I fly through books fast. This library has a huge variety of titles. The online system is very easy…read moreto use, I love being able to reserve books and quickly pick up. You can extend your check out also(not if the book is already reserved) Popular titles they did a great job of having multiples. When I have more time I love looking through their new section and some of their curated tables on the second floor. Lots and lots of seating area, and a great areas for kiddos.

I've always loved this library. Being the only library in Ames, where I grew up, it was always fun…read morebecause you would always run into a friend. A few years ago they remodeled and while it looks completely different, it's still lovely in every way. We've brought our toddler here many times since he was born and the play area is perfect and so kid friendly. We also did an escape room with our 6 yo niece last week during the holidays and that was also fun. I found a ton of music here, too, growing up and just have the best memories at this library.

This is a very nice library. We travel around the country in our RV and do school and work on the…read moreroad, so we visit a lot of libraries. We found a very convenient room for the kids to meet with their tutors over zoom. They have a great children's area and my son found a couple used books to buy there. The building is great and there a lot of nice areas to sit down and read.

Very well planned out and run small town library! Lots of activities for children during the…read moresummer. Together with weekly and annual gatherings, it is a great place to visit.

Hidden gem in downtown Fort Dodge! Great space, great resources, and not very crowded. Be sure to…read morekeep tabs on the calendar events like book club and story hour.

Here Nice and cool…read more Quiet Easy to focus on work. Hood helpers and staff. Will be back

I went to the Johnston Public Library for the first time for a free quarterly cooking class. The…read morelibrary is newish and well maintained. They have a conference room equipped with full kitchen and a display mirror. It was the perfect location to host this class. We learned how to make 10 quick and easy holiday appetizers in less that an hour plus we were lucky enough to taste them all too. We were lucky enough to also go home with all of the recipes. The instructor was a good editor for Greydog Media. The library offers a lot of free classes for adults and children. Each class is very professional and a great use of your time. The bathrooms were exceptionally clean too.

What a welcoming public library. The staff are Uber friendly and the library is organized very…read morewell. The facility is very clean and well taken care of and it seemed to be well used by the public. I was there to attend a class to learn to make hammered metal necklaces. I would definitely check out the library if you want a book or looking for activities for the whole family.

Super polite and helpful librarians. Great selection of books and events. Kids had fun dressing up…read moreas astronauts in the summer reading area.

My experience with the library has been strictly using the public meeting rooms as an attendee…read more Overall the facility is beautiful and very modern. The technology in the meeting rooms is high end and easy to use. The staff that support it are eager to help and quickly respond if there have been any issues.(which there have been very few). The rooms are very well lit with huge windows providing natural light and the furniture is very easily adapted to large or small groups.

Lovely new library with cool features!!…read more Clean and spacious. Awesome modern looking design and interior. We asked for a band aid for a food accident and the customer service was sweet. Cool looking playground outside with unique features as well. Can't wait to come back!

Libraries are such a wonderful resource! The Franklin library is walkable from my home, but for…read moreothers it is on a bus line and next to a bike trail. It is so great they collect food donations to put in the entryway for people to take. I have seen lots of perishable items (veggies, fruits, bread, prepared meals) available because they have 2 large refrigerators, as well as the typical shelf stable items you might see other places. For library services I love that you have access to material from any of the other Des Moines libraries at no cost to have it brought here. And they have a number of classes and other activities that happen throughout the month.

So grateful for libraries .... I am 72 and I am So grateful…read moreto my father who got us library Cards and made sure we went to the library every week. at the Old West Park library branch...open since 1869..... So many places around the world I visited before I ever flew in a plane..just grateful for libraries! Check with your families and friends Make sure they all have a library card, still really easy to do!.... Your niece's nephews and grandkids let them know how cool a place a library is... I live within walking distance of the Franklin branch library and have nothing but good things to say about it. Nikki Hayter is the. Supervisor, she started As a Librarian at Franklin and moved to another branch and then came back as the Franklin supervisor. The Franklin library is everything a modern library should be, With multiple focuses- families, children with all kinds of events every month, family DVDs, people to help seniors gain access to audio books regular large print books, and get computer help. Adults helped to.get access to computers for job searches, regular reading research, and just plain reading. I am so proud that the library provides a community refrigerator that gets all kids of food for people to take if they need it. They also have a repair Cafe operated by volunteers that help members get things fixed. Check out Franklin's front desk for further details on everything or the Des Public Libraries web site.

