Review for Friendly Bean Coffee and Woodneath Library. Just went this last week for studying for…read morefinals and was pleasantly surprised to see it so busy! Love seeing so many community members together in a shared space. Everything was clean and the coffee was great! I would ask for only 2 pumps of lavender though if you don't want it to be too strong. Highly recommend getting out of the hot summer weather and spending a day in the library.

Horrible. Snobby librarians, trying to rush you out as fast as possible. Love this branch but the…read morestaff are just so disrespectful and rude. Can't believe my tax dollars are going to people that just sit around and are mean. If I visit again I'm bringing other people to teach them a lesson on manners that's for sure. (Just a civilized talk, violence is horrible). I will be reaching out to their director who is luckily a friend of mine.

I heart libraries. Being around books makes me smile…read more This Mid-Continent Public Library is shiny and newly-remodeled and generally feels welcoming with lots of bright light and interesting displays. I came here for the Romance GenreCon (don't judge me) and was a little surprised that there wasn't an auditorium or a meeting room large enough to accommodate the group. The authors were using a microphone and we were all seated in the general area. I don't know if this is how they handle all of their events, but it might have been disturbing for anyone who wasn't there to hear the authors speak. Other than that, this is a great library.

poor website! I have been a loyal patron for over 50 year. The Grandview location has been in…read moredecline. The Lee's Summit, Smithville, and Raytown locations are excellent but locations like Grand are terrible. The entrances smell like black mold when walking in. A couple of the librarians don't seem interested in assisting patron. hardback books and paperback are no longer available on well known and popular authors like Tom Clancy. The library seems to be in major decline while KC Public Library remain consistent.

Obsessed with the library!! This library offers free cooking classes and I was able to snag a spot…read morefor the comfort food reimagined and 10/10. From the teaching to the food, everything was amazing! Our instructors were so sweet too. They let us know everything we could be doing to perfect our food. I've been here once to study and it was a good vibe! I enjoyed how spacious it was and how it had a cafe and when I went.. LEGO! That's always going to be amazing for me.

This library is great and so much more than just books. I typically use the app to reserve books…read moreand cds and pick them up via the very convenient drive thru window. You can also drive thru to drop books off. The app is easy to use. This location has a little coffeehouse and they have a culinary area that I've heard great things about. I'm sure there are so many more things to use and enjoy here, but I seldom go inside.

I absolutely love this place. The staff is very nice and knowledgeable and the selection is huge…read more If they don't have something in stock they will order it for you. This library offers free wifi as well, but I think my favorite thing about this place are the hours. They are open until 9p Mon-Thur! They have a pretty decent selection of music as well. I'm here atleast twice a week and I've never had a bad experience here.

This place is cool. Google fiber wifi. Air conditioned. Quiet. Staff is real friendly and of course…read morelots of books.

Libraries are great. I think most people have fond memories of visiting as kids and if you're like…read moreme, those memories are very suburban. The libraries I grew up visiting had 90s flair, and while amazing spaces that kept me entertained all summer long, they didn't have the grandeur of an iconic inner city library - like this one. The first time I stepped foot in here as a young adult I was in awe. It's just a gorgeous building, and incredible atmosphere to sit and read. The parking garage is set up to look like a bookshelf which I think is cute, and I love how you can just get lost in here and enjoy the space. It just FEELS like a library which sounds dumb but is true. What pushes this into five star territory for me though is the rooftop terrace. On a nice day there really isn't a better spot for an urban picnic.

The downtown library is a nice building…read more I specifically wanted to use the study room but you can only reserve it a max of 2 hours and then when your session over you can extend it only then if no one books it. So for this sole experience I wouldn't use my library card. The area in downtown doesn't offer many parking options and the garage is high.

