Biblioteca Municipal Almeida Garrett — Attraction in Porto

I have been a regular visitor to this library since 2022, and this used to be my favorite place to study and spend my afternoons reading, but unfortunately, it has increasingly started to resemble a coworking space. Couples, groups of friends, and colleagues gather here to work on university or professional projects, seemingly forgetting that this is a library — a place where silence is not only expected, but essential.

There’s a clear difference between brief, respectful conversations that align with the nature of the space, and prolonged discussions, laughter, and complete disregard for those around them. These behaviors significantly disrupt the atmosphere and hinder those who come here seeking a quiet and focused environment.

Equally disappointing is the lack of enforcement from the library staff, who should ensure that the rules — clearly posted at the entrance — are respected. I leave this message as an appeal for more effective oversight, so that this space may once again reflect the quiete, respectful environment it is...

A nice library. The idiom would normal go 'nice and quiet' but this is unfortunately not the case. Somebody had the grand idea of putting a children corner (with very frequent kindergarten visits) right next to the main reading room with virtually no sound partition . You can imagine the rest. The baffling thing is that there are plenty of other well separated rooms in the building where you could have this admittedly much needed section (complete with work tables so that the parents can work while watching over their children). You can get over it with headphones but the design decision never ceases...

Public libraries are one of the last things Europe does well. In NYC, this would be filled with schizophrenic homeless people watching porn and urinating in the corner--but here in Porto they've built a calm, quiet, and very well-designed space for the public in a beautiful park. Plenty of seating--many tables have power outlets. The FreePorto wifi is fast enough. There's a great cafe attached to the library. And it's all free! I have no idea why you would bother going to a co-working space when places...