Chicago Public Library – Roosevelt Branch

Quiet, clean and very friendly staff. It is a bit small and limited tables to stay and read but that’s kind of nice as it limits the amount of «homeless individuals» who usually congregate at libraries. Free Wifi and there are study tables and a few computers for people to use.
I live close enough to ride a Divvy bike on over and there is a station across the street from here. I can see how parking can be bothersome for others though.
The online system is wonderful and I have saved some serious $$ by no longer buying every book to read on amazon.
Great local resource and welcoming.

Quiet enough to be a librAry. Nice place to study and good quality service like any other CPL. The only annoying thing is having to get the key to the bathroom on the front desk. Overall well maintained place, with parking in the back and in a nice neighbourhood .!

It’s a much smaller library but does have free wifi at a good decent speed. There are some computers in the back iced with some tables for studying. My only complaint is that they should have more parking spaces & have the computers farther away from the study tables because some people are
blasting there headphones & it’s annoying.

The staff here is super friendly and helpful as well

Summer reading program! Yes, I AM an adult, but last I checked… reading is for everyone! I admit it though, I still get a smile when I think about the summer reading programs from my youth… anyone out there remember those «MS Read-​A-​Thons» with that pooch dressed up like a sleuth? (He was the magnifying glass wielding canine on the reading certificate — the one you received when you conquered that stack of books!)
If you can’t remember back that far, that’s OK. Not only does CPL have summer adult reading programs, the «prizes» are even better! Instead of a certificate, I received an insulated coffee to-​go mug! I don’t want to brag, but this «City of Big Readers» gal has enjoyed many a cup of coffee out of her beautiful green cup, courtesy of completing the summer reading of 2011. (see photo!) This cup is not only cool, it’s durable! It’s flown off the roof of my car twice at low mphs as I bump along city and suburban streets alike and has some road rash to prove it. But does it leak? Not a drop! That’s quality, people. And so is this branch…
About Roosevelt branch specifically — always a treat. The staff is kind and helpful, both in person and over the phone. This location doesn’t house endless books, though, so watch yourself there. Browse on line first if you are in a «must find» situation. This library does have a decent selection of CDs, movies, limited fiction/​non, some travel books and magazines. There are public computers which seem to run a tight schedule. I like that the layout is a horseshoe so you may opt to sit up near the checkout or over on the other side where it’s usually quieter. Outlets are easily accessible if you’re toting a laptop/​smartie phone and need a boost. Amazingly, I always find parking! There’s a few spaces round the back (in the alley way, but there’s a lot of pedestrian traffic there through the gate so watch that — kids appear from seemingly no where & can give you a start.) Be sure to sign in if you park back there… also there’s limited street parking (metered.) Library is right next to an Al’s Beef so if you get hungry…
…there’s also many other excellent restos on beautiful Taylor Street! Get lost in a book & and maybe a plate of pasta. Little Italy and Roosevelt Branch await.
OTHER PROGRAMS: Just as most libraries, there are a host of free programs ranging from book clubs to financial education so check the website/​locations
BE A GIVER: Chicago Public Library Foundation makes many programs possible, so if you are a giver… give it a look!

I really like this library branch location. There’s another one closer to my house but I always go the extra mile, literally, to go to this one.
Why?
–The librarians are friendly and helpful. Much more than the other locations I’ve been to (Douglas & Manning)
–The security guards are not Nazi’s. I didn’t get kicked out for having a phone on the table next to me and I could sit in any section I wanted (I was kicked out of the children’s section at Manning). Plus, they don’t scowl and boast authority just because they wear a security badge… they actually smile when talked to.
–It’s located in a really cute tree lined section of Talyor Street with a variety of dining establishments steps away when hungry strikes after a few hours at the grind.
–They have a pretty decent selection of movies. While it’s small, I have yet to pick on out that I didn’t find entertaining on some level.
–They have nice big tables. Not a lot, but there’s always been one open when I get there.
–Free Wi-Fi…duh!
The only pitfalls:
–You need a key for the women’s room… which is a three stall restroom. If someone else is in there, you have to wait till they come out with the key.
–Parking. The lot is very small and fills up minutes after they open. I’ve been parked in before but there is a parking form to sign-​in if you drive and park in their lot. That way if anyone is parked in they can find the owner of the blocking vehicle faster.

I’m on a quest to visit every single branch of Chicago Public Library.
Probably the best music selection I’ve seen in any branch on my quest thus far. The library itself is definitely on the smaller side. There is some space to do work, but it can definitely get a bit loud (though nothing so far has trumped the Logan Square branch).

We ruled out going to the Library once we went to the Harold Washington Library and found ourselves getting scolded by the security guard who told us our daughter then 1 ½ years old was being too loud in the Children’s book area!!!
So when summertime rolled around and we were looking for things for our 4 year old to do we decided to try the summer reading program at the Roosevelt Library. We found the library to be much smaller than the Harold Washington, however, it was more inviting and they didn’t mind my little daughter running around making noise. As well, there was parking behind the building, which is hit or miss. You can double park in the back there if you leave your plate # with the security guard but who feels like moving their car when you’re already in there? Metered parking is cheap and easy to find.
The one thing that we discovered about the library is that they have 5 family passes to all of the museums in Chicago. This allows free admission to several museums and you can check them out for free for a week. This is wonderful, however, many of the passes were always checked out but if you check back frequently enough you can usually find the pass you’re looking for.

Like everyone says, it’s just a little neighborhood branch but that’s more than fine. Any time I go browsing I end up finding a book I want to read but didn’t want to spend money to buy. For example, I picked up the Stephen Colbert book today. Would I ever spend money on it? Not unless it was in the bargain bin. Would I read it if given the opportunity for free? Definitely.
Back when I didn’t have internet access I could always count on heading over here to get a solid 45 minute chunk of heavily restricted web access, but it was better than nothing!
They have a CD section which should be heaven to a young punk rocker. Back in my early days you were lucky to have 56K internet so MP3s and sound clips were totally out of the question. Going to the local library and borrowing CDs of bands who’s names you’d only heard was a prime way to find exciting new stuff. They have your staples like Black Flag, Minor Threat, Public Image Ltd., Buzzcocks, etc, stuff that every new punker should have.
The staff features quite a few really cute librarians too which is cool for the nerds that like that sort of thing.

The important thing to remember is that this is a neighborhood library, not a regional branch, so of course they aren’t going to have all the books you need or every cd known to man. That said, their small selection is pretty good for casual needs and they can get you books or movies, etc. from the Harold Washington Library pretty quickly if you don’t have a chance to make it down there.
It’s not the quietest library but I think that is a space issue. There’s not a lot of room, so of course you’re going to hear every little thing.

This is a small branch, yet the selection is good and I almost always find what I need! The staff is very helpful and willing to help you find whatever you may be looking for. I tried to go here on a Sunday once without checking their hours and realized they were closed!

Definitely smaller than the main branch but they’ve usually got what i’m looking for. The downfall is that is closes super early and its not open on Sundays when I usually like to do most of my studying