Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central Library

As with many downtown public spaces — this somewhat competent library unfortunately is a little seedy for how new (and expensive) it is. The elevator smelled of urine, gross.
It is at least quiet, has OK meeting spaces, and a lot of work areas. It is a little confusing inside because there are not floor maps readily available, if you are looking for, say room N202. It is tempting to take the escalator to 2, but you can’t access the main part of the library.
At a cost of $ 110 Million to taxpayers — one might expect A LOT more. But that’s government!

I am such a nerd and happen to love libraries. I rarely buy a book unless its by my favorite author or I see a great deal at Half Price Books. I have ventured to this library three times now and am quite impressed! It is multi level, has a HUGE variety of books, including a lot of best sellers and new publications that you would think would take forever to get your hands on. I have requested books through their website and even with the most popular of books I have only had to wait a few days before I get an email saying they are ready for pick up. Their check-​out protocol is really easy as well. Not only do they have staff that can check out your books, they have a really efficient self checkout service. Dunn Brothers Coffee is also on the first floor so if you want to grab a coffee and indulge in your new treasures after you leave the library, you can hop over down the hallway and hang out in there.

Nice staff big library with lots of books you can check out. They have 4 floors and it’s easy to study here when campus is too crowded.
I enjoy the space and the convenience and I used to volunteer for them too at the adult tutor lab.

Very nice staff, a lot of interesting events, beautiful building, not to mention all the books and movies.

If you’re anything like me, halfway through a semester, you’re sick of studying on campus and you’ve ran out of good study spots. This is a wonderful alternative. Minneapolis Central Library is filled with large floor-​to-​ceiling windows with lots of natural sunlight so you feel better about being cooped up in a library, studying your life away. It is an absolutely beautiful library and is located right in the middle of downtown Minneapolis.
There are tables everywhere and several different floors. Whether you prefer the individualized cubbyhole type study desks, a larger table near windows, or a conference room which allows for group discussion, all of these are available. What’s nice about these is you will also find outlets practically everywhere, so there is never a worry about that. There are many different aspects of this library to explore and many different areas to study. They even have a nice fireplace that you can sit around if you just want to enjoy reading a book, a play section for younger children, a piano room to practice your musical talents, newspapers, and several computers. The staff are extremely friendly and are very willing to help you out with anything you need, or even if you just want a book recommendation, they are a great resource for that as well. Though certain areas may be a bit noisier than other parts, I’ve never had a real issue with it and you will most certainly always be able to find an area that suits your sound preferences.
In the entry of the library, there is also a Dunn Bros Coffee shop which closes pretty late on Monday-​Thursday at 9:15 PM but a little earlier on weekends at 5:30 PM so if you ever need a sandwich or a quick caffeine boost in the midst of your studying, it’s located right inside the library. Parking is available underground, but you have to pay by the hour which is unfortunate however, this library is located right outside of the light rail stop (Warehouse, Hennepin Avenue) so that is another alternative.
In terms of the location of this library, it’s located in such a wonderful spot! It’s surrounded by many different bars, restaurants, and even Nicollet Mall. It’s easy to go out and grab some lunch or dinner since there are so many nearby restaurants, or maybe even a drink if the studying is really getting to you. Nicollet Mall is also nearby which includes a Target in case you want to stop by to grab some snacks, all in walk-​able distance. This is definitely one of my favorite libraries and I’ve been to quite a few– definitely worth checking out.

What a beautiful library! It’s big, it’s huge, it’s immense! Great selection of books — this library has a great selection of international books too… it’s exciting to see so many selections of Japanese books. It’s a beautiful library, parking is underground and it’s pretty reasonable for downtown. there’s Dunn Bros coffee shop inside the building. what a treat! Awesome!

