Glebe Library is housed in a gorgeous house and it has a lovely welcoming vibe reflecting a warm,…read morecreative, inner city community of Sydney's Glebe. The grounds have big beautiful trees and lawns providing a peaceful sanctuary-like experience. Entering into the building you'll be greeted by the friendliest library staff that don't fit into the the stereotypical librarians I'm used to dealing with my local library - North Sydney's Stanton Library. You may have met some of these icy cold librarians with their 'please don't disturb' body language and they have a knack of making you feel like a pest for turning up at their counter and asking a question or wanting to borrow a book. What is it about most librarians in public libraries? I think the only reason these people work in libraries is that they love reading and let's face it - those who love reading certainly detest being interrupted and having to deal with bothersome customers wanting to be served. And this is the thing - they are there to 'serve' us - they are public servants. I'll stop now cos this is starting to sound like a rant - but really there are a lot of librarians who need to be more 'customer service' focused and less on their 'whatever librarians do when they're serving at the counter'. So anyway, back to the lovely friendly librarians at Glebe Library who truly get it - understand the essence of good customer service and make the customer feel good about being there. The both times I've visited the Glebe library was when I was invited to perform in the childrens program. (AKA Ukulele Baby Music www.ukulelebabymusic.com) an interactive childrens ukulele and singalong show The lovely Glebe staff give a warm cheery welcome - not just to me but to the little kids and their parents - and they seem to really relish being interrupted. What a pleasant surprise. And the programs at this library and others in the City of Sydney's library are awesome with book readings and music, face painting and circus and other cool stuff. Glebe Library is awesome and has real vision and passion for community building.

Whilst there are many things about Glebe Library than don't quite compare to the new and swanky…read moreSurry Hills Library, Glebe's older book house has a lot of redeeming factors that mean it still ranks pretty highly. The Glebe Library grounds are beautiful. Grassy and surrounded by big leafy trees, it's the perfect place to lie with a newly borrowed book. Inside the building however, things aren't quite as cheery, as the computer area is a tad depressing, and the carpet throughout the building gives it a musty feel. Sadly there is no free wifi unless you're a member of the library. This membership however also includes membership to all ten of the City of Sydney libraries, including Customs House, Surry Hills, Newtown and Town Hall. Internet/computer usage for non members is $3 per half hour. The library also offers information services relating to local history and are happy to help with most general enquiries (literary, historically or locally related). Glebe library has also jumped on the Green Team, offering the loan of Bike Repair Kits (also selling patches) for their cycling customers and you can borrow 'Power-Mates' which measure the amount of electricity each of your appliances uses on the basis of spreading awareness of electricity output. My favourite feature of the Glebe Library is, by far, their kids area. A fun layout including a Thomas the Tank Engine filled with books, this section makes me want to grab a pillow and snuggle up with a picture book before borrowing from their awesome toy library. The library also offers school holidays and HSC workshops, and my dream job, Rock'n Rhymetime and Storytime for ages 0 - 5. I'm looking forward to borrowing a toddler and falling asleep to the animated voices of the librarian.

Glebe's library is the exact opposite of the new Surry Hills library, both inside and out. The…read moreGlebe Library looks like an old Victorian mansion. The grounds are maintained well and the gardens are a therapeutic and relaxing. This library loans not only books, music, and movies, but also acts as a center of enquiry for neighbourhood. This includes things like parking permits, questions about waste and recycling, and graffiti removal. It's easy to become a member to the library. I did in on their website by filling out my contact information. As a member, you can borrow up to 20 items for up to three weeks. A membership also gets you access to free Wi-Fi in the library. This makes it a perfect place to study in a quiet environment. Its selection of books is okay and has available many classic novels. There are also many magazine titles and audio CDs to choose from. I've borrowed some audiobooks to download to my computer if I'm about to go on a trip.

Free WiFi is a hit. Thank you to the City of Sydney consortiums of libraries for making this…read morepossible. You just need to arrive early enough if you're planning on doing some work or study. Bring your own tablet or laptop device too. Well organised library. A great way to touch base and find out on what is happening in the community. Great kids corner, with a dedicated junior fiction area. So convenient too. In the hub of it all. I am so looking forward to attending an art workshop that goes for three hours next month, as at the time of writing this. You only pay $5 and this covers all materials. Held every Wednesday (with the exception of school and public holidays) and all materials are included. Held at this library, and class is run by the Surry Hills Neighbourhood Centre. Plus you do not need to be a Surry Hills local or resident in order to enjoy. Nice one :)

First off, the Surry Hills library is a beautiful building. It's architectural design fascinates me…read moreand who doesn't love a wall made entirely of glass? (Armando Pamperdine, that's who, but who cares what that glass hating freak likes.) It's a large library and an air conditioned one, whether you're going there to rent out a book, do a bit of study or simply escape the heat and use the free wifi, it's a modern and attractive work space. Situated in the middle of Surry Hills, the library stands like a beacon of knowledge along Crown Street. With a wide selection and multiple levels. It is, without a doubt, a library.

