Looking for a new book to add to my reading pile, I stopped by Federal Way Library at about 1:30…read morep.m. on Saturday 9 March 2024. The parking lot had two lots that I saw. The first was parking around the road of a roundabout with a hoisted rocks art piece in the center. The second was a lot tucked behind and across from parking on one side of the roundabout. The entrance to the building was easy to spot and benches to the side of the entrance and in the entryway were in use by library patrons. Inside the entrance and to the right were water fountains, restrooms, and group rooms/spaces for different usage. There was abundant work space with table(s) and computer(s). Chairs/other seating was available throughout the library. In the non-fiction section I found the aisles labeled by approximate topic. Looking for something in finance/economics, I found the section in a second row of the stacks. One book on the restaurant industry from an operations perspective caught my eye, so I went with that one. Self check out stations were located across from the main walkway from the entrance into the library. Checking out was straightforward and both the computer and receipt printer had no issue(s). Librarian stations were located off to one side, opposite the side with the water fountains and multi-use rooms, closer to the entrance.

The Federal Way Public Library was a bit tricky to find at first since the sign is partially hidden…read moreby trees when approaching from one side. Once inside, it was quiet and calm with what seemed like a variety of random services available, though I didn't explore them in detail. The children's area is thoughtfully separated, making it a good stop for families. There were plenty of computers available, even on a weekend. Printing is affordable, with $1.50 of free credit per day and reasonable rates at $0.15 for black and white and $0.50 for color. Parking was no issue at all. It was spacious and easy to access. On a sunny day, the lot even felt a little scenic. Overall, it's a solid local library with a peaceful atmosphere. JY review

Lovely environment and great people, it was so quiet I could get all my work done. I really enjoyed…read moremy visit over all

The staff were helpful, and since I just moved to the area, I appreciated that part. The center…read moreitself is small but neat, and it's very convenient that the bus stop is right in front of the library. I would recommend, I think the lady name is Monique, she's helpful and friendly.

Walking into this library is so refreshing. It's bright, clean & no odor. It's also quiet with a…read morelow background sound of patrons chitchatting about books. The employees are welcoming and knowledgeable. The lady who had helped me sign up for a library card shared with me all the benefits that come along with it. There are clean restrooms by the entrance before entering the final doors into the library. It's quite updated inside with tables, high chairs, and study desks for people who enjoy more privacy. Overall, lovely local library

I love my local library! It's located in a quiet area of Des Moines with a parking lot that always…read morehas plenty of parking. I first started coming here at the height of the pandemic. During that time, you could place your books on hold and schedule a pick up time. My favorite part was that I could add a 'surprise bag' of books for my toddler, and they would set aside 10 awesome selections. Such a time saver! Granted, it's not the biggest branch, but I can always have any book sent here and held for pick up if I don't mind waiting. Overall, an awesome library!

Love this library; awesome place to bring the little one. It's doesn't seem like much but when…read moreyou're home with two little ones all day and just need a moment of quiet elsewhere; this library is so nice to bring them. This location offer such a amazing atmosphere for him. They have computers that are free to access for the little ones and adults. There was a safe place for him to use crayons and color pencils without making a mess. The location itself is not super big which can be one of the perk since you can see everything without feeling overwhelmed. Their variety of kids books are just so diverse and visible. The first thing you see when walking in is the kids books section which makes it feel super welcoming. The walls are painted super cute and kids friendly. The staff is all super nice and helpful on helping me checkout the books for my son. They didn't mind that my son was yelling slightly even though I felt bad about it; he went to the back counter and instead of telling me to get him out and making me uncomfortable they made him feel welcomed and spoke to him nicely. They asked about his day and offered him stickers. This to me was just such a amazing experience because having two little ones are not easy to care for. Overall, this location surpassed all my expectations with amazing librarians.

