Today I stopped by The New Britain Public Library to look for some cook books and for some fun new…read morebooks to read to my class. I haven't been to this library in a long time, since I was in college and avoided paying the extravagant prices the school bookstore charged for the classic literature books. The large windows and the construction of the library make it obvious, it has been here for a long time. The library first opened in 1853. I first went to the children's department. This area of the library was filled with kids playing with wooden blocks and legos, as well as a plethora of books categorized by interest. I selected around five brand new books for my class. They also have computers and movies in the kid's department. The adult section was much quieter and I couldn't hear any of the noise coming through from the adjacent children's area. I took the third floor on the elevator to find the area with the books that interested me. This was a super quiet space with shelves and shelves of organized books. I found two. They also have a selection of magazines, puzzles, CDs and DVDs available to borrow. I was very pleased with my experience at this library today.

The New Britain Public Library is beautiful building with stained glass windows and gorgeous…read morearchitecture. The staff is well informed and friendly. And their children's department is one of the best I have visited. Sometimes I like to take my laptop there, sit by the big windows, take in the natural sunlight and get some work done. It's a great place.

Definitely one of the nicer libraries I've been to. There is even a seed library in there. On the…read moreleft side when you first walk in, there is a children, teen, and middle school section. On the right side, that's the adult section and there was a seating area and fireplace. The librarian and staff were friendly. The parking lot had plenty of spaces and even an electric vehicle charger. In the children's area, there were computers, train table, blocks, play kitchen, and magnetic tiles. The library was very clean and organized. There are plenty of events, activities, and services; check out their website for updates. Overall, one of my favorite libraries I've been to so far.

This library is set far back from the chaos that is route 4. Inside it's very scholarly but fun!…read moreHow else do you explain study carrols with bright green chairs? There are many sections to sit and read quietly, a self service check out, and an electric car charging station outside. It is next to several sport related fields. They also have a lovely Friends of the Library association who do book sales and (if memory serves) a cookie walk.

We have been visiting this library for years. Mostly the children's library and it has always been…read morea great experience. Our daughter's first teachers were here during Busy Bee's play/learn group and learned so much. We are so grateful for that experience. Many interesting and fun programs over the years from craft projects to fantastic performances. The staff are amazing humans who put 100% into everything they do, not just for the kids, but the whole family. Very knowledgeable and supportive. Great books of every kind, including tough subjects and how to talk to kids about anything: bullying or bodies or big life changes. The adults area is great and I have enjoyed taking my laptop and doing quiet work by the enormous windows at the provided desks- that have outlets! Overall a very enjoyable community space, highly recommend.

I would like to call out the great work the librarians in the children's section! I bring my 2…read moreyear old great granddaughter to dance with Miss Shianne, art with Miss Diana and story with Miss Corine. Also there was a problem with a little one and Miss Corine defused it and handled the situation with much compassion and expertise. All the woman have helped our little one from being shy to wanting to making friends and participating in the events and open play. An amazing crew, couldn't be more grateful that they are apart of our community.

Bristol library first opened in 1892; it moved to another location in 1896. Then, in 1907, a…read morecolonial revival style building was built for the growing library. Renovations were done throughout the years and even an addition in 2006. The library is architecturally beautiful. There were plenty of parking. It was large, organized, and quiet. We went to the children's section and it was massive. There was a class going on for the kids. I noticed it's more catered to elementary/middle school kids. There was a small preschool section, but there was only a play kitchen with no accessories for it; toy pots and pans, toy food etc. They had a sensory board wall and some play costumes. They had a fish tank and so many fun decorations. The library is a great resource; they offer free and discounted museum passes and more. This is a great asset to Bristol for sure, but wish there were more entertainment for kids 4 and under.

Some of the front end staff are just smugly alienating. Others lurk, ogle, and creep around…read moreintensly scutinizing patrons. Nice library but come on, I don't need to be treated like a circus sideshow by someone with a bad purple-hair dyed job and guy who glares at you like you stole land from his ancestors.