I'm a huge fan of libraries - they're like black holes to me, where I can go in and possibly never…read moreemerge. Unlike a bookshop where you know that any book that takes your fancy will hit pretty hard on your wallet, in a library you can sneak into just about anything knowing that if it turns out you really didn't want to know any more about the lifespan of a dung beetle or the moral values of 19th century American presidents, you're really no less well off. Mosman Library is A-OK. It has a reasonable collection of books, though I would like to see them a little more up-to-date, and I just can't help feeling a little miffed that I know in Victoria is it possible to put a request in for a book and have them order it for specially for you - not just from another branch of the library, but new from the publisher. Can we get that happening here?

Isn't it amazing that we have resources such as this. That we can just walk into a library and…read morepick-up hundreds of dollars worth of books and then just walk out. With books in Australia so ridiculously expensive and with an eye to conserving energy whilst still supporting the writing community, it should be mandatory to have a library card. It's perhaps no surprise then that my family and I are big fans of this space. It's an essential all weather venue for kids. Great when it's raining but crisply air-conditioned when it's baking hot. The children's section is brightly decorated and bubbles with an appropriate amount of energy and discipline for the surrounding. The children's library run great story sessions for babies and pre-schoolers, as well as activities during school holidays. Check out the website for specific times: http://www.mosman.nsw.gov.au/library/children The adults are well catered for too with a wide selection of texts and accommodating staff to help with enquires. They often have authors come to showcase their publications and it's well worth popping in to see what is up-coming. A new self, service check-out system is very easy to use and you can even renew online. So no late fees. Perfect.

This small suburban library is easily accessible from the Kingsway and has a time restricted car…read morepark right in front. There are a few communal desks in the reference section which are meant to be for studying, slightly shielded from library noise by a big glass window. There are also some tables near the young adult fiction section. Neither area is particularly quiet, especially with the self service borrowing machine beeping loudly. The best part is that you can park and sit at a desk within a few minutes. It is very accessible for people on the run. The worst aspect is that there is only one female toilet. There is a return chute available 24/7 and inter-library borrowing/returns from any library within the Sutherland Shire. Please note that the library is closed Sundays, and only open in the morning on Saturdays.

Great little library inside the Balmain Town Hall. It has a few free study desks with power points,…read moreand plenty of computers to use the internet if you are a member. The library is open plan with library staff being very accessible. So accessible that you can hear every word of their phone conversations and it's not the quietest place to study. But it is air conditioned, and the kids books are in a separate section to promote peace and quiet. Parking is on street, while there is metered parking directly outside the library try some side streets like Short Street and Phillip Street on the other side of Darling Street as there is 4P unticketed street parking.

Love the new refurbishments. Such a welcoming and friendly library. Love it how there are modern,…read morecosy chairs to read the newspapers and magazines. The general reference library isn't too bad; however for all of the books I have wanted to borrow; I have had to place them on reserve; and for $2 a pop this is great value; however if you always keep having to reserve books this can really add up quite quickly. Another minor pet hate is that for the books that I do not need to put on reserve; I always (usually without fail) have to approach the librarian to arrange for these books to come from Leichhardt library for me to pick up here at Balmain library for another time. Not to worry; it is two trips; however from the family home it is an extra walk and that is definitely a good thing; especially the walk from Rozelle to Balmain is so peaceful. Love the study area. It is easy to bring a laptop and get some serious work done. Love it. Also the bean bags are fun to lie down and read a book (or two) in. I really love this place.

Kogarah Library and Cultural centre just looks nice - it's a new building over two floors that…read morecaters for adults and children alike. They have a children's corner especially for the younger ones and designated computers for study time for students. A word of warning, around this time the HSC students are cramming through the doors - but good on them because this place offers some really good HSC workshops. Downstairs you can book out study rooms for groups and they're so high tech now that the rooms are even sound-proof. The fiction section is tucked away in the corner, but they have a big selection to choose from. You can always get them to order in from other libraries as well if they don't. Good thing about borrowing books is it's free to register (you need an adult to sign for children), and you can avoid late fines up to a limit of $20 before you're unable to borrow from them again (not that I encourage this). They also have an online catalogue you can check out before you head over to save you some time. Their renewal system works this way too, all you need to do is log on. They have a special room designated to find the history of the Kogarah area, right down to colonial times, which helps if you're trying to find relatives that far down the track. The staff here are pretty resourceful, the kind that don't make you feel like an idiot for asking them questions.

Walked by this building several times without knowing it was the state library. Impressed with the…read morediverse the collection. Part, museum, and multiple changing galleries. They also have a modern wing. Welcoming atmosphere, at the historical building with a warm hearty greeting. Close to the Royal botanic Gardens,

Quality/Quantity - Well if you are following, we visit all…read morethe local libraries during our travels. Great place to take a break. It is clean, has AC, bathrooms, wifi, etc. Atmosphere - Open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm. The lobby hours differ, see picture. 5 stories, 6 if you count the lobby, see picture of directory. Cool lobby decor, especially the glass floors of Sydney Harbor. Some history and art are also in the lobby. Plenty of comfortable seating throughout. Cool garden, exhibit, etc. A cafe on the 5th floor, but I think it was closed today. Not sure what time we arrived. I'm told they used to have a bar here. Service - Self service. Price - Free. Owner Comment - Thank you for such a good public service.