My 1 1/2 yo son come multiple times a month, and I am very impressed by the library offering an…read moreentire floor for children. My son really enjoys the kids' room where there are misc. toys, and he can play there for a solid 30mins. The books offered are also wonderful, better selection than some of the other local libraries I've been to. I like that they have the flap books for little kids where the kids can open up a flap and something is revealed underneath. The books are taken very good care of. The library also boasts a really full event calendar, from story time to crafts to live music. I was thoroughly impressed that the live music performer goes an entire hour singing kids' songs, I'd have expected just 30mins! I took off one star because I've only used the outdoor book return dropoff box once when the library was closed, and 2 of 6 books I returned were never scanned in. I only found out when the library sent me a reminder email of the books I had to return still. I called the library, the librarian looked at the shelves and found the 2 books. She apologized and said I'm all set. I'm glad they found the books on the shelves because I'm not sure how long it would've taken to dispute that I in fact returned the books, but I was put off by the fact that the library wasn't careful with scanning all the books in. I recommend returning all books with a librarian so they scan the books in right away, rather than the outside book returns bin.

I really love the Hoboken Public Library. The librarians are kind and helpful. I always appreciate…read morethe expansive collection and online offerings as well.

The first two times I went here in biting cold, the place was closed due to some reasons not listed…read moreon website or Google. Third time I got lucky. The librarians inside are some of the warmest people I met in my entire life. Not fake politeness, but genuine niceness. Especially the elderly man at the counter on ground floor. Everyone was extremely helpful and made me feel welcome for living in Weehawken. Guess what, they also let me check out 2 books on the day I went. At any time, with a library card one can check out as many as 56 books. The view from the library windows upstairs is great. This might be a great spot for studying. But honestly, book collection wise this library branch is not great, but 100 points for looking like Hogwarts.

Lovely atmosphere, considerate staff, in an architectural landmark. Not many foreign language books…read moreor translated books though.

Treasures: The Polonsky Exhibition (Located inside The New…read moreYork Public Library) 476 5th. Ave. New York, NY 10018 Treasures: The Polonsky Exhibition is a free museum located inside the New York Public Library.                            As you walk through this single-room gallery, these are some of the memorable artifacts that are currently on display: Declaration of Independence: This is a replica of the official document written by the American Colonists declaring their independence from King George III. Winnie-The-Pooh and Friends: Five stuffed dolls are the inspiration to the cartoon series Winnie-The-Pooh. All five dolls look identical to their cartoon counterpart. This is one of the most popular exhibits and it will attract a large crowd.  Brooklyn Dodgers Autographed Baseball: An official baseball was signed by the 1948 Brooklyn Dodgers team including the legendary Jackie Robinson. The First Folio: This 900-page compilation is the first collected edition of 36 plays written by William Shakespeare. West Side Story Cue Book: Production Stage Manager Ruth Mitchell used this book to signal every lighting change, sound effect, and movement during this modernized version of Romeo and Juliet.   Charles Dickens: There is display of Charles Dickens work area which includes his chair, desk, and stationary.   The New York Public Library will rotate the exhibits that are currently on display. If you have a desire to explore these "Treasures," do so now before the exhibit(s) will be permanently removed. #treasuresthepolonskyexhibition #thenewyorkpubliclibrary #nypl #newyorklibraryfreemuseum

Came back to see this beautiful library again on this day trip to NYC…read more Security was still much tighter than other libraries I've visited with special security screening equipment at the entrance and then an open bag check when I left. I still have not timed my visits correctly so couldn't join the scheduled library tours or take advantage of the public visiting hours for the must see Rose Main Reading Room. As a result I just focused on the following areas 1. The beautiful rotunda at the top with ceiling and wall murals and the deep brown wooden panels. A special 250th anniversary exhibition, Art As Declaration, was being prepared and some of the initial themes and displays were presented in the wings to each side of the rotunda. 2. The Polonsky Exhibition room with the "treasures" from the NYPL collection was fabulous as always. I loved that they rotated from their archives regularly so there's always something new each time I've visited. The Winnie the Pooh and friend display seemed to be a permanent fixture and one of the popular stops. 3. Marble main entrance and lion statue duo outside in front. Good stop to get out of the heat and humidity for a bit. Bathrooms clean and water refill stations a plus.

