Brookdale Library — Attraction in Brooklyn Center

For me, my needs at a library revolve around a quiet place to study, use the internet and a desk top computer. Staff available for questions and clean bathrooms.

Quiet: I would rate this 0-1 stars. Patrons engage in personal phone conversations at the computer area. As someone who really needs quiet this is very irritating. There are plenty of things I do to mitigate this. Such as moving to a different computer area, using head phones, talking with staff regarding talking with the patron. Perhaps I'm old school but I do recall libraries being a place where everyone was quite and respectful of each others time. This doesn't seem to be a thing anymore. At least with city libraries.

Computers: I would rate this 3-4 stars. There are plenty of computers to access, the keyboards work, the screens are in good condition and the area is ok. The only draw back (this is a personal preference) is the privacy. When the computer area is full, you are facing another person and it feels like you're staring at them.

Bathrooms: I would rate this 4 stars. So far all the bathrooms that I have used at this location have been clean and you had access to toiletries.

Kids section: I would rate this 3 stars. I am in support of kids learning and going to a library but the noise gets to be a bit much for me. The area is on one side of the library while the computer lab is in the middle section. It works fine but it you need absolute quite then I would suggest either coming early in the AM reserving a room.

Staff: I'd rate 4 stars. I haven't had any overwhelmingly positive or negative interactions. I will say there are usually a few staff member's so its helpful to have access to help, even when it is busy.

Patron feel: Yes, I am going to rate patrons, its 2-3 stars. I haven't seen any fights nor have I experienced things like theft here, that being said, people in general are ok but the negative experiences stick in my head. Which is mainly people who come in reeking of weed, and those who have personal conversations in the computer lab or play on their computer with the volume up and not using their headphones (which hasn't happened too often).

Location: 3 stars. This library is across a closed down target in Brooklyn center. It is on a bus line and a few blocks away there are places to eat and get gas. Be careful walking around though as this isn't the...

This library is perfect for any parent who needs a break! We visit plenty of libraries around the Twin Cities and this one is my favorite. It is conveniently located in a building connected to the DMV, courthouse, and other county departments. It has a coffee shop for you and the kids to refuel. The library itself is beautiful. The kids' section is tucked in the back right corner where it's showered in natural light. There is a vast arrangement of toys for kids to play with, including a separate, closed-off room with even more developmentally-appropriate toys to refine fine and motor skills. NOTE: This separate play room is only open at certain times of the day. I would call ahead to ensure it is open for use if you plan to go there for this reason. Toys/activities include, in the kids' area: dollhouse with dolls, tessellations, wind tunnel for floating colorful cloths, farmer's market stand and food; and inside the play room: slide, dinosaurs (big bonus!), farm house with animals, vehicles, trampoline, crawl tunnel--and MORE! So much more. We drive 15 minutes and past at least 4 other libraries just to get...

What a fun, amazing gem! We stopped in for a STEAM Squad activity in the afternoon and the event was so much fun and well-planned and orchestrated. Students were given an egg, a box, a parachute, and other supplies and tasked with building a container to make sure the eff doesn't break when dropped from a height. The kids had so much fun creating their egg containers and watching the results! The librarians and teens helping were so thoughtful and kind, helping the younger ones who needed a bit more assistance. The library was clean, and well-lit and welcoming with big windows, inviting natural light in. The kids section was my favorite. There were so many books, many in other languages. Definitely an amazing library I...