Edmonton Public Library

Definitely remember to take advantage of EPL’s book sales. I believe they happen once a quarter and are awesome! Bring cash, time, and a sturdy bag to carry home your new book stash!

I’ve loved the library since I was a kid and still do! I accredit this to the weekly children’s programs that my parents would take me to as a child. Now as an adult, I visit the library weekly to get a knew stack of books to read for the week.
Here are some of the many reasons why Edmonton Public Libraries are so great:
* LOCATION: This location in particular is convenient located downtown and the hours are great (open until 9pm on weekdays). This library is HUGE and hard to miss, often the center of many of the city’s events, located in the heart of Churchill Square.
* SERVICES: They have settlement officers who are available to assist newcomers with settlement questions. This is great to have in a central location downtown.
* WEBSITE: I’ll admit I don’t spend tons of time browsing in person because I do it online. The website has a great search and hold feature, where you put items on hold for pick up. Here you can choose which location you would like to pick up your item at. As well, you are notified of your place in line for the item. Anything and everything I have searched for, to date, I have been able to find. You will get a notification email when your item is ready. On average, I receive my holds within several days and no longer than a week!
Online you can also browse book reviews, programs that are upcoming at the library, download eBooks and browse thru digital content. I especially like the email reminder I get that my books are almost due, very helpful!
The Edmonton Public Library has a great online presence. (EX, twitter) This is a huge bonus in my book because it engages the community!
* MOBILE APP: Almost all the features of the website, available on your phone! You can easily view your active holds, items you currently have checked out, overdue items etc. The mobile app is extremely user friendly and easy to navigate. Here, you can also easily renew your books and search for items.
* CONTENT: books, comics, magazines, DVD’s ebooks, computers available to use, free wifi, children’s programs, guest speakers, etc
I could go on and on about how great the library is, but you really need to check it out for yourself. You will be amazed!

I’m often at this library when I have time in between meetings downtown. It’s easy for returns with 2 conveyor belts ready to take the materials. There are also about 6 take out stations so never a line up. I often check out the staff recommendations and books on display when you first walk in. Some of the books are for one week, but I appreciate 3 weeks and often can renew items online easily.
The holds area is self serve and easy to find items based on last name is on the right near the washrooms. There are often at least 2 people working the help desks to answer questions and help.
There’s free wifi which is great and also computers available. They are usually occupied but the express machines are good if a person needs to check something quick. The times I’ve used the washrooms, they are clean so that’s great.
The times I have been here, it’s not always easy to find unoccupied seats at the tables or just seats so might not be the best location to do work or meet people to work on a project together.
For newcomers, they have settlement officers who can help with settlement questions. This is great to have in a central location downtown.
Lots of resources at this library and also online for those with a library card!

I had some time to kill downtown so I figured I’d spend some time in the downtown library. I’ve never been inside before, and it’s huge. There are tons of seats and computers to use at your leisure… unfortunately, it looks as though 80% of the chairs were taken up by homeless people. Downstairs there were quite a few drunks walking around the lobby area loitering. I’m guessing they were there to cool down in the air conditioned building.
The librarian I found to assist me in my title search was quite helpful, though I had to walk around for a few minutes before actually finding someone to assist me.
While the online EPL system has an array of books, reference materials and media materials to borrow, I was surprised to find that inside the actual library a lot of the shelves were no more than half full.
I think I’ll stick to requesting my books online and picking them up at a different location.

It’s been about a year since my last review and I can honestly say I have almost totally fallen out of love with this library. I continue to have issues with staff in the stacks not wanting to help me with locating books and have also noticed that their Hits 2 Go section has drastically decreased which makes no sense at this large library.
On a lighter note since my last review they have introduced the makerspace which is chalk full of really cool technology like 3d printers, green screens, and mac computer workstations. Also I am still a fan of the front desk staff. I am not sure if its the fact being stuck working front desk makes you the face of the library essentially but I always find them to be friendly and helpful.
Honestly the biggest reason for my decrease in star rating is simply the crime and mischief that goes on here. I have seen fights take place in the front foyer, drug deals, and I can honestly say after that sexual assault on that ten year old girl in march in the children’s portion of the library I genuinely wanted to launch an online petition to close the building. It’s a disgusting mess and despite the increased security and police presence I have little faith it will ever fully be cleaned up.

