Richmond Hill Public Library

For such a large library I do not understand why they only have one floor that you could study in. It is so difficult to find a seat, and the wifi is really terrible. They use to make you use your library card anytime you wanted to use the wifi which was super annoying so I’m glad they stopped doing that. It is really nice and clean but the staff sucks (except the custodian who is really SWEET). The security is up the ass about every small thing that they just disturb everybody studying. And if your asking a librarian a question they get real snobby real quick. It seems their sole purpose is to point out to you where books might be. What a great life. Café. Is. Awful. expensive coffee for the amount you get. Your brave if you get ANY of the overpriced and stale snacks. No way you