My favorite library in Nyc. Beautiful building with interesting history…read more Lots of quiet areas to explore, read or just spend some quiet time. Staff are friendly, with clean bathrooms.

Sat here for a couple of hours to do some work. I appreciate the idea of the space but I feel that…read moreit could be laid out a bit more efficiently for the volume of people that come. I don't love that there are just 2 bathrooms on the basement and 2 floor but I will attribute that to the age of the building..cool space to do work. Not a lot of outlets

The staff is simply unprofessional and does not care whatsoever about doing their jobs…read more Went in there simply to print something out on the first floor, and the front desk "librarian" or whatever she is paid to do made the process a lot more difficult than it needed to be. One, she looked at me as if me being there was offending her and a bother. Two, she told me barely understandable instructions using the words "over there" from behind the desk and eight feet apart, as if "over there" was a clear path considering I had to walk to different sections and use a machine I had never used before. I asked simple questions because I did not want to take up anyone's time and still she kept repeating obvious things like "you have to pay" back to back three times, instead of guiding me on the if I pressed the button first or paid first which was my easy to explain conundrum. A simple "first pay and then press the button" would have sufficed. Also answered everything with "You're Welcome" as if she did a great service by doing the basics of her job. But apparently it seemed that I was rudely interrupting her conversation with her coworkers as she was too busy laughing and not caring enough to help someone for two seconds without being an asshole.

I tutor someone there. It truly sucks…read more The first floor is a children's library and that seems ok. I have no real experience down there. But the second floor is the normal library. The workers are apathetic to what's going on around them. You have people on the public computers watching hobo fights, gang fights, stupid YouTube idiocy, and everything else that makes up most of the internet while a very few try to work. Of course, the volume has to be high enough that a deaf person could hear it. And the always present loud mouth has to be there to react to the videos and yell "damn" every moment. Yes this is a library in name only. In reality it is an Internet cafe that employs people too afraid to control its patrons. I truly wish it was something than it is, but life is life..... Have fun

Located in Battery Park and surrounded by lots of trees and it is close to Brookfield mall so it's…read morea very convenient library for me. I came here a couple of times to sit here to work. The only con that I have with this library is that they don't really have that many tables with outlets. There were just two tables with chairs and a power station in the middle of the table. Limited seating in the adults section on the first floor. It's not really a large library. The children's area has neat, colorful tables for children to sit. There were many computer stations but you have to reserve them before using them. There are garbage cans in certain sections for anyone who needs to throw garbage. Borrowing books is easy as long as you have a NYPL card that you can sign up for and get in a few minutes. You can place holds or reserve books and movies that are being borrowed and checked out of the library. Going to come here more often now that I found out about this location being close to the Brookfield mall.

It's pretty convenient to sign up for a library card here if you're a Jersey City resident that…read morewants to take advantage of all the perks of the NY public library system. The information desk is very helpful. The library isn't huge, so it's probably better for kids or just quickly looking up something on the computer or wifi. I still can't believe they have death note manga here.