Voted library of the year by Library Journal, this library has a bit of everything: a good selection of books and other media, a wonderful Makerspace, great rooms for special events and other room rentals and helpful staff! The library cards host wonderful slogans and the colourful branding immediately tells you where you are.
I especially like the children’s area in the Stanley Milner. The graphic novel collection is fun to peruse in person when I need to while away some time downtown. In addition there’s a great area on the second floor where one can do some genealogy research. The floor plan tends to shift and change as trends in libraries change, but this is necessary: a changing library serves the needs of the populations it serves.
Perhaps the only downside to this location is the occasional encounter with individuals who may not have entirely altruistic desires — often by the busstop in front of the library. Security is quite helpful in preventing anything negative from happening, and really one shouldn’t have pre-​conceived notions about people that look different than one’s self, but it’s an aspect to be aware of, this location being downtown and serving all walks of life.
As of 2013 library cards are free which is excellent for literacy and library use in general! Get one for your newborn! Get one for yourself! Post-​secondary students can also use their L-​pass with their post-​secondary library cards. I could likely go on forever, but suffice to say, this is my library branch of choice and I do like it here!

Love this place! Free books to borrow. Free dvds. Easy service.
A membership is easy. Bring in your id and pay a small yearly fee for a membership for a year. You search the catalogue online and login… type in your dvd or book. Place a hold and it is delivered to your nearest library of your choosing! Then you get an email when its arrived and have one week to pick it up! Amazing right. I only newly discovered this when my son had a feildtrip to the library with his class. And found it a amazing way to read books. Rent dvds. Play music. Or play games. Its all there. Even magazines can be borrowed.
A must try you will get hooked. I watched several hbo shows this way and several tv shows that are pretty awesome. Highly recomended. They order new releases and you can put your name in on a hold and are waitlisted. For new releases its kinda slow bc the waitlist can be long. But who cares… its free easy and awesome!

I love the smell of books, the way they feel in your hands and of course I don’t eat them. I just love reading and I cannot lie.
This library is pretty big and it has Second Cup right next to it and if you’re not a fan of their coffee — there is always 3 bananas café across the road. You can easily get a free library card which gives you access to take out books, dvds, games, magazines, etc. I have spent quite a lot of my time in this library and it has lots of great seating area especially the window seats but sadly never had the opportunity to sit on those prime spots.
After spending more than 5 hours on a regular basis, I have came to notice that it is filled with lots of homeless people. You will notice them having a nap by the window seat area. I was quite disappointed that I could not find any vacant spot on those comfy chairs but found a table to work on anyhow.
Libraries used to be monitored (well at least in the UK) by security guards in preventing people from using the library as a sleeping box. Whoever is being spotted dozing off would immediately be nudged up and warned.
I don’t think I’d feel tempted at all in using this Library at any point in my future endeavours. Good library for homeless people though.

This is an okay library. This is the library I visit almost every weekend due to the proximity to where I live, not because I prefer it over other locations. They do have a nice selection of books and a very large DVD and music collection. It’s quite spread out and sometimes not easy to find what you’re looking for, but the staff seem generally friendly and helpful from what I’ve seen.
On the weekends it gets very crowded and loud. Its not always the most comfortable and relaxing environment to do any reading or studying. I usually place things on hold so I can come in and get them quickly without spending a lot time here.
Heated underground parking, and it’s only a dollar on the weekends.

Looking for characters to put in a book? Come here and just people watch! Today’s show included sketchy guy playing online poker on a public computer (hey those are my tax dollar at work), guy who is breaking up with girlfriend on a pay phone (love the throwback!) melodramatically, lady who lets kids run wildly around the DVD section (at least get them to lower their voices), guy who smells like he’s never showered in his life (guess it builds antibodies). The men’s washroom smells awful most days. And even in a library where silence should be king, I have to constantly wear earplugs.
You’d think with all these experiences I’d hate it here… But no! This place has character and a wonderful selection of materials. The staff are super helpful. And even with all the ‘activity’, sans washroom, it’s pretty clean and tidy (although a bacteria swab grown on a petry dish might prove otherwise).
I just love the fact that so many different people make this place a part of their life. After all it’s for everyone and gives a great cross section of the city whether you use it for knowledge, entertainment, gambling or for a place to nap after doing who knows what all night.

