Halifax North Memorial Public Library

Seems weird to write a review about a library…
I mean it’s a building with books.
Can’t really screw that up I suppose.
However this is my neighborhood library and I happen to like it quite a bit. I’ve got a special place in my heart for the struggling small neighborhood libraries and prefer them over the larger ones in the heart of a city.
This one is nestled in the middle of the Gottigen crossroads of lower income families and the large condo corporations trying to push them out and make room for the «it’s cool to be Ghetto» upper class citizens.
There is nothing fancy about this library. But there is a sense of community when you walk in. People who come here, live here. That’s what I like about it.
You’ll find your selection of books to be a little lacking because of size but with the ability to have books/​dvd (s) transferred within a few days it won’t take long to get that book you’ve got on your «must read» list. Computers are available and wifi is free (which is good if you’re on a budget and don’t have a computer at home).
I’m excited about the new library going up in place of the Spring Garden location but Gottigen will always be my favorite.

I like to think of myself as a library connoisseur of sorts. I worked at a library in my hometown all through high school and have been obsessed with libraries since I was little. My passion stems from a class trip I took to see a puppet show at this library on Gottingen St. when I was in elementary school. I couldn’t tell you a thing about the show itself, but I remember being mesmerized by this library, it was fairly packed for a weekday and there were school aged kids everywhere being immersed in books!
Years later (read this summer) I visited this library again with my 7 year old sister. Although the library isn’t as clean and colourful as i remember, there are still regular children’s programs being run by the staff. The staff I should mention are some of the nicest library ladies I’ve ever met.
Hot Hint: You are able to borrow books anywhere in the Halifax Regional system of 15 libraries if this particular location doesn’t have a copy of a title you want.

This library surprised me. I didn’t expect such a friendly atmosphere. There are public computers for the Internet but they also have Wi-​Fi which I enjoy! You of course need a library card to use it however. They also have designated hours in the computer lab for adults and designated times for kids which is good. The kids time is 3pm-​6pm and the adults is, well, every other place.
The most unique part about this library in particular is that it has a large section of African American history, especially local history. So they support community history which is very important and something I don’t see enough of in my library travels.
But the place also feels like a community. There are «regulars» that definitely go there all the time because everyone seems to know each other. The staff are generally quite friendly and definitely very helpful as well.
This library has everything you’d expect but also supports community history which surprised me. They have a friendly, supportive atmosphere and more than enough to keep me interested. If you are in the area, stop on by.