St. Louis Public Library

The employees are friendly and usually very willing to help. I have been able to find a lot of good books also. You can also request books from other St. Louis Library location, they will deliver the book for free to a library of your choice.

The entire SLPL system is fantastic. The website is well designed and easy to use. Log in and you can put any book on hold, renew items, and see how much you owe in fines. Give them your email address and you’ll get a notice when books are close to due or a book you have on hold is in. The schlafly branch itself has a very small book collection, maybe 4 or 5 shelves of fiction. The main function of this branch is for use as a study/​computer space. It’s not a library where you can spend a lot of time exploring the collection, like I’m used to, which is disappointing. I have to browse for new books and authors on the internet instead of the library now. That being said it’s a very nice building with very friendly, and sometimes too helpful, staff. If you put books on hold before coming in they’re sitting on a shelf, you pick them up yourself, check them out, and can be on your way with a new stack of books within 5 minutes. Overall, I would recommend the entire SLPL system very highly.

«Let’s go to the library!»
You might be surprised to know that this exclamation was once said quite frequently when I lived in the CWE. I’ve been on record about how much I disliked living in the Central West End, but one positive aspect of my two years living in Snobsville USA was having the Schlafly branch of the St. Louis Public Library system.
Not only does Schlafly have the best name of the branches, it offers a wealth of media for people in the CWE neighborhood. I used to wander this place several times a month. My favorite part of the location was the cds. They have a selection of artists that puts most record stores to shame. Now that times are tough, I don’t get to run out and buy multiple albums a week. However, Schlafly carries several new cds. Up until our move last April, I was borrowing spring releases from that year, just released in the past few weeks. They are constantly updating their stock.
For a while, I didn’t have a printer. More precisely stated, I didn’t have ink. Schlafly offers free printing to patrons, but at times it was a major inconvenience to print anything off. You can call in and reserve a computer, but quite often I had to wait for someone to leave or not show up to get a chance at the printers. That was a major issue, but the demand of computer time over there was so terribly high.
As for the staff, I didn’t always feel like they were the most helpful. The location has several self checkouts, but some of the cds that I would borrow needed to have the security strips swiped before I could leave. They would insist upon me doing the checkout myself and wouldn’t do anything about the security strips until I had the door beep at me. It got to be a bit of a hassle. Also, it’s a little embarassing to have the alarm go off when I’m trying to leave a quiet library.
Nonetheless, I always appreciated having this branch and wish that I could be closer to it. One of the best branches in the St. Louis system!

I’ve gone to six different locations — never had a bad experience. The staff is helpful. The selection is great (check on online and have books reserved and waiting for you at your convenience.) Love libraries. And I’m so glad StL treasures theirs.

I was in rural Missouri once when a man asked me where I lived. When I told him, «St Louis City», he chortled and said, «Har! I have no idea how you can live up there with ALL THAT.»
Well, obviously-​kinda-​racist-​guy, I happen to love The City and I reallllly love «all that» that comes with living here. And the public library is a perfect example.
As far as I’m concerned, this is a Come and Get Yourself Some Free Books Store. You sign up, and if you can’t find the book you want at your branch, you just put a hold on it from the comfort of your own computer, and then they email you in a few days when it arrives. Seriously! You tell them the book you want, they deliver it to your branch, and like magic, it’s waiting for you when you get there. This branch has the books out on a shelf with your name on it, and you check yourself out with their handy machines. Besides holding books online, their website also lets you renew books and they even have e-​books you can download. This branch is open until 9PM on weeknights and is even open on Sunday.
The staff is very friendly here, but you hardly need to speak with them, because everything is automated and easy to use. I haven’t used their computers or copying services yet, but they always have open terminals and lots of comfy furniture for people who want to stay and read.
I can’t wait until the Central Branch reopens once they finish the remodeling. It’s institutions like this that make living in a city like St Louis so awesome.

Beautiful library branch. The selection in house tends to be more best-​seller types, but that’s why there’s inter-​library loan. They do have a surprisingly good foreign language section.
But such a nice looking library and a great location!

