I love our clean accessible library that has kind, helpful, knowledgeable, staff, and a wealth of…read moreinformation. I enjoy the book sales when I enter the library. Almost new books, puzzles, games ... are sold at nominal prices to benefit the library. I leave with arm falls of reading materials and books to share.

I visited this library branch to attend a speaker presentation. The building was clean, there was…read moreplenty of parking, and it was easy to find. The large conference room was nicely air-conditioned, which was especially appreciated on a hot Florida day. I've actually been here before for another event, and it's a great venue for community programs and presentations. If you're attending an event here, you shouldn't have any trouble finding it, and the ample parking is definitely a plus.

The Mandel Public Library of West Palm Beach is the oldest public library in Palm Beach County,…read moreFlorida. The roots of the library are in a free reading room in the Congregational Church at the corner of Datura and Olive Streets that was offered by the City of West Palm Beach in 1895. In 1899 a $100 donation was given by Henry Flagler and with the reading room book collection, the library opened in a houseboat donated to the Palm Beach Literary Society by Commodore Charles John Clarke. The City's first permanent library was in a Spanish style building that faced the Intracoastal Waterway. It was dedicated to the men and women who served in WWI. In the 1960's, a new City library designed by architect Norman Robson opened. In 2009 the library moved from the water to its current location on Clematis where it is part of the $30 million City Center Complex. Today the library is focused on providing its half a million visitors a year programs, services, collections, and technology. There is so much to love about this library. The lobby has public art pieces. The first floor has an extensive book collection and a café serving coffee, shakes, smoothies, and pastries. The second floor has a children's room, computers, music, and movies. It was surprising to discover that in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Clematis Street is a historic institution that has been offering free education for over a over a century.

I have never felt so humiliated, intimidated, and unwelcome in a public library. My experience with…read moreSupervisor Bethany Hankin was one of the most degrading customer service interactions I have ever experienced, and it left me questioning whether I was treated this way because I am a Black woman. As a nursing student preparing for the NCLEX, I drove to this library specifically to study in a quiet environment. Instead of leaving feeling supported by a public institution, I left feeling emotionally shaken, embarrassed, and deeply hurt. The issue began because library staff made an error when booking my study room. Rather than acknowledging or attempting to resolve the mistake professionally, Bethany immediately approached me with hostility and aggression. I remained calm and respectfully tried to explain the situation, yet she spoke to me in a confrontational manner, discussed me within earshot of other patrons, and publicly embarrassed me over an error that was not mine. The most disturbing part of this interaction was Bethany's decision to threaten to call security on me while I was calmly trying to explain what had happened. At no point was I disruptive, threatening, or disrespectful. Being threatened with security simply for attempting to resolve a staff mistake was frightening, humiliating, and completely unnecessary. As a Black professional, I cannot ignore how this interaction made me feel. I left believing that I was treated differently because of my race. Whether intentional or not, the hostility, intimidation, and lack of respect I experienced were unlike anything I have encountered in a customer service setting. A supervisor should lead with professionalism, empathy, and conflict resolution--not intimidation, public humiliation, and escalation. Bethany's conduct reflected a complete failure in customer service and de-escalation. Her behavior was not only unprofessional but also damaging to the welcoming environment that every public library should provide. Because of this experience, I will never return to this library. I sincerely hope library administration conducts a thorough investigation, reviews any available security footage, speaks with witnesses and staff members, and provides Bethany with substantial coaching in customer service, de-escalation, implicit bias, and respectful communication. No patron should ever leave a public library feeling degraded, singled out, or afraid simply because they tried to discuss a mistake made by staff. This experience is something I will not soon forget, and I hope the library takes meaningful action to ensure no one else is made to feel the way I did.

This is a very large library, I love their large study rooms. I've been to other libraries that…read morehave a few study rooms, this one has. I think nine of them plus conference rooms that you can request or reserve. They have a very large children section, a separate teen area, and I love that they always have out recommendations of books or movies, and it usually follows a theme. The parking lot is well maintained too, but I wish there were more lights at night.

The Palm Beach Gardens branch Library is a very large, spacious County library--and nicely laid…read moreout. After passing through the bathroom/book check-in entryway area and through the security panels, an inviting middle walkway lined with dvds invites one to browse. Modern comfortable seating - living-room style - provides an inviting space to chill and peruse one's findings. There is a 'local authors' section next to the security panels when you walk in, a nice touch. There is a room just for teenagers and young adult fiction; I would have loved this room if it had existed when I was a teenager! It includes tables and computers. Awesome for teens to have a 'safe' space away from adults and small children. The children's area is quite spacious, with a large entryway and open corridors between sections. The area is placed far from the regular library-goers so that children might squeal without disturbing too many patrons. It also features: lots of lights entering from windows, whimsical wooden bookcases and chairs, and a family bathroom (complete with child-size toilet and sink). The leather seating is pretty worn out, but otherwise the space is well-kept. The parking lot features a ton of parking spaces and a drive-through book drop-off.

Very versatile choice of books, love the children's section. All the ladies are very nice and…read moreinformative

This library is nice and spacious although it is only one floor. There are plenty of windows to…read morelight up the place. The children's area is very big and accommodating. The printer is not able to print in letter, which is a great inconvenience, but it does photocopy in letter when needed. The staff is friendly in my experience. I don't like how they have the teen section completely sequestered and you can't stay in the closed off area unless you are a teenager. I don't know if there's some sort of predator situation in this area and they've had to take these measures. They have study areas but they are not soundproof. The internet censorship is a little bit ridiculous and out of control. I tried to access a website for the Palm Beach clerk and it was blocked. But the staff is friendly and they help you with their computers if needed. They should also work on getting you the books that we request to be bought because I have requested many books and I've never received any feedback on them acquiring any of them although I've been here for years.

I recently attended an adult Intro to Crocheting class at this library branch. I came to this…read morelocation specifically for this class, which I signed up for online as soon as the class opened up! Thank you to the awesome librarian who created this opportunity. She was so patient and kind, limiting the class to a very small number in order to give 1:1 attention to each and every attendee. I knew there would be no better place than to truly learn than in a library environment. I love our library system, and I am so grateful for this programming! The classes offer so many different types of things, and learning to hand crochet (and knit, also on my list) has been something I have wanted to learn for so, so long. I have tried before and failed, and trying to learn by book and video has just not worked for me. This in-person class allowed me to fail repeatedly until I got the basic first step. Success! Thank you again to our kind leader who only just started crocheting in the past year but loved it so much she wanted to share. This kind of intro really helped me to embrace her instruction, and her demeanor and attitude was just so wonderful - thank you so much! She also hosts a regular crocheting circle and other levels of learning at this branch. After my class, I wandered into the main section and checked out a couple of cookbooks. Thank you thank you thank you to librarians everywhere.

It smells like feet in here. Other than that, no complaints. The one staff member I interacted with…read morewas very nice.

Lovely big new library. First floor has a really big children section with plenty of dvds and books…read moreto read. Computers to use to research or play games Second floor has the adult section. Plenty of classes that you can take starting 3d printing etc Very clean and specious. Librarian are very helpful

I recently started looking into libraries in the area so I can take my daughter to enjoy some…read morebooks. This location is absolutely perfect ! It was redone not too long ago and it shows. It's spectacular!!! The outdoor area is huge, with an amphitheater and huge grassy section. While this isn't exactly part of the library, it's a nice addition because you can take a stroll around the park when you're done. The actual library itself is in great shape. It looks brand new, it's spacious, and has two floors. I really like that the children's floor is nestled in the corner on the bottom floor because I don't feel bad when my daughter decides to get a little loud. The entire children's area is carpeted, they have a little train track rug, and even some toys available. They also have computers, a study hall area, and much more! While I haven't checked out the adult section yet, I do enjoy the kids section and highly recommend to anyone looking for some new books!

We'd been driving by this library for a few years and finally decided to stop in and see it in…read moreperson. There are always a lot of cars parked out front so it's obviously busy, busy. This is a relatively new library for Lantana. It was opened in 1923 but according to all reports it took a bit for it to be built -- construction delays, etc. It replaced their former library which was located in a bank building. This place is large! It is packed with books and tapes, etc. There's a long bank of computers in cubicles that can be used. And most of them on a mid-week mid-day time were occupied. There are private nooks and seating areas throughout. A reference section. A children's section. And most impressively, a recording room where you could do podcasts or filming of some sort. When we came by, there was a line of folks to get into the auditorium/meeting room. I'm not sure what was going on there, but they do have many programs and activities for families, children, etc. Overall, it was spacious, clean, and well-organized. It could be a bit overwhelming for some people. But it is easy to see why it is well patronized by the locals.

We have passed by this branch library on Lantana Road many times and decided to stop in to check it…read moreout. The branch is large inside and has a large parking lot outside with many limited mobility spots. Good to see so many people taking advantage of the services, both young and old. There is even a Creative studio with all the equipment needed to create your own pod cast or other visual production. The only negative was in the print media (Newspaper) section. Several publications were missing sections or even whole days in the middle of a week.

5/28/25- Haven't…read morebeen in a bookstore in years-.. Of course I'm always being pushed to the limit-(courtesy of the oldest)..lol.. Ended up with two books-.. Looking forward to the plane ride home..

What a sorry excuse for a bookstore. I haven't been here in a while and I have a membership. And I…read morewill say throughout 2023 when I went magazines were old. It's now February 2024 and there are still magazines from November of last year. I went to the religious section, and there was no thought or effort in that area. There is still Christmas gifting in that area. I went to the fashion and art section, and there was very little on fashion. I walked around the store, and even by the front register area and not one time, did anyone acknowledge me. At one point I saw the manager talking with an employee and they both looked at me in my eyes and said nothing. I will no longer renew my membership to Barnes & Noble. There is no purpose when magazines are outdated and it appears no one actually wants to service customers in the store. It was very clear that I was looking around for some thing, but they didn't care. It would be a good idea to work with your magazine vendors, so that people have something new and fresh on the newstands versus crumbled magazines that are, three months old. This right here is one of the reasons why people go to Amazon.