We’re at that time of year in Minneapolis during which more and more pockets of the city slowly begin to resemble outtakes from «The Walking Dead.»
I got on the 12 bus the other day to go from The Lowry down to the Hennepin County Library, and saw people with such improbably shaped faces, hollowed out eyes, and defeated postures that I started to view the bus ride as a warped, mobile piece of public art. Two drunken louts antagonized the bus driver while a young mother played ratchet ass music from her phone at full volume. An elderly man with his mouth agape was so strangely contorted in his seat, it seemed he’d been screwed into it as if he were a macabre ornament; his wife, next to him with her limbs loose as a Muppet’s, her head sunken into her lap, and her jacket draped over her, truly looked dead. It was 3 in the afternoon. Godspeed You Black Emperor could’ve scored that bus ride. So powerful.
This was great prep for my time at the library, a building that looks like a spaceship that looks like a boat that looks like a spaceship? *Scooby Doo confused face*
I love the place. Half the people in there have no want or need for books; another 25% are probably doing things on the public computers that even the NSA doesn’t want to know. But if you can wade through the crowd of aimless people copping squats in the seating areas and the computer labs, you’ll find a saintly and eager staff who are as helpful as they are patient. The resources are fairly abundant — I’m an archival nerd who likes to read back issues of newspapers, so I’ve been thrilled by the collection here. The higher up you go in the building, the more accommodating and quiet the study spaces become. The noticeable security presence is initially off-​putting, but they do manage to keep the place relatively quiet, and sort out the riffraff before instances of bad behavior escalate into something much more disruptive.
The selection of books and DVDs is impressive, and as long as you take the time to figure out the lay of the land, you can find good spots to read and work. And if I haven’t made this place sound charming enough, there’s a strip club right down the street. This city and its downtown, man. The most charitable and loaded description would be «unique.»
The Hennepin County Library is simultaneously your refuge from and reintroduction to the zombie apocalypse. If that kind of thing passes as ambience for you (it does for me), then this is the place for you to grab a book and get to reading.
P. S. — Avoid the coffee shop on the main floor, it’s a couple of steps south of mediocre.
P. P. S. — Did I really just review the public library? Have I officially jumped the Unilocal shark? And is it sick that what I want most is to review the different Minneapolis public bus lines?

Best place downtown for sure. Spent many an hour here studying and waiting for buses during my ridiculous commute to the U. Great hangout space for teens upstairs, great quiet spots for spreading out your books. Chairs are definitely comfortable enough for a nap. Security does a wonderful job keeping the area silent and food-​free.
Awesome selection of books and DVDs, and the huge Hennepin library system can get you anything you need that is not at this particular location and deliver to the library for pick-​up.
Last but not least — the architecture is beautiful. I did a project for an architecture unit on Central Library — did you know there’s a garden on the roof? Amazing, beautiful stuff. Love the birch tree windows.

I have a love-​hate relationship with this library. I love the building, the location is close to transit, it’s spacious with tons of different spaces to spread out. As a transit hub, I dislike how noisy it is. It can also be distracting when the librarian has to repeatedly wake up snoozers in certain areas. I’ve also experienced spotty wifi reception once or twice, which the librarian suggested might be dependent on location. If you’re going there to work, choose your location wisely!

They have really good tables for studying. I wish my school had them throughout our library — I’m jealous. They have a light and a plug in for your laptop and enough space for textbooks and notebooks. I like how they have a coffee shop by the main entrance so I can get by caffeine fix while working.

Such an amazing use of funding that offers a public place to research, read, study and grow. I am witness to all these things. It has been a useful and quiet place to retreat to during grad school.

I guess I’m the only Unilocal reviewer who is afraid of heights. This building here is ridiculously designed and is virtually unusable for anyone with height phobia issues. They have this giant waste of space hallway running through the center of the building and each floor (there’s like 4 floors) has narrow ridiculous catwalks connecting each side of the building (across the giant meaningless hallway). They also have staircases and weird see-​through elevators that ascend all the way to the top floor. Because of the sheer ridiculousness of this architecture, I have only explored the first floor. I refuse to walk across a 4 story catwalk to read some books.
The old downtown Public Library which they tore down was far superior and had a wonderful Planetarium (this new one doesn’t). It also did not have the absurd design with the crazy balconies, it had 2 floors and that was all it needed. And it had that fountain thing with the weird book-​shaped sculpture in the front. I miss that. How dare they tear down that building and replace it with this balcony-​laden abomination.

I LOVE this library!
First, it’s gorgeous. What a light & airy space to study. Hard to describe the space– just go there and see. I like to sit on the opposite side of the main collection by the stacks. Gives a view all the way down to the lobby and has great light.
Second, has a large collection of pretty much everything you’re interested in. When I had time, I used to love checking out novels here. Also has a great DVD selection including old classic movies (think Hepburn), the Criterion collection (foreign films!), as well as more recent popular flicks. It is VERY fun to hunt interesting foreign films here.
There’s free Wifi here as well as outlets at pretty much all the tables. There’s also PCs with internet access (limited to a few hours), which tend to get packed during busier times. There’s also a Dunn’s Brothers on the first floor of the building. Probably one of my favorite places/​spaces in Minneapolis.

This is without a doubt my favorite library I’ve ever been it. I wish this had been my library on my college campus. It’s modern, clean, homey and comfortable. I absolutely adore how much natural light makes it into this place. The selection is remarkable and there’s a coffee shop right inside it. Does it get more convenient and wicked than that?! Not really. I wish I lived closer so I could hang out in this space. I love it.

What a gorgeous building! It’s spacious and full of light and energy. I was actually shocked by how busy it was and yet how quiet everything was. A group of us used one of their rooms for a work meeting and it worked out fabulously! I love the Dunn Brothers location in the building as well!

