Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - Main (Oakland) — Attraction in Pittsburgh

The Carnegie Library in Oakland is an excellent resource for the community. The building is beautiful, the selection of materials is outstanding, and the amenities—especially the second-floor recording pods—are incredibly helpful for creatives like myself. I often visit to record narration for my YouTube videos, and for the most part, my experience here has been positive.

However, I’ve had repeated negative interactions with a security guard named Carol that have significantly impacted my comfort at this library. Since I began coming here in 2023, I’ve experienced what I believe to be unprofessional and unnecessarily aggressive behavior from her. On one occasion, I was scolded for bringing in a microphone for my narration work—something that had never been an issue before. When I tried to explain, the situation escalated quickly and unreasonably.

Later, I was falsely accused of distributing religious flyers—again, without evidence.

And last week, I was accused of using speakerphone the second I came into the library, which I was not. Despite others using phones in the vicinity, I was singled out. During this confrontation, Carol raised her voice, called me names, and even put her finger in my face while threatening a six-month suspension from the library. Her behavior felt personal and inappropriate.

Thankfully, when I reported the issue to a staff member named Julie, she handled the situation with professionalism and care—something I truly appreciated.

Today, things escalated once again. As I walked into the library to do more work, I overheard Carol pointing at me while speaking to a greeter, saying, “That’s the one that always causes trouble.” I had just entered and hadn’t even interacted with anyone. When I asked her to leave me alone, she insisted she wasn’t talking to me, despite clearly pointing in my direction. She then began calling me names, and while I acknowledge I reacted by flipping her off—a response I normally wouldn’t resort to—her continued harassment crossed a serious line.

I plan to report this most recent incident to her supervisor, Brian. If the behavior persists, I will consider taking legal action against her, as no patron should feel harassed or belittled in a public space like this.

My goal is not conflict—I simply want to use the library’s resources in peace.

Carol’s behavior is unprofessional and, in my opinion, unacceptable. I sincerely hope that management addresses this issue.

Everyone who walks through the doors of this library deserves to be treated with dignity...

I haven't got enough words to express how wonderful this library is. Not only is it an aesthetically stunning building, it is by no means a product of its era. It has all the mod cons inside. They have a Mocha Bros [a local chain cafe], areas to play board games, coupon tables, immigration guides, ESL lessons and foreign language lessons, musical shows, a community garden as well as a plethora of daily events for children and teenagers, from games, readings to mentoring. There are also evening events hosted for over 21's, as well as reading groups for diverse genre tastes.

The collections of books are also fantastic. I have found even obscure academic books I've needed for my grad classes at Pitt, which Hillman library didn't even have! Moreover, older, specialized books are often kept in special collections on the 3rd floor, and the librarians are very helpful at sourcing and retrieving the books you might want from this floor, and will almost always check them out to you if you explain what it's needed for.

The 3rd floor also contains lots of computers if you need a quiet place for research, and there are often classes going on showing people how to user various software and how to compose CV's etc. Additionally there is a huge wing filled with DVD's, VHS's, CD's, Video Games etc. Honestly a massive selection!

Another thing I really like about this library is that it looks into the Carnegie Natural History Museum so when you're perusing books in the Mezzanine area you can see the dinosaur skeletons on display next door.

Finally, all the staff are extremely friendly and helpful, and will volunteer information about services the library offers you might not otherwise have...

Love love LOVE this library SO MUCH. It has an amazing selection of books and all sorts of other media. The staff is always friendly. It is well lit, has lots of comfortable places to sit and read or work.

It's also got a lot of great facilities that make it MORE than just a library. Lots of stuff for the community, which you can see on the bullstins posted up front. Little things like the table with the puzzle, the cafe, the scanner etc make it such a great place.

I also have very positive things about the library system in general. As the "mothership" of the library system, clp main is probably the best in terms of sheer variety of material and things to do, but I have enjoyed my experiences with all the other branches of various sizes too.

Another thing I want to add, is that our library's website and mobile app are GREAT. Make it so easy to find material I'm looking for in a hurry and manage my account. Also, the library system's twitter @carnegielibrary is AMAZING -- they're extremely friendly, and have always answered all my questions. It's an excellent...