Lets just say I pay the rent here. Late yoga videos require me to have a second job. :| Seriously, Library– a dollar a day?! My butt doesn’t even look that good to pay a dollar as a consequence. I’m going to have to start eating the dvd’s to get some real benefit out of it or hire a personal library-​secretary to return them on time.
I feel it necessary to point out that although the Stanley is a fantastic library it does double as a homeless shelter since it’s in the downtown core. There are endless humans slouching, lounging, drugged, wearing half clothes, half personalities and half demons in every corner. Luckily no one seems to hang out in the poetry section except me and Whitman.
Exceptional– I mean, exceptional staff. Many attempt to start conversations even though I’m wearing headphones and this is an incredible feat because clearly I’m wearing them so I can avoid any such social experiments. It warms my heart when I look particularly confused and antisocial when someone bumps me out of my universe and back into the task at hand: filtering through everyone with the same last name trying to look for that book I had on hold that I don’t remember ever holding.
Sometimes when my fines reach the extraordinary seventeen dollar mark they feel horrific for me and give me a free bag, enter me in a contest, compliment me on my summer dress etc. I feel really good about paying the rent here.
Women’s bathrooms are not for the faint of heart and I would recommend wearing an HVAC suit if you are going to escort your full bladder beyond the threshold of the stall door. I always hang onto my purse, hover and don’t touch anything I don’t have to which means opening and closing handles with my sleeves. The bathroom stall ‘diaries’ are an elicit depiction of the downtown core in all its gritty glam and one should feel humbled that there are even free books and advice about getting laid still available. Don’t make eye contact in the bathroom unless you have needles, condoms, make-​up or diapers to spare.
The music section is unbelievable. The foreign film section is like wandering into the aisle that netflix has abandoned. If you ask for help with music hopefully you get the über-​helpful woman who will not only look up that title, artist, keyword but go to the back and get it if it isn’t on the shelf. You have to back away from these folks sometimes, especially when they have an apprentice helper in tow and you just know they’re memorizing your face and likes/​dislikes for next time. The library has Grimes?! Whaaat. I almost freak out every time I find something near and dear there.
No complaints here– I love this place on a Sunday. Especially before it opens and every example of human life is queuing before the security gates with their early morning coffees, satchels and favourite places to scour in the Stanley A. Milner Library. Stanley is my hero, even in the 21^st century. He should be yours too. Go and get a library card.

I love libraries.
This is a good one. Sure, it’s not got the amazing woodwork and vaulted ceilings of the Dennison library at Scripps.…but wait, this is a public library.
A big one. It’s clean and lots of people using it throughout the day. There is a whole children’s library with a separate entrance.
I saw a big model of a big ship. Small than life size, bigger than a breadbox.
There is a whole big room of videos. I walked around a bit, then went up to the second floor to walk around some more.
I sat and and read some Sedaris that happened to be on the display at the end of an aisle, and no librarian shushed me when I laughed out loud. Just a little.
I didn’t have time to take complete stock of the whole place — but it is definitely a full service library and then some, and if I lived in Edmonton, I’d have a library card lickety split.

I admit it: I am a bibliophile. I got my first library card as a small child and have burned through numerous cards in my lifetime. I love books. I love the feel of them, the smell of them, the crackling sound as I turn pages. And a library such as Stanley Milner is a bibliophile’s dream. Books upon books upon books. Oh my!
It’s a great library in a fabulous location. In addition to the myriad books you’d expect at any downtown library of a city this size, they also have a wide selection of audiobooks, DVDs, and music CDs. I have just recently started getting e-​books online to peruse on my ipad. I’ve only tried this with cookbooks, though. It’s a great way to try out new recipes without committing to the book. And I still love the multi-​sensory experience of curling up with a book for reading.
My son got his first library card when he was 3-​months-​old, following in his mama’s footsteps and starting even earlier. He is six-​months old now and loves our weekly trips to the library for Baby Laptime. I am delighted to have such a magical children’s library in our town, encouraging my child to become as voracious a reader as his parents.

I haven’t been to a public library in years… but I was pleasantly surprised! I thought I would take advantage of my free library card I get with my University ID and take out a couple books for summer reading. I downloaded the app (very handy) and put a couple books on hold, and I waited for an email to tell me that my books were ready! Once I got the email I walked to the library after work to find my books waiting for me on a shelf! I then signed them out in a matter of seconds and left! Great experience, very quick, I think next time I might stay a little longer! I also enjoy how helpful the library is on twitter!

While you can lament that the downtown core doesn’t have a Chapters or another bookstore to where you can kill time, but the library is even better.
The Milner Library doesn’t mind if you take food, or coffee in while you’re looking at books or magazines. There’s also free wi-​fi, or if you prefer to use a desktop computer to look something up online, there’s usually one available.
The Milner also has a number of free talks on random subjects and shows a few movies per month on their projector.
And best of all, the library is open until 9PM on Weekdays.
It annoys me somewhat that a library card costs $ 12/​year, but the library will kindly waive the fee for low income individuals — it’s kind of like suggested donations at museums. And thankfully, you don’t need a card to visit the library — you only need one to check out books and use the computers.