Finally got a new library card. Very friendly and attentive and knowledgeable and efficient…read morelibrarian helped me. Got a new card. Updated my info. Gave me the brochure. Free! Get one so the govt understands libraries are important. And you get access to freemovies and steaming such as Hoopla. Just overall recommend.

Came here on a weekday afternoon to get some wifi, nice library. Lots of books, and they were…read morehaving a book sale too. Chairs lined along the window which was pleasant, but not a lot of spots to sit in general. Reliable wifi, paid parking around the library.

History When Kendall Young passed away in 1896 the citizens…read moreof Webster City were surprised to learn that Mr. Young had left his estate valued at $150,000 to the City of Webster City, in trust, "for the establishment and maintenance of a free public library." The construction of the Beaux Arts style library was completed in 1905 at a cost of $50,000. Special features included gold marble columns from Africa, terrazo and mosaic floors, stained glass windows and a stained glass dome. In 1984 a fundraising campaign was started to raise money for an addition to the library. After receiving two donations, each in excess of one million dollars and many smaller gifts, the architectural firm of Meyer, Scherer and Rockcastle was hired to design a seamless addition. Construction began in March 1997 and was completed in November of 1998. The original library was 9600 sq. ft. and the expansion increased the size to 22,300 sq. ft. The beauty of the original building was maintained and stained glass windows and terrazo floors were included in the expansion to enhance the appearance of the seamless addition. Library Collections Abastenia St. Leger Eberle Sculpture Collection - Abastenia Eberle was born in Webster City in 1878 but only lived in Webster City for four years. As an adult she studied sculpture at the Art Students League in New York City. The sculpture 'Puetro Rican Mother and Child' c. 1901, displayed at Kendall Young Library, was Abastenia's earliest attempt to model life that she saw around her. Immigrants and street children were models for most of the 21 sculptures on display at the library. The Foster Doll Collection - This collection of 170 dolls was donated to the library in 1944 by Arch Foster and his son James after the death of Mr. Foster's wife Evelyn. Mrs. Foster had collected the dolls during the last 15 years of her life. The collection includes many types of dolls including Frozen Charlottes, dolls from the Kate Greenaway series, Waxed head dolls, Papier-mache dolls and Parian dolls. The oldest doll is a waxed head doll from 1800. The Van Ness Native American Collection - Mr. Van Ness lived in Hamilton County from 1882-1895. When his wife died he moved to El Reno, Oklahoma and began to collect Native American artifacts. In 1898 Mr. Van Ness offered "curios of Indian work" to Kendall Young Library and asked that the library "provide for their preservation." Forty-two items collected by Mr. Van Ness are on display in the Juvenile Department of the library. An Arapaho dance bustle ca. 1875 is the oldest item in the collection. Jane Young Stained Glass Window - The windows were presented to St. Paul's Universalist Church by Mrs. Jane Young in 1898. Charles R. and Joan M. Stauduhar donated the Jane Young Widow to Kendall Young Library in 1992 when the church was scheduled for demolition. The original window was located at the front of the church facing Bank Street and measured 6' by 14'6". In 1998 a stained glass firm was hired to remove the arch and divide the window into two sections so they could be installed in the library addition. Two lower horizontal panels were moved to the top of each window to complete the redesign. http://www2.youseemore.com/KendallYoung/about.asp?loc=18

From the owner: Kendall Young Library gives its patrons access to literacy programs, books, computer services,…read moreprinting services, digital literacy classes, and a variety of special collections including the Abastenia St. Leger Eberle Sculpture Collection, the Jane Young Stained-Glass Window, The Foster Doll Collection, the Van Ness Native American Collection and more. Kendall Young Library is a welcoming community center that empowers lifelong learning for all.