Housed in one of Shepherd's Bush's nicest buildings is an adequate, if not sensational, selection…read moreof books, videos and dvds. There are also helpful staff, and generally it has a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere where you don't feel like someone is going to spit 'shhh!' at you if you dare to make a sound. When I was a student I got my 'Lifestyle Plus' card from here. The card is an excellent thing. It cost me £20 for 12 months and I qualified for it by being a full time student. You can also get one if you are low income or on various benefits. It allowed me to go swimming for 50p a throw, and lots of other things like cheap tennis, free entry to some museumy type places, cheap theatre tickets and so on. All in the borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. What a great borough. Videos are cheaper to borrow from here than the videoshop, but obviously the selection isn't fabulous. A nice library though. Pleasant and welcoming for all the community.

It is a nice library, very user friendly, you can lend books, audio tapes, DVD's, videos and CD's…read morefor a good price with a large range. It opens till late 4 times a week, while it opens 7 days a week. If 2 or more people need to use the internet at the same time it is the place to be, they have internet stations for kids as well as adults. Also has a toilet, automatic doors and ramp for the disabled.

This is a great library, but like a lot of islington libraries, closed on Wednesdays (so they don't…read morehave to pay the staff extra for saturday work). There is a great little walled garden where you can take books and newspapers on a sunny day and read, surrounded by lavender and bamboo, and is very pleasant. A bracing walk from Caledonian Road, while in the area you can shop at Morrisons, Waitrose, and the crazy department store (not its real name) then enjoy a pint in Wetherspoon's and a film at the Odeon (unless you lose your glasses.) The computers are arranged around a central pillar, a bit like the Tardis console, so you may find yourself making doctor who noises (whatever they may be.) Great film library as well, not quite so comprehensive since they switched from video. Islington libraries for some reason have jettisoned all their vhs, but Hackney libraries have held on to them, and rightly so, since we've all still got vhs machines. Best of all the children's library is tucked away upstairs, so no kid noise.

If you can remember the rather eccentric opening hours this library is actually a bit of a find…read more The staff are not fast but they are friendly. The book range isn't great but and this is why it gets a mention they will order you any book from any where in Lewisham and it always gets there really fast. It has free internet access as well so instead of going to one of the internet stores you can surf the net in relative peace and its usually completely dead here. Ok I know it's a pretty standard library offering but its always empty so go in and get a book

New Cross library is a vital resource for this area. It is a small but perfectly formed library,…read morewith a good range of books for all ages and requirements. They also have a good selection of CDs for different musical tastes. There are some table and chairs available for quiet study. It is a quiet library, but it is well used. There are about five computer terminals for free Internet access. The opening hours are a bit limited, but what do you expect from a small library, so I won't be too harsh about that. I have found the library staff to be very helpful too.

Went in today to scan documents. Staff were super helpful, the scanners are high tec and both were…read moreworking. Computer section was quiet and well equipped, there's a quiet room for study and small tables outside it for individuals. The community area is now separate, there's a long table for those who want to sit together, & drinks available. The children's library is also separated off.

Where are the books?…read more I agree with Melissa. There are no good books to check out. The children's library looks good, though and there's a creche. There's also nice youth centre on the top floor, but where are the youth? They probably prefer to hang out at McDonalds across the street. The reason I'm giving this a two, though, is because of the state of the toilets. They are always filthy. ALWAYS. Today they are so bad that the smell permeates the entire first floor.

My fascination with words and language comes from My Pop. When he came home from work, after dinner…read moreI would sit on his knee and read or try to read the paper with him. I thought that was fun, but my favourite day of the week was Saturday, because that's went we went to the library. I always left with at least three books which I devoured and that is how I came to love libraries. In the past few years I've been dismayed by systematic closure of libraries across the country, targeted by short-termist local councils looking for easy budget cuts. Luckily for me my local library is still open for business and it's not half bad. It's friendly, vibrant and a nice place to visit. The library is housed within the Croydon Clock Tower Arts Centre which is a truly beautiful building. The librarians are helpful, if a little stern, but maybe that's just me reacting to having to be quiet for once! The children's section in the library is bright, cosy, well stocked with old faithfuls and a few newbies as well. If you're a student it's not so great, as I found out when I was at night school, getting my degree awhile back. A lot of the standard text books I needed were out of date (an unfortunate testament to those darn council cuts!) and the computers (which you have to book) aren't strictly top of the line. Photocopying costs 5p a sheet, buy yourself a photocopier card if you are photocopying chapters and also to save you messing around asking for change! Overview the library may not be the coolest place in the world to hang out, but it remains an essential part of our local community and I hope it remains for many years to come.

Croydon Library really sets the standard for public libraries. Located across three floors in…read moreCroydon Clocktower, with a separate children's library on the ground floor, it really has something for everyone. In addition to the books, CDs and DVDs (which include films, instruction videos and recordings of opera and dance), the library also houses a local studies section with extensive records of Croydon's history, as well as the tourist information office. Internet access is free and there are lots of computers for public use; if you have your own laptop, you can also take it along and borrow a circuit-breaker to plug it in. Desk space can be at a premium, however - particularly at weekends and during school holidays. Overall, though, it's an excellent resource and something I'm quite proud to have in Croydon.

Haven't actually needed to use this place yet but came around on a Sunday to peruse. Pretty cool…read morespace. Smaller selection but fairly easy to navigate and search for things on your own (tried to find a book that was recommended and it wasn't at the branch, shucks). There's lots of tables and spaces to meet and study with people or by yourself. There are computers, some you have to reserve and some you can drop in and use (but I think there's an hour time limit per day or something) There's also the museum of Brent and a cinema located in the same centre. Not sure how the cinema works but I went into the museum and it's awesome. It's definitely geared towards children, crazy interactive exhibits left and right, but I had a blast going through it all by myself. There's even a video booth where you can record your story about various school topics like bullies, homework, favorite hot lunches. For sure come here if you need a few hours to kill with children in tow in Willesden. :)

Maybe because it was a first library I happened to join in London I have a special fondness for the…read moreplace:) I still go back every now and then. It is never too busy, usually you find what you need. There are little cafe's inside the complex and cinema too. You can also get internet connection and borrow CD's and DVD's.

I lived in Forest Hill for two years exactly and I only went to this place three times. It's a…read moresmallish, long, stretched space next to the newly developed swimming pool and the choices of books seemed to concentrate on children books a lot. I never actually took a book home from this place, so I cannot comment on the staff at all. It is newly decorated, but it doesn't have much space and I had the impression to constantly bump into people when I was looking through the shelves.

Much improved since the refit with better opening hours too, the library is very modern and manages…read moreto attract local youngsters without it becoming too noisey.The children's section is a good size and the number of computers available means free internet access is available at most times for members. It is a nice open environment and is well layed out and spacious. It is only a small local library but seems to have a good selection of recent book releases although these could be better promoted.

Gayton Library has since moved from Gayton Road, round the corner to St John's Road, and is now a 4…read morestorey place. Each floor is laid out perfectly, with childrens books on ground, adult fiction on first and reference books on second, and lower ground, also holding a huge computer area for internet access. It has plenty of toilets, a coffee machine, and is really accessable for disabled users. A Wide array of books, music and dvd's makes it a nice place to visit. Having the childrens library away from the other sections, reduces the amount of interruptions you may get, and leaves the other floors peaceful and relaxing. There are loads of study tables on the second floor, and plenty of plug sockets for laptops etc. Staff are friendly, and willing to help with any questions, and will order in anything that they may not have. Overall, this is a brilliant Library, which since it's overhaul, I visit on a frequent basis. Tis just what a library should be.