The downtown library is my second home, and why not? It has everything I need: novels, free wifi, and a Second Cup. The underground access to the LRT is particularly welcome in the winter, and ensures that I get from my cozy living room to the cozy library chairs with minimal time outdoors. I find the staff touch and go, generally helpful and enthusiastic, but I’ve run into an exhausted or disinterested librarian a time or two as well. What I really love about Edmonton Public Libraries in general is their awesome website, iPhone app, and involvement in social media. It’s really easy for me to put a book on hold on my iPhone, and then go pick it up a day or two later at the Stanley Milner Branch. The audiobooks and eBooks are awesome too! I love seeing EPL keeping up with changing technology to deliver such a richly traditional human pastime: the written word.

Libraries are cool. I know Stanley Milner has a bit of a bad rep for sketchy folk hanging about. While they definitely are there, I’ve never felt unsafe while working/​reading/​staring off into space at the library. Bring some headphones and park yourself at a table, and this is a great spot to hang out or catch up on some work downtown.
I’ve become a huge EPL fan in the last couple years. Their website is awesome, and their latest marketing campaign is super fun. A library card is pretty much the best bang for your buck in town… books, music, DVDs, video games, etc. $ 12/​year or free if you’re under 18 or a U of A student.

You’ve got to pay $ 12 for a library membership in Alberta?!! I guess I’m just used to left-​wing-​free-​library-​cards-​for-​all BC. Oh well, I got my money’s worth on my very first visit.
I’ve never been able to choose my library card’s colour before. I picked blue; it brings out my eyes.
I spent a good hour perusing the various media available, mostly focussing on the words on a page variety. There’s a good selection of magazines and the library had the top five books on my «Books to Read» list.
One thing I really liked is the bestseller category. The bestsellers are recent books with buzz. The loan period is only one week and you can’t renew, so the books circulate quickly.
My only complaint is that several hundred people jumped on the Game of Thrones bandwagon before I did. I suppose it’s not the library’s fault that I’m currently number 300 on the hold list; it’s that no good Sean Bean and his rugged good looks!

I do really like Stanley Milner library, with its awesome two stories and collection of books. It’s a great big open space and it has a great selection of books here. Because it’s part of the EPL chains of libraries, any book you’re looking for can be brought in from another branch and it’s very easy to make holds.
The staff here are always ready to help and answer questions. Because it’s a large branch it’s easy to get lost or have some trouble finding exactly what you’re looking for.
If you need internet access, there’s a great big section of computers upstairs, too.
Definitely a great place to kill time downtown (coffee’s just next door) and explore some wonderful literature.

This is the branch of EPL I visit most frequently, not because it is close to my house but close to my work. I’ll admit I don’t spend tons of time browsing through here, because I love to browse on their website and put items on hold to be picked up. Love this feautre. Sometimes I’ll search for something they don’t have, and then I’ll suggest it under the Suggest, Request, Ask feature on their website. Sometimes they will order it in, sometimes not, depending on availability. The website is very easy to use. You can look at everything you have checked out, when items are due back, fines, items you have on hold and when you need to pick them up by.
When I do spend a little more time in here, my favourite section to lounge in is the travel section. I am more often than not pulling out a bunch of guide books and sitting on the floor with them and usually taking a few out. The CD and DVD selection is also pretty good. I’ve had a problem several times (more than three or four) where I will have something on hold available to be picked up, and they won’t be able to find it anywhere. Not on the self-​serve shelf, not on the shelf behind the counter, nowhere. I can never understand it, and then I have to go back another time to get it. Oh well.
There are quite a few computers available here, I think for an hour at a time. Most of the time when I walk by the row of the computers on the second floor, it’s full of people playing games and chatting on Facebook.
The Milner also seems to have tons of events and programs going on all the times. Talks, movie screenings, different art by local artists on the walls. Really interactive. I haven’t gone to any of the events yet, but there are always some that I am interested in. They also have these big book sales a few times a year. I believe books are 50 cents to $ 1, and DVDs and CDs are $ 1-​$ 2. I’ve seen a lot of junk there, but I’ve also seen lots of copies of popular books that they’re trying to purge a few copies of, lots of oldish guidebooks and some good movies. They constantly replenish, so you might have to go a few times over the course of the sale to get the goods.
Another reviewer mentioned this branch being a kind of «homeless man central» (as well as perhaps questionable kids), and I agree. There have been times when I have felt a little uncomfortable going into the branch and even inside it at times, but it is a public place and there are lots of other people around (and probably cameras). I just keep my head up and get to where I need to go! I’ve never actually felt threatened or scared, just a little ehhh (if that makes sense!). And, there are probably worse places for people to be hanging out than the library.
One thing I really love about this branch is the automated self-​serve check out scanner, and the self-​serve mini conveyer belt to return books. Makes it really easy to get in and out if you’re in a rush.
Membership is $ 12 a year for adults, $ 8 for additional family members in the same household. They will reduce or waive the fee for people on a reduced/​low income as well.
There is also a Second Cup attached to the branch.