Dorothy I Height/Benning Neighborhood Library

Nice library! However, like other reviewers have said it can be loud at times. Not uncommon to hear phones going off, conversations, people eating etc. Also in the back (from where that pic was taken), there’s a really loud generator underneath, or something? Anyways, bring headphones or reserve one of the private study rooms if you need a distraction free environment.

This library is located off of Benning Road, in a shared plaza with Safeway. When you enter, there are some conference rooms that you can reserve, a bathroom (you will need to go upstairs to circulation to request a key, as they are locked at all times), a community bulletin board with local events, and an elevator. When you make your way up the stairs, you have young adult, large-​print, audio/​dvds, as well as fiction books. If you continue to walk ahead, it is the children’s section, with books for toddlers and more for young adult readers. The selection of books are quite limited, so I am wondering if there will ever be more added to the collection anytime soon. There are several computers you can also use with an ID, either to check your email or to play online games. Some study rooms are also upstairs that you can also reserve, but there were plenty of tables and individual desks that were available. The library was overall not too quiet, but the patrons seem to be overall respectful of others.
+limited selection of books
+locked restrooms (need to request key from circulation)
+in the Safeway plaza
+plenty of parking

The library itself is very nice — ample parking, nice sized conference rooms on the ground floor, big restrooms, and a pretty staircase that leads up to the main floor. There is an elevator as well. The main floor is well designed — lots of tables, even several closed private study rooms that you can sign out for 2 hours at a time, plenty of computer stations available — separate sections for children and adults, which is nice.
There is a lot of noise in this library — phones are constantly going off, people speak on the phone or to each other in conversational tones, and some people speak quite loudly — after 3pm, it became quite busy with children and there was a lot of running around, giggling, crying, and parents yelling. I was hoping the security guards would say something or the librarian would shush them, but that never happened.
Since when are people allowed to eat and drink in libraries? I thought only water was acceptable, but it was almost like a food court — everyone had snacks with them! I don’t know, maybe that’s a thing now.