This is such an incredible library. It deserves an entire list of awesome.
1. It is, in my humble opinion, the most beautiful building in Minneapolis, inside and out. The inside of the building is drenched in light, and it’s spacious, and quiet, and comfortable. It makes me feel like I’m resting in a quiet birch tree grove on a mild, sunny day. Stop laughing you hater, it’s true.
2. It is a cinch to bike to this place, or get there via public transit. I believe the light rail stop is ten feet from this place’s door, and every time you blink there’s a bus stopping outside.
3. Dunn Brothers. In the building. Caffeine + books is one of my favorite combinations on the planet.
4. The selection is solid. Need a book on feminist philosophy as it relates to sado/​masochism? They’ve got it. Need something they don’t have? Librarians are actually book magicians.
5. It is freaking awesome that they have such a cool-​looking teen hangout. It looks like a place that I would actually frequent if I were still a teenager– instead of hanging out at Barnes and Noble, huffing but not buying books.

This library is dynamite. A futuristic, majestic library. It looks like it was made out of the same sandstone, steel and glass as Target Field. Its design is a bit strange, especially the overhang in front where water occasionally pours onto the stones below during rainfall. There’s a garden area on the roof.
The interior of the place is set up like some crazy modern art museum or something. There is a main interior lobby and then two stacks on either side of it, with funky staircases and the elevators from Robocop.
The really amazing thing about the place is how much public space it houses to just chill, work, read, surf the web, whatever. I wish it had existed in this capacity when I was a student because it would have been a great place to work and study, even better than the student libraries. The location of the place is ideal, because it’s easy to get to, but it’s the ‘Central’ Library, so I guess that’s redundant.
The library also has a bookstore on the first floor by the coffee shop. They sell books and stuff that is permanently withdrawn from the library’s collection for dirt cheap prices. I’ve found some good items in there.
Also, right now they have a baseball exhibit, which, while nothing amazing, adds an additional dimension to the space, where they can host lectures and displays on a given topic.

Coolest library I’ve ever been in, this review is a long overdue one for me. I’ve never reviewed it since it’s such a great place that I wanted to make sure I didn’t leave anything out. Since I discover a new study spot or an amazing selection of material on different topics almost every time I’m here it’s safe to say I’m still not going to cover everything, you’re simply going to have to come here and see for yourself how great it is.
To start with the space is huge, when you first walk in there is a end to end 4 story atrium, you can go up either by unwalled stairs or glass elevators. So many great places to read and study inside, they are everywhere so you’ll for sure be able to find a spot that works for you. If you need to take a breather there is a Dunn Bros on the first floor, and you can either eat and drink in there or if it’s in a covered container you can bring it into the library.
So many other great things about this Library that I frequently use are the Special Collections, The large room with books from 80 — 100 years ago, and Microfilm of newspapers going back to the late 1800’s. You can find lot’s of info and pictures of practically any part of Minneapolis history in the Special Collections, including historical events, buildings past and present, as well as neighborhoods, heck I wouldn’t be surprised if they even had stuff on the house you live in, really great resource.
I also love looking at old newspaper ads on Microfilm, you learn so much about everything from vintage furniture and fashion styles to mannerisms, and what the times were like. The artwork back then was gorgeous, even old movie ads from earlier eras can be very artistic. Oh and I find it very entertaining to read some of the sales pitches in the ads, really can be funny sometimes, especially some of the ones during the Great Depression of the 1930’s. So much to do at this Library, you’re gonna need a bit of time to discover and enjoy everything there is to offer, at least on your first visit.

This library is lovely, but security is intense! Are there that many people trying to steal things? Probably.
If you park in the ramp, make sure you take your ticket with you — pay machines are only available on foot. $ 5 for 3 hours is a decent deal for a morning downtown.

I am a total book nerd. I read too much to buy everything I want to read, so I am also a total library nerd. I can’t say that I have ever met a library that I like more than the Central Library downtown. It is gorgeous! The stacks are well-​stocked. If there is something you don’t find, they are so helpful in searching it out with you or transferring it from another branch. I love that they put catalog kiosks in the stacks, so you can immediately look for something else if the book you want is not there. I also love how thorough and easy to use their database is. Sometimes, there are three editorial reviews and even some book club notes attached. So smart! In this weather, I especially appreciate the easy online reservation and renewal system.
The reading lounge by the fireplace is so welcoming. Add Dunn Bros and free wi-​fi and you can make an afternoon of it. The art is lovely as well. I find myself just popping in, just because I am in the area. I have also never been to a library that has so many of the museum passes available. Most times, they have at least one on-​hand for each venue. Usually, it is several.

Cool building — check
Lots of books — check
Coffee shop downstairs — check
Central location — check
Online reserve system — check
Knowledgeable staff — check
Creepy somali man watching porn –check.
People are upset because the teen section faces the strip club corner. Ehh, Id be more worried about the sticky keyboards there.