My sister introduced me to the Schlafly branch seven or eight years ago, and it has remained near and dear to my heart. It’s where I got my STL library card and also where I introduced my boyfriend to the wonders of utilizing your local library.
If you really want to read how much I rhapsodize about the library, you can check out my Central Branch review. The St. Louis library system is really awesome, in my opinion.
Regarding this location, though.
Pros:
Lots of selection
Friendly staff
Lots of seating
Good programs
Huge section for nonprofits looking for grants; they have workshops for nonprofits also.
Great hours
Self Check-​Out
Pretty good noise control
Cons:
Parking. It just sucks. It’s either park on the street and feed the meters or do the parking garage which is $ 1/​hr.
It’s pretty dark inside.
Only about 20 computers for public use. Call ahead.
Xerox machines are 15 cents/​copy.

Big fan of this place. Very clean and modern, in terms of the actual building and what’s inside (books, computers, chairs).
But, the best part is that they rent out games! Wii, PS3, and Xbox games can be checked out for a week at a time and can be renewed online multiple times. Seriously amazing.
However, their online library catalog is a bit difficult to work with and has trouble finding what you want, especially if it’s not a very specific search (for example, trying to find «Lost» DVDs). But, it’s not too bad and only would make my rating a 4.5, which I rounded up to 5.

I’m a huge fan of this library branch. I come here at least 2 times a week to study, study, study & I am hardly ever disappointed.
I love the fact that I can walk here from my apartment, but if I had to drive here, the lack of parking would be pretty frustrating. There are two parking options: street/​metered & the parking garage.
The library hours are some of the best in the city (if not the best!). They’re open late during the week and they’re open on the weekends! The staff is helpful and my favorite security guard always does a good job of «shhh“ing the loud-​talkers who are inevitably there.
Free wifi, free printing, free computer use & they participate in interlibrary loan, which is great. I just search online for the book I want, put a hold on it, choose Schlafly for the pick-​up location, and I’m emailed when it’s ready & waiting for me (which normally doesn’t take much time at all). I can return all my books to this library, no matter where I picked them up in the city and you can manage your account online (requests, holds, renewals, etc.)
Oh and they keep the library nice and warm when it’s cold out… definitely something I appreciate!

In the words of Jessica H: «Muhahahaha»
I got away with 3 DVD’s today because their computer system was down. Therefore, they had to check everything out on paper. Feels like I just got away with murder!

new, clean, convenient location. i consistently had to tell people to shut the phuq up in the quiet room. ghetto people. what can you do.

Despite being listed as a recycling drop-​off site on
, the librarian was kind enough to redirect to me to other drop-​off sites around the neighborhood. She even took the time to give me detailed directions to each one!
So, if you live around the CWE & need a place to drop off some recyclables…
City of St. Louis, 1660 South Kingshighway Boulevard @ I-​44,
(Monday-​Friday 7a.m. to 5p.m., Saturday 9a.m. to 5p.m.)
— aluminum beverage and food cans
— corrugated cardboard and chipboard/​paperboard
— glass, brown
— glass, clear
— glass, green
— magazines
— mixed office paper
— newspaper
— plastics #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #7 (not #6)
— steel beverage and food cans
— telephone books
— cellular phones
Saint Louis Public Library — Cabanne Branch (north side), 1106 Union Boulevard (at Cabanne Avenue),
(24-​hours-​per-​day, 7-​days-​per week)
— commingled containers
— commingled papers
— cardboard
— textiles

Pros:
1. It’s free.*
2. There’s lots of variety**
3. Staff can be really friendly***
4. But look– it’s a library– appreciate it.
5. Print 200 pages a month for no charge.
Cons:
* Unless you go to the Schlafly branch by car, because it’s nearly impossible to find a parking spot on the street, and there is a charge to use the attached lot; a day late on movies is $ 1 a piece– lives have been ruined by these steep fines;
**Unless what you want is good, because that stuff is stolen by the third person who gets it.
*** But many aren’t.

If you’ve read some of my other reviews or know me, it might be evident that I’m a bookworm. So, is it any surprise that I’m in love with the public library?
I have a favorite library branch. It’s the Schlafly library located at the corner of Lindell and Euclid.
Going to the library, for me, is like shopping for books, but without the cost, disregarding the late fees I doubtlessly incur. The Schlafly branch is large and set up kind of like a bookstore, with numerous endcaps and a wall of noteworthy and new books. Their supply of graphic novels seems to be better than that of other branches, as does their CD collection. Of course, you can always order something from elsewhere in the system via a computer there or, handily, at your own computer.
If you don’t have a library card, get one and hurry up and start fake-​shopping! Be warned, if you are like me and go there by bike, be prepared to have your messenger bag or backpack weighed down with books when you leave.