take my phone calls downstairs by the front entrance or outside. Why can't I expect the same from others as well especially in a library environment?

We don't live in the area, but one of things I love about the northwest suburbs is the extensive…read moreconsortium of libraries that share material and allow you to use your home library card at member libraries. The Barrington Area Library (BAL) is what you would expect... large, modern, and technologically advanced. The staff is super friendly. The materials are new, updated and vast. The youth play section has a lot of activities for the kids. My youngest daughter likes the puppet show area with costumes. There are plenty of places to sit and camp. My middle daughter had a harp recital here and it was a great space for the event. Lastly, the book return area behind the checkout counter is a fun place for the kids to watch their books getting sorted on the conveyor belt. So much to like!

Beautiful clean spacious and wonderful staff Nice quiet…read moreplace to focus on reading or work

Needed to get access to a printer to get documents printed and then notarized for a real-estate…read moresale set to close in a couple weeks... great time to have my old HP Printer fail due to ink issues... I really need to upgrade to something that doesnt cost as much as the printer for ink cartridges... JFC... scammers. Anywhoo this library is amazing!!! I thought Schaumburg was the tits... but holy moly this one makes me think Palatine (the town or is it the Township of all Palatine Districts) is very well funded! This place is gorgeous down to the structure and even the bathrooms... fully accessible and top tier with those weird new sinks with water and dryers in one nozzle. Great setup for PCs and printers and study rooms... they even have notary services... only bad thing is I had to go back to Chase because they dont do real estate documents. Helpful and friendly staff and such a lovely ambiance with underground parking available! Love this library...

Serious question: Does this library have books? My wife and I have been patrons of this library for…read moreover a decade and more times than not they don't have a particular book I or my kids are looking for. I don't mean to be snarky but I'm not exaggerating. Just today I searched for copies of "Zone of Interest" and "Night" with no success. It's become a running joke in my house, which is sad as I'm a big fan of the local library.

A wonderful place to get books and media for reading/ listening/ viewing pleasure or to spend time…read moreby yourselves or with kids in the library itself. The staff is friendly and helpful. The collection of items is wonderful. The library is well-organized and the rooms are well-lit. They have a drive-up window to drop off borrowed books/ media sorting regular business hours or after-hours. I like this library. I should make a point to go here more often.

This place is so cute! And HIGH TECH!…read more We adore libraries, my kiddos are voracious readers, and we feel so happy to be close by. Getting a library card was a nice experience- the librarian was so kind to the kiddos and gave them cards with welcome bags too. They took it very seriously lol. The info librarian helped us get oriented and find my children's fav authors. It's not a huge place but felt spacious and sunlit with beautiful floor to ceiling windows inside. Our fav is the check out machine. It's magic!

It's a lot smaller than the main branch but it's a nice place to go when you don't want to deal…read morewith the sheer size of the main branch. This branch is often underutilized but carries the most popular materials and therefore can sometimes be more convenient and faster than going to the main branch. Alike the main branch they too have funding en route to expand the collections and update the building which is much needed. My main qualm with this branch is how outdated it looks next to the main branch. They offer many of the same services that the main branch offers and it is disappointing that it is so underutilized. So if you are a Palatine library cardholder, go and use it! Pro Tip:This location can take back books & materials from any other Palatine branch so if you are in the area of it but don't have the main branch on your route that day you can dump your books off here!

It may not compare in size or architectural design to the Seattle library, but the Lake Forest…read morelibrary offers the traditional library experience: cushy leather couches, high arched ceilings, hushed studies, and dense shelves of endless tomes. Let not the stately, historical exterior fool you; this facility is all sorts of state-of-the-art from the materials they carry (e.g., current DVDs) to the technologies they employ (downloadable e-books). I can't help but always be impressed and pleased at having access to this library as a local resource through the parental units. Walking through the doors here inevitably leads to happy feelings!

One year later and it's time to update my review. This library continues to prove why it's such a…read moregreat destination. Besides the wonderful children's section that continues to be a highlight of our week, I've been borrowing books on CD. They have a decent selection and the front librarians can point you to the ones worthwhile to check out. I spend a lot of time in the car and these have been a lifesaver. I've also gotten addicted to checking out books online. Yes! This library lets you borrow E-books from the comfort of your own home. Perfect for us parents who are on the go and don't have the ability to pursue the stacks on our own time. The library offers multiple study areas and free wi-fi. Yeah baby! So you can set up for the day if you need to get some work done ... But quiet library etiquette is still the rule so put away that annoying cell phone! Also, if you need a book and the library doesn't carry it, the reference desk is extremely helpful in getting an inter library loan for you. I can't tell you how many crabby librarians I've had to work with at other libraries. But not here! They're all helpful and approachable. Oh. And they're on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter. However you need to reach them, they're there. One minor thing -- I do think it's time for them to update the adult media stacks from a decor standpoint. But really, I'm so please to call the Lake Forest library my home library.

My husband and I went to the Highland Park Public Library on our way to another event. This library…read moreis beautiful from the inside out. I love the classic style on the outside. The inside is inviting as well. There are lots of books and computers for patrons to use. But my favorite feature was the room just inside the entrance. It has wooden selves of books and magazines, comfortable leather furniture and a fireplace. This was a great place to relax and work. The restroom was pretty clean as well. I highly recommend the Highland Park Library!

They have a great selection of books and musical programs. They also have a huge children's…read moredepartment and days where you can practice your Spanish.

The library is on the smaller side but the staff that works their makes all the difference. They…read morehave a decent selection for books and if they don't have what you are looking for they will do an interlibrary loan for you. The children's department has great summer activities every day and they do free lunch for the kids. We enjoy coming for story time.

Do not go to this library! There is a very disrespectful…read morestaff here. People are loud and there doesn't seem to be a need to let people know that they need to be quiet. It's not very clean and overall it's just not ideal for a library.