It was pure coincidence that Jamie W and I came here on the same visit to NYC in which we saw the…read morebrilliant revival of "Ragtime" at Lincoln Center. The Morgan Library is the setting for the bullet-ridden plot climax, and one of the characters even describes the building's architectural fortitude. I had been wanting to come here for some time, but it took drizzly weather to motivate us to take action. Completed in 1906 as the private library of the banker J.P. Morgan, it's on Madison just a few blocks from the other Gilded Age masterpieces, the New York Public Library and Grand Central Terminal. Presuming we would see the foreboding double doors Coalhouse Walker faced in the show, we were pleasantly surprised by the openness of the glass-enclosed central court designed by Renzo Piano. There's a cafe that takes advantage of the incoming light, but we took a pass on it since we just ate at Grand Brasserie. Instead we took advantage of the glass elevator to take us to the photographic exhibition of Peter Hujar, the late artist who captured New York's bohemian and queer scenes through striking black-and-white portraits (Photo 6). The main event, however, is the historic McKim Building: It was the original private library, and in typical grandeur, features three stories of tiered, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, magnificent fireplaces, ornate ceilings, and a gorgeous Rotunda (Photo 5). Morgan's study is the West Room with walls covered in rich red damask (Photo 4) and a vault dedicated to his most valuable books, manuscripts, and art objects (Photo 8). Admission is $25 for adults. RELATED - Exploring NYC? Here's a collection of non-culinary places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/XMJZUPgXsX

This place is a hidden gem for anyone who loves history, books, and unique architecture. The…read morecombination of a library and museum makes it a fascinating place to explore. One of my favorite features was the collection of old books and the hidden staircase, which added so much character and charm to the experience. There are plenty of beautiful spots for photos, and every room feels like a step back in time. Whether you're interested in history, architecture, or simply looking for a unique place to visit, this is definitely worth the stop. I enjoyed walking through the exhibits and learning about the history while admiring the impressive collection of books and artifacts. Highly recommend for history lovers, book enthusiasts, and anyone looking for a memorable experience.

Five Corners Library is perhaps the best free public library near Journal Square, with only one…read morenotable negative I've come across. Let's cover the positives first: It's very convenient, within a 10 minute walk from the Path train station. The outside is obviously dated, but it is very clean and looks new on the inside. It is sizeable, with 2 floors and 2 computer areas - one for adults and one for children. It has a small free parking lot for visitors with about 4 available spots. They offer free or low-cost printer services, such as printing, scanning, and faxing. This is where my only negative experience comes in. The only downside I have encountered is in the customer service, particularly with one employee. Here's my experience: I started going to the library recently, and noticed a flyer posted that "the library offers up to 20 free courtesy prints for children PRESENT in the library." So, I tried it out and 2 employees there gave me no problem at all once I showed them my child was present. Then one day I came back, and when requesting the free prints, an elder female Indian employee gave quite a hard time. She claimed the published rule that the child has to be present wasn't enough for the free prints, making up new rules on the spot: 1. The child has to have a library card. 2. The child has to make an appointment for a computer. 3. The child has to print from the computer. 4. The prints have to be for the child's school work/homework. She communicated these new and non-standard rules to the staff member there and who continued to follow them in subsequent visits. This employee also asks non-standard questions, such as what the prints are before she releases them. When she made my child's library card, she even asked what grade level he is in, although the school name was the only required information. This excessive prying into details raises significant privacy concerns. This employees seems to be overreaching in her authority with patrons and staff, even when providing a mandated free service. And her habit of distracting employees with gossip while they are assisting patrons only sours the experience further. Perhaps she overlooks the fact that our tax payer dollars fund both all the library services and her employment. On the other hand, with the exception of this one employee, the rest of the staff are delightful. Especially Nelly, who was tremendously helpful, going above and beyond to make my family feel comfortable and welcome. Based on my positive experiences with most employees, this remains my go-to neighborhood library.

Love this library! We've lived here over a year now and I've…read morenever been to a JC library. This is such a clean and organized branch and the employees are very welcoming and accommodating. It's also nice and quiet with plenty of room to do your own thing. I look forward to seeing what type of events they host as well as using their literary resources

This place is clean, welcoming, and especially great for families with toddlers. There are regular…read moreevents for little ones, and a dedicated kids' room on the second floor that serves as a fun play area. You can request toys from the librarian, which adds an extra layer of engagement. Plus, the book selection is impressively large, making it a great spot for both kids and adults.

This place is fire I enjoyed the teen section, got my homework done, 10/10 made some new friends…read morewith the librarians and chopped it up with the staff