Ann Arbor District Library--West branch

Terrific little library with absolutely everything that you would need. Great kids section with videos and books on tape. If they are missing anything, they will have it delivered from another branch. It’s quiet and there are no lines to check your books out. Easy parking. Love it.

Homey little branch library, with a surprisingly advanced self-​checkout system and friendly staff. Dreary lighting — this feels more like a storage room than the airy, brightly-​colored public library I grew up with.
This place is buried in a hidden corner of the Westgate shopping mall; bike access is OK but not great, and the parking lot is surprisingly busy.
I was looking for foreign-​language learning books; they had a few good options. I’ll definitely have to explore more.

Wow it’s amazing how long I stayed away from this place when I finished school and started working. I just started coming here again a couple weeks ago. Still the super cozy little library that I remember, but there was a particular staff member working the day shift who refused to be of any help to me then, when I requested someone else, she refused to get someone. Psh. She showed me. Too hurried to argue, fortunately.
I’m so glad I came tonight! The night crew was super friendly. They moved the copy machine to my old hang out (the teen/​pre-​teen section… It was the coziest part of the library, okay?) Even though they were closing, they let me get my last copies and spare change together patiently and I totally appreciate it. Felt like old times. Thank you ladies. That’s the hospitality I remember. Blow those other branches out of the water! West branch pride, baby!

This library is small, but fine. Their selection of DVDs and blue rays is toward the back. New books are on the left shelf as soon as you walk in.
Saw a creeper looking at and saving pictures of naked shemales on a library computer though *shudder* … I hope they have some kind of policy against using computers in that fashion. Even if not, that’s just poor form.

The whole Ann Arbor library system is top notch! Their website is easy to use. The west branch is convenient to me so I reserve books from whichever branch happens to own a copy, and it gets to my branch pretty quickly. Thank goodness I was able to get a business library card through my work, because once I moved outside of town, I missed this library terribly when I was without access to this library system. Now, if only they’d only have access through the back parking lot entrance, or at least a back entrance drop box, because Westgate shopping center’s parking kinda stinks if you need to run in quickly and back out!!! But, it’s free.

The library has a convenient branch tucked in the corner of Westgate shopping center. It’s a good alternative to downtown, if you live anywhere west of Main Street, because you avoid all the parking issues downtown. (Actually, parking downtown is such a hassle, the West branch is a better option for anyone who lives west of Ypsilanti Township. Ba-​dum-​pum.)
Since this branch is next door to Nicola’s Books, you might have to use extra self control, once you get into book-​acquisition mode. If you work it right, you might be able to check certain new books out, rather than buy them, thus saving money for the purchase of other books. But that would be if you worked it right, and I really don’t know anything about that, because I just buy books until I don’t have any money left, and then I go to the library.
Keep in mind that you can reserve books and have them brought to you at the branches, regardless of what building they are normally shelved in. They don’t necessarily show up the same day. You can also return books at any branch, regardless of where you checked them out. This wouldn’t matter, except that there’s no place to park downtown, and that’s where most of the books are. If you plan ahead, you can put your car someplace where there’s lots of parking, have the books waiting for you inside, and then check them out without waiting in line.
If you belong to the «bustling Manhattan of the Midwest» school of thought, it’s also possible to park in a paid lot, walk five blocks, find your own books and elbow your way to the checkout. For maximum intensity, try to do this 15 minutes before closing.
The West branch does not have a public meeting space for rent, but it has computers for internet access.
As an employee of the library, I am biased, so read this review with caution.

Another amenity of this nice little mall: a little branch library. You can shop, eat bagels, and get books at the library after finding only one convenient parking place.
Of course you can check availablility of books online in the catalog before you leave home. But surely you’ll just browse.