HAHAHA, in my entire 4 years of college, this was the ONLY time I ever CHECKED out anything from…read morethe library! The library was fairly spacious with lots of books and media (yes, videos of all kinds--academics and non-academic). When I was there 2 years ago, the system was still fairly outdated. Checking out material consists stamping the book, telling you when the material was due. Unlike the U.S. libraries, 2 years ago, we already had a self-check out system with a printed receipt, telling you when materials were due. Nevertheless, everyone was friendly.

It feels as if I am being a little biased when reviewing the university's facilities, but believe…read moreme, I wouldn't be doing it if they weren't worth reviewing. I may be a Sussex alumnus, but this means I have experienced the university as a business and gained experience of its day-to-day workings, not just read about it in a UCAS review, or the Sussex prospectus. It wasn't until I left the university that I realised how good the library was. A huge building that dominates the aptly-named Library Square, this is a real haven for intellectual stimulation. There is a huge selection of books, which are well maintained and systematically organised, making them easy to find: something particularly useful when you're pushing a deadline. If you're a student and need somewhere to work then I suggest head down to the library. Even if you're the world's biggest procrastinator like me, you'll find it hard not to be inspired by this 40-something year-old building: it even smells like academia! Use it while you can; you'll miss it when you leave.

Brighton does pretty well for libraries, with the huge Jubilee Library offering what most residents…read moreneed in the centre of town, and the Hove and Moulsecoomb branches offering more intimate services for residents looking for that particular book or magazine. The Hove Library, in particular, is excellent, with much of what I needed when living in the area: where the Jubilee seems to have more general fiction, the Hove Library had some of the more obscure texts I needed for a play I was working on. Brilliantly useful, and free! What more could you want? Where the Jubilee Library is a modern behemoth of glass and metal, the Hove Library is housed in a beautiful old Edwardian building, fitting much better into Hove's more old-fashioned aesthetic. Inside, the metal and glass theme returns, but more tastefully than the Jubilee's oppressive modernity: in this case, it is restricted to the lift/stairs combo in the middle of the house. The book selection here also seems to be a little more select. Instead of a random selection of some more pulpy fiction, the collections here seem to be more specialised, focusing on more arty books and dense and foreign fiction. Since this is exactly what I go for in books, this appealed more to me than the Jubilee's focus on kids and new media. That being said, books do seem to often get lost between all of the different libraries around town: more often than not, a book I've wanted was somewhere, and is now somewhere else... I normally just gave up and bought it on Amazon. I still think it's amazing that the government provides its people with free books, and that's more than enough for me. I sometimes wish that the libraries were slightly better organised, and Brighton and Hove is no exception, with plenty of books catalogued but not around. Still, better loads of free books than that one particular one you want.

Hove Library has to be one of the most grand and simultaneously comfortable seats of knowledge that…read moreI have ever had the pleasure of bettering myself in. With its' huge frontage and borderline Latin carved lettering this place has the immediate air of a high church of written information. Once within its' walls there is little to dissuade you from the opinion you may have formed before crossing the threshold from dirty street into the confines of Steven Fry's literary mind. I went through a stage of using this place as a destination for winter reflection indulging in such tomes as "Dombey and Son" or ascending the vast helical staircase into the archive room and discovering great volumes on the history of Sussex amongst the masses of foreign students. This place is, in my opinion, quite special. Not like the average council library with 1970s concrete box architecture, but a brilliant balance between Victorian authority and modern day information.

The Hollingbury Library can be a nice alternative to the busying Jubilee Library in central…read moreBrighton. The quaint little building looks like a village hall or a youth club from the outside but inside it reveals itself as a well equipped library. Most books I've had to have transferred to Jubilee has come from the Hollingbury Library anyway, save yourself a 50p charge there's a whole other collection here. It's open in the mornings and afternoons of Monday, Thursday and Saturday.

One of a dwindling number of satellite libraries. Books (obviously), newspapers, music & films, &…read moreinternet access. I reserve books online & collect from here, it's cheaper than Amazon. Use it or lose it.

This library is a great community for avid readers in the area. It may be small but is has a…read morereasonable selection of fiction, non-fiction, DVDs, CDs, audio books and language courses for hire but the thing that I love most about the library (and about Britain for that matter) are the groups. There's a reading group, a writing group and a very popular local history group too. There's also free internet and computer access for those who need it and a completely separate children's library which the little mites love.

The Burgess Hill library is in the shopping centre and has been lending books to the people of the…read moretown since I was a small boy. I even worked here for a while back in my teenage years. It's fairly well stocked, but you will find that some of the more popular works of fiction and authors may be in high demand. Whilst they have a fairly respectable range of non fiction, there will also be a few gaps in more specialised niches, such as anthropology. That being said, they have a very good children's library that is separate from the main collection. They also have a weekly story time that you can drop your kids off for. In more recent years they have added computer points and electronic reference. They will let you take out 8 books at a time, which should be more than enough for most. The library also offers information of events, clubs and activities in the local community and I have always found the staff to be helpful and pleasant.

This library is attached to Portslade community College so you cannot miss it and you will have no…read moreproblems finding a parking space. As a student of Portslade College I had use of the library for many years but did not make full advantage of the good selection of books they have to offer from childrens stories to books for research. I knew the employees well towards the end of my final year because I quite often used the computers they have. It isn't the biggest book collection you will find but it will be all you need if you are looking to start reading or to further your knowledge on a given subject. Just be quiet or you will get told off! No one is too big or too old for the boss and I certainly wouldn't pick a fight with her!

Small library located in Langney Shopping Centre. Not a massive choice of books but they can get…read moreany book in from other libraries in East Sussex. There is a childrens section at the back of the licrary with small chairs and a few toys to play with. Fair selection of DVDs for all ages and reasonable prices. There are a small number of computers with internet access and printing and scanning facilities.

Despite being a small library, there's a pretty good selection of books here. There's also a few…read morecomputers set up so you have internet access (although not very personal if what you're doing is private!). The only thing really that's wrong with the library is the opening times - I'm never sure when they're open!

It's not surprising that Jubilee Library has won awards for design and architecture. It's a truly…read morestunning building that towers above all the others in the North Laines. Inside it's just as impressive - with huge glass windows, high ceilings and wide open spaces. There's a great study area for students, a lounge area where people can relax and read magazines and newspapers and a big I.T. suite where you can tap and print away. The problem is... the lack of books! You'd think being a library you wouldn't be able to move for books, right? If only. There's probably more books on one floor of Waterstones than there is in this whole building. Maybe they ran out of money and couldn't afford many? Maybe they think everybody would be so floored by the building they wouldn't think of borrowing a book? Who knows.

The Jubilee Library is a library like none I've joined before! When I was a kid, my local library…read morewas a one room ex-Scout hut! Though I've used lots of libraries since, and many much larger than the Jubilee (university libraries etc.), none have been as visually stunning. I am not always a fan of modern architecture, but the clean lines and sheer size of this glass building make it a pretty impressive structure. Easy on the eye? Yes. Heavy on the books? No. Like Sarah-Jane B., I am baffled by the Jubilee library's paltry selection of literature. It seems such a shame to build a library of such epic proportions and then leave it virtually empty! It's almost as if they let the architect order the books and s/he carried the minimalist theme right into the library! On a number of occasions I have looked for a book only to find they don't have it- they have even had to request inter-library loans for me. Is it just me, or does it seem ridiculous that the smaller Sussex libraries are lending their books to Brighton's central library??? Aside from the book deficit (which is a pretty major problem), this is a nice, quiet place to read and is in a great location.