The building is beautiful and the children's area in the basement is fun, with numerous activities to enjoy. But the other levels seem to be the place where homeless people like to hang out. I smelled pot in the main entrance the last time I was there and there was a large group of homeless people congregating at the main entrance. There was also a homeless person taking up shop in one of the bathroom stalls.
Beautiful, modern, airy library that makes for a perfect place to read or ponder or talk (in hushed tones) with friends. Also, there's a small art gallery on the 3rd floor currently showing a cool collection of photos.
The downtown Madison Public Library recently underwent a 2 year renovation, and it shows really well. They have a great selection of books, compact disks and other sundry reading materials. My criticisms are that it is really noisy, especially the main floor, the computers only allow one 2 hours per day, one has to beg and beg to use the low vision keyboard and the printers only accept cash, not credit and debit cards. Other than that, it is a great place!
The hour can spend hours exploring all the wonderful elements of the Central Library. Whether you are eight or eighty-eight. The top floor features a gorgeous roof top garden, the Bubbler Room offers a variety of workshops and fascinating hand’s-on projects and the kids area has numerous comfy reading nooks. There is a Media Lab to explore digital media realms like 3D design and audio and graphic design. There are terrific meeting rooms for public events that offer unbeatable views of downtown Madison. And oh yes, everything is free 😊
Love the way it looked inside, open up my mind to had book that moved me topic an writers that have the best title ever I have heard,good notepad an long time guest pass to get business right,day work in with the madison library .
Beautiful space with a nice selection and helpful staff.
Great library, even before the renovations made. Large selection of books, media and lots of space to sit down to study, read, etc. Free Wi-Fi as well as computer and printing stations. Down at ground level / lower level, they have a Kids area, which originally was on the second floor. Very accessible with the new elevator and ground entrance.
Beautiful library! They do a great job of keeping the building in good shape, which is almost strange for a lot of libraries. The staff has always been very helpful whenever I've needed to ask for help with something. Even the younger people that work there are super knowledgeable, which is not always expected.
Super helpful staff and is kind of a deposit for city info/local aid. They have iPads and video games, great interlib loan services. All around very helpful place.
They have a good variety of books for a main city library. I used to live in Boston which is a much bigger city, and the Boston Public Library was so much worse in terms of selection. The only reason i'm giving it three stars is because it's not a place you'd want to spend time due to all the homeless/sketchy characters. I also heard a librarian go off on a young man for accidentally going into a study room.
I printed my bus ticket to get out of town I didn't need a library card just some money for the machine so I can print and that was it! Also they stay open late so that was a plus! I was satisfied.
Beautifully remodeled. Study rooms are great. I love it!
the new library is really cool. i like the quiet areas and study rooms. the teen area is super nice too.
Probably the best library for students around this area of Madison. They do a good job of always having security walking around since it is a popular spot for the homeless. There was a shooting match one time I was there, but it was resolved and I've never felt uncomfortable or unsafe there.
It's a nice building with a BIG DVD collection if you're a video junkie. The staff may not be as strict in keeping people quietand it seems this library is a hangout for homeless people, so it smells bad some days and a lot of odd things happen.
Pretty awesome library. Really beats the socks off the old main library. Great space for kids to have fun, too.