3.5 stars. Granby Public Library is one of two libraries in the town of Granby. The building looks…read moredecent with plenty of parking spots. The person that I spoke to at the front desk was friendly. The children's room was on the smaller side but had plenty of toys for the little ones. There was a train table and various toys. There were two librarians there; I spoke to one and she was very friendly. The play area was very small and cramped. There were a handful of chairs for the adults. There were a few other children there playing; so not much space to sprawl out. Out of all the libraries I've been to, I think is one is average. There are great resources at the library; books, DVDs, audiobooks.

I needed some important documents printed, my printer at home wasn't cooperating, so I went to the…read morelibrary in Granby. This library is located in the same area as the Granby Town Hall and the Police Station. As I walked towards the computers, I found two elderly people complaining about how "they need to upgrade the whole system because nothing is working". I was thinking, why did I come here? I proceeded to print what I needed, and it printed out just fine and quickly. With my papers in hand, I decided to stay a few minutes and check out this library. This is a nice library, very well organized and has plenty of resources. They even have boxes of puzzles, you can check out. I also checked out the kids area. They have plenty of books categorized by holidays, like Christmas and Halloween. There was a very unpleasant lady eyeing me who was working at the children's department. She asked "may I help you?" a few times. I told her, I'm just looking, she kept eyeing me. Is it because I didn't have a child with me? Maybe I'm a teacher or maybe I have a child at home... For this discomfort, I'm l giving this library four stars. I went to the front desk, where I was greeted by a very pleasant lady who I paid 0.40 cents for the four pages I printed.

Love this clean, bright, welcoming public library where locals are getting tutored, using the…read morecomputers, reading, generally taking advantage of a valuable community space together. Always glad to see public libraries doing well.

I've frequented this library quite often since moving to CT. Mainly because they have a children's…read moresection at the lower level. We took the elevator to this level; there is a tween/teen, toddler, and baby section. The baby room is locked from the outside but you can reach over to unlock the door; this is for babies and crawlers. They had some baby toys and books in there. The toddler section has a mini kitchen, fake groceries, baby dolls, doll house, Legos, and toy cars which kept my toddler busy. We put away the toys we played with before we left just to be courteous. We had to print out some paper and it's 10 cents a page. Keep in mind when putting the quantity in the computer, it doesn't specify dollars or pages; it's actually quantity of dollars not pages. This location is nice because it's walking distance to all the stores and restaurants. Overall, a clean and organized library!

Not a patron, but I found myself in this library. It's tucked behind the busy roads of West…read moreHartford, and is pretty roomy. One side has a children's book, the other has a senior center, and adult books are everywhere. There are public restrooms as well by the entrance. Really well organized with lots of places to read or carrols to study in.

I used to frequent the library at Bishop's Corner around 2-3 times a week when I was in high…read moreschool. In the recent years, I haven't been as loyal. Occasionally I'll stop by when I have a book in mind that I'd like to check out. The Bishop's Corner Library is a branch of West Hartford Public Library. This is the smallest of the three libraries in town. Despite being small, there's everything here. A smaller library is so much easier to navigate. The books are well categorized, whether they're biographies, fiction or new releases. They have a quiet study area on the opposite end of the library from where the children's play area is. They have books for every child's interest. There's also computers that are marked by child's age. I stopped by the library for a specific book. It was in the new releases. It's actually a book that was released just a few months ago. And they had it at the library. You can check out with a librarian or at the self checkout. The checkout is very easy to use if you have your library card on hand. I have been going to this library for many years, I will continue to do so for many more.

The Middlebury Public Library is a bit off the beaten path, but it's very modern and positively…read morefull of books. There is some parking in the front, and a beautiful garden to the left by the exit. Inside there is space for a children's, teen's, and adult's section, as well as a small cafe. The decor is very creative and unique (Bigfoot for the summer? Awesome!) and the wall mounted card catalog looks like an easy lifesaver to find what you're looking for.