Kirkwood Public Library

I enjoy coming to this library. It’s spacious and charming. I love the variety of movies, the extended time limit on the computers and especially their hours, the parking though… not soo much.

I’d give this library 2.5 stars. I stopped by here some days ago to get some work done before meeting up with friends. I usually choose libraries over coffee shops because I usually don’t eat/​drink while I work, like the quiet, and if I get bored… there are books to read!
Pros:
*Lots of seating at tables and comfortable armchairs. There are also tables by outlets.
*The washrooms are nice!
*Lots of natural lighting.
*A very nice curated section of books, especially cooking books and St. Louis books; check out the reference section on St. Louis. It’s quite an impressive compilation.
*You can check out ebooks and magazines on their website:
Cons:
*The noise acoustics are terrible. You can hear everything everywhere.
*Aloof staff
*Printing costs 15 cents for each black/​white copy.
*It’s a pretty small library. And I’m surprised that it’s so small given Kirkwood’s population. My hometown is about the same population size as Kirkwood, and the library is three times the size of Kirkwood’s.
*No signs anywhere telling you where things are.
There is free wifi even if you don’t have a library card. As you enter the library, there is a small machine in the middle of the checkout area. You push any of the three buttons, and it will spit out a receipt like paper that has a login/​password for you. Just saying that because if you try to utilize the wifi, it tells you to go to the reference desk for it, and the reference librarian acted like it was a huge bother to point out the machine and that I was the dumbest person in the world not to know about it.
Hours: M-​Th 9 AM-​9 PM, F-​Sat 9 AM– 5PM, Sun 1 PM to 5 PM
Basement: Kids’ section
Main: Magazines/​newspapers, for sale books, gift store, DVDs/​CDs, fiction
Upstairs: Nonfiction

Nice library. I come here often since my niece goes to school down the street and have a few hours to kill.
Love the building. It fits the Kirkwood charm. Nice reading areas/​nooks for studying or just daydreaming and staring off into the sunset.
There is a dvd rental here, which I thought was kind of neat. Red Box for libraries. It is the new thing. Soon, everyone will have one.
If you have some time to kill, stop on in. You can’t go wrong with the library!

Super nice little library! I lived in Kirkwood and voted yes for the bill that gave it money to upgrade, and it was put to good use. Friendly librarians and staff, huge selections of books and movies, and several computers. It also has a lot of windows, which makes it not seem like it is dark and dingy like a lot of libraries.
I came here to get my passport changed to reflect my married name, and the lady helping me gave me the info and told me that I could save money by just taking it down the street to the post office instead of paying a service fee here. I did and appreciated the help and tip!
Parking can be a bear, especially on the weekends when there are a lot of people in Kirkwood or at the farmer’s market. But it’s worth it!

I luv my library. It may not be ginormous, but it’s the heart of a community. Although renovated several years ago, the building still retains a vintage charm, with floor to ceiling windows that allow light to flood the comfortable reading area. A Hot Reads section gives me the opportunity to pick up one of the current best sellers while the library’s consortium membership enables me to borrow books from other institutions.
The books on CD selection could be more extensive — but I’m still working my way through the titles. The library offers a variety of services, including passport assistance, which is very handy. Some of the librarians are smiley and some are a little cranky — but for some crazy reason, that little bit o’ crankiness seems okay.

I’m surprised more people haven’t reviewed this library. They did a remodel about a year or 2 ago, and it’s even better than it was before. They have new dvd and blue-​ray releases (seriously, it’s a red box), and a shiny new books section up front. In addition, they have a pretty good cd section, and a good selection of dvds, including foreign language and tv shows/​series. They also have a kid’s library downstairs. What also helps is they’re part of the consortium, and connected with other near (and not so near) county libraries, like webster, ferguson, u-​city, maplewood and richmond heights. Great selection in my opinion, and if it’s something you like, you can have them ship the books you need to k-​wood. And, wi-​fi is available, they have a computer/​printing station and will fax documents for you if you need it. They also have a nice cart of books for sale, popular authors, too. I’ve bought some Stephen King and F Scott Fitzgerald, for only a dollar.
The definitely have something for everyone: what makes a good library in my opinion.

Sad to say, not impressed with the remodel. Seems an odd mix of traditional and modern… and looks a bit unfinished. It also seems like rooms and floors are more separate now… which takes away from the charm of the old library design. On the plus side… the staff is always extremely helpful, nice photo mural in the entryway gives a nod to the history of the library and the front desk/​reading room area has a beautiful ceiling, and love the online feature that allows you to request a book from a library cooperative (Kirkwood, Maplewood, and several others have joined their card catalogs) and when it’s available, it’s held at Kirkwood and they send an email notification to come pick it up.

The Kirkwood Library is a block away from the Kirkwood Farmers Market, and is in a gorgeous old building with amazing windows. The lawn is manicured beautifully, and there is a lot of foot traffic as it is quite busy. I’m wondering if it is because it is Summer time, because the place is like a fast food chain in traffic! Still, everyone is very polite and patient and there is room for everyone. If you can’t find a parking spot in front of the building just try the free lot across the street. The adult books were a bit limited in their selection, as I think it is aimed at children’s books, but the librarians are very sweet and one told me that she would be happy to order anything for me.

As a kid I loved the Kirkwood library. They have a great kids section in the basement.
As an adult I find that they don’t always have the books I want because they are quite a bit smaller than most newer libraries. But the librarians are wonderful and willing to help you order anything you need. The architecture is wonderful and inviting. I like to get lost in a book in one of their comfy chairs by a window or in the stacks.