There are so many amazing coffee shops in the kansas city area, and every time I try a new one it…read morebecomes my favorite. This one was no exception, but I do believe it might remain the reigning champion. First of all it is a coffee shop in the basement of a church, and its name implies that it is religious. So the reviews that act surprised or give lower ratings for that reason are silly gooses. The ambiance is outstanding! It is a whole vibe. You are surrounded by books, some of the tables have pew seating, there is a kids area, they sell T shirts cheap ($7) and used books at an amazing deal. New books are priced as marked with regular retail pricing. I was shocked at the number if new hooks they had. The crowning jewel for me was they have natural house made (or local bought) syrups so you are not getting a run of the mill commercially based anything. I expected that to limit their menu but it didn't! I had the caramel crunch chai, hands down best chai I have ever tasted. I wanted to chug it. My friend loved her drink that had winter mint! I also splurged on a winter pomegranate spritz and cake pops to go. This is a coffee shop where you come in, slow down and enjoy the experience. I do not recommend this place if you want a quick coffee to go. The Barista was exceptional and she put time and effort into each drink. She did get backed up because she was all alone when a coworker called in and got slammed! She was clearly overwhelmed but never once rushed a conversation or made any of the customers feel like she didn't have time for them. Rare beauty in this rushed world we live in. She encouraged checking out the gorgeous sanctuary and stained glass windows upstairs in the sanctuary and shared stories about them. I never once felt like I was in a church basement- if that makes sense. It was warm, cozy and inviting. This is my new weekly spot! PS the kids area has a full tote of scrapbooking stuff, and the tables all have cards where you can write up a handwritten note and they send them of somewhere to spread joy and kindness. It does not get better than this.

I had assumed that Holy Grounds Coffee had taken the former St. James Catholic Church and created a…read morecool coffee shop in the building. The last I knew that the space had been an events / wedding hall, a B and B and vacant. Little did I know was that it had been reformed as an Anglican church and the coffee shop was being ran by the church in the basement. The vibe was just kinda weird...it's basically a cluttered Christian book store and gift shop serving coffee and sandwiches. The staff were polite but not very welcoming; I felt like I was intruding on a private function that didn't want me there. I took my Mocha Cream Breve' and went out on the patio for some views of the beautiful historic structure. When asked about their source for coffee beans, I was told "we get em from someplace in Arkansas". OK!?? I'm sure that some demographic here in the bible belt will find this basement quaint and charming, but it just gave me a desire to go spend my money at a more secular venue.

If you have ancestors from this region, come here to find them. This archive houses tons of juicy…read moredocuments. They are fun to read through. And there are plenty of volunteers to help you.

Great place! I remember coming here as a kid! Lots of cool stuff for kids (storytime, summer…read morereading program, etc, etc.) Plenty of books here to choose from, theres an area with computers.. or you can bring your own! There are tables and chairs throughout the library to read or study.

Get people that are helpful and not rude. I thought…read morelibrary's are supposed to be quiet, these four talked so loud, I could hear the whole conversation for 45 min , from 20 feet away.

A library that's not just where books live!…read more Me .. had a meeting and did a little bit of work. If you can't find a quiet or somewhat quiet coffee shop.. there's always a meeting room here, and complimentary WiFi without a library card no less. Functional, spacious, convenient and clean!

This is really a hidden gem, just a couple blocks from the plaza. It's spacious, very…read morewell-maintained and even have their own parking garage. The staff was incredibly helpful and they have rooms that you can rent for work or personal events. And never thought I'd say that the views were great from a library, but they are. Parking on the street isn't too bad if you can't find anything in the lot. I'm just so excited that there's still libraries and that they have good selections and comfortable places that you can purview books.

Great place. Wonderful people. Readm people, read! One of our best freedoms. Use your library;…read morevolunteer! Parkville branch is clean, new, friendly, comfortable! Has devices to help you on Internet, print (even from your own devices), sort, organize, read. I'd like to see a great reading chair for seniors with lumbar and neck support - be able to reserve your time in the chair, and that's the only improvement I can think of. Excellent location. Good parking.

The kindest people work here (thank you especially to Lydia - I hope I spelled her name correctly -…read morewho looked over my passport application for me and was so wonderful and thorough). It really reminds me that public libraries are the first and last bastions of knowledge and reverence for learning a lifetime love of reading. Neil Gaiman (love him) said it best when he said, "Google will bring you back, you know, a hundred thousand answers. A librarian will bring you back the right one." As long as our society has public libraries, I have hope for the future.