Don't go here. Their print preview showed everything as normal I paid almost $10 to 49 pages…read moreprinted and I couldn't use a single page for my court. It's fucking ridiculous and they needed to refund me and they refused. They told me it's because it screwed up. They couldn't give me an actual answer they just kept saying it's goofed up that's what she kept saying over and over with no explanation or elaboration but blatantly refusing to give me my money back. It's pretty stupid because the preview shows that my shit is going to print out normal and that's definitely not what happened so they should've paid me back but nope they refuse. Super great library. Don't go there they are scammers

Small venue, but very helpful staff, and decent selection and variety of materials as well as…read morecommunity activities and projects make this library feel homey and inviting.

I'm a big fan of libraries, especially theking county library system. The fairwood library…read moreunderwent a makeover several years ago. While it is not super quiet, the overall noise level is respectful of the environment. The space is very open, bright, and modern. I enjoy using the app and online features.

The Fairwood Library is a smaller one, with limited evening hours Friday-Sunday, but has great…read morelibrarians, computer stations, many self-service checkout stations and is very clean. A library card is free! I've been helped quickly on a few occasions without judgment for some of my goofy questions in trying to locate some books or using equipment. This is one of the quietest and the most clean libraries I've been to. They take their time posting ads in the front lobby about community events held at the library and in town. They hold events here like chess, family story time, social workers helping folks with resources, book clubs and master gardening. They have tote bags available for borrowing as well to take your items to/from home which I think is pretty convenient if you forget your own or end up borrowing more than you intended. You're permitted to print in color or black and white from the computer stations on a weekly basis, up to what would be a cost of $11.25 for free. 1 black and white page is $0.15, and 1 color page is $0.50. Once you hit the $11.25 in the week of what you have printed, THEN you have to actually pay for the printing. It's free up to that point. This is for all libraries within the county. You can reserve a computer to use online at home ahead of time so it's ready for you when you arrive. I think that's really cool. Even though this library is smaller and the selection is too, you can go online while there or via your own devices and get anything within King County sent to Fairwood for you to pick-up. The parking lot is large and has easy access. There are conference rooms and study rooms to rent/use and community events. They also have a scanner, copier, and fax machine. There's a ballot box out front as well as a drop-off box but it's in the building, no drive-up drop-off.

The library is small and cozy, and I've visited a few times with my kids or alone. However, I've…read morenoticed that I'm rarely acknowledged by the librarian--she never greets me when I arrive, and when I leave, I'm usually the one to say goodbye or wish her a good evening. Interestingly, I've observed that she greets others as they come and go. This behavior feels discriminatory, and it's not just her; other staff members seem to act the same way. It gives me the impression that we're not welcome there. You can often sense people's attitudes and feelings, and it seems that if you're not of their race, you're treated differently. It's unfortunate, especially considering it's a public library meant to serve everyone equally. .

The library is average size for a small community but something about the acoustics amplifies all…read moresounds which is horrible if you're there for some quiet reading. I agree with the other writer that there is some difference in the Staff's attitude based on the customer's ethnic/racial background. Hours are reasonable apart from that they are closed on Sunday and Monday!

Are County libraries are a great place 4 researching projects giving kids fun times at reading…read moreprograms. We need to have more programs during the summer for the kids to go to and enjoy it's a good place for them to spend time and learn something in the process

This library use to be "down the hill" but for me is now more convenient in the shopping center…read more They have a decent selection of books and music (what I use) and if it is not there - you can order it on line and pick it up at this branch. The help has always been friendly and accommodating. We took our younger grand-kids there to get them cards and the staff made them feel very important.. It isn't that big compared to some of the others - such as the King County but for the area - I feel it is sufficient.

Not much resources (ie: free wifi, public computers, book checkout) available for the public. But…read morethis library is pretty new and is quiet enough to finish what I need. I used to love reserving the Chihuly chandelier room (or any of the other private rooms) for study groups, team meetings, and class projects. I see that they added collections of magazines to browse through in this library. I definitely will be coming back from time to time.

Clean and dead quiet. A good place to work on one's own computer or paperwork without the…read moredistractions and drawbacks of public libraries.