Feels more like a homeless shelter than a library. Smells bad. Not a good place to browse for books. Beautiful though. Too many tables (utilized by drug addicts) not enough book shelves.

Magnificant place, worth a visit even if you do not want to use the library. The staircase from the first to the second floor alone is worth a stop (Central Library on the streetcar). If you actually want to go to a library, you can't do much better than this one. It has loads of periodicals, computer stations on all three floors, an excellent children's reading room, and a choice staff, all of whom seem to me to be happy employees, and they are more than willing and totally competent to help you out. Not as iconic as the famous New York City library on 42nd Street, but a landmark building in its own right.

This library is gorgeous. I used to spend afternoons here when I worked downtown dodging work. Lots of quiet spaces to read and enjoy the wonderful architecture of the old building. Beautiful on a fall day with a cup of coffee.

Didn't know about this place until we walked by and just went in to check it out. Beautiful historic building. Be sure to check out the children's room with an elaborate bronze tree sculpture and a bas relief piece on Alice in Wonderland that was a WPA project.

This library branch is nearest my home so I spend a lot of time here. Looking for a book here is usually always successful and if the book I want is available at a different branch, I rarely have to wait more than 3 days to have it sent here and placed on the hold shelf for me. If you have questions, the staff persons go out of their way to assist you. It doesn't get any better than this...this is an awesome library.