St Pancras Library

St Pancras library, just across the road from St Pancras station, and on the ground floor of Camden Town House, has a friendly and welcoming atmosphere for people of all ages, and from all backgrounds.
The children’s library (which is sectioned off from the main room) looks particularly good, with sofas, bean bags and games laid out on tables. I noticed there were lot’s of activities and fun games for children to get involved in, such as ‘story time’, ‘quiet homework time’, ‘family rhyme time’, and various craft workshops.
The adult section is nicely arranged into rational topic sections, and along with books includes a rack of daily newspapers, Cd’s, DVDs and cassette tapes. They also have free Internet and printing facilities (5p per page). I was particularly impressed by the amount of community information and support that is available here, with several filing cabinets full of leaflets and organizations contact details for people suffering various difficulties from financial problems to domestic violence. They also have workshops for elder people, such as a weekly computer sessions for Age Concern.
Definitely worth checking out what’s on as this place is likely to have something to offer you whatever your taste.

This place is great, shut on Sunday like most libraries (not islington central or stoke newington or stamford hill) regularly sells off cheap dvds (I got Ozon’s 52 for £1.50 and Six Strong Guys for the same price, a bargain anywhere) and has all the newspapers. Plus, and here’s the truely annoying thing, it allows anybody to use the internet. You don’t have to be a member. So, for free, you can wander in here and ask to use the computer, and the librarian will book you on. You may have to wait, but you can always read a book. (They’re like computers but faster.) Worst thing: when you book on, the system is rubbish, you can’t see when slots are free, you can only pick a length of time on a certain day, and take pot luck. I start at 60 minutes, which usually means I have to wait a couple of hours, then reduce it to 30, then 20, and sometimes even then you have a half hour wait. Best is to book a day in advance.
The only other downside is the percentage of tramps using the library to sleep, and I do that very rarely. I would have asked for them to be moved but they were all wearing Qype t-​shirts. I would wear mine, but I haven’t received it yet. (after 4 months.) Toilets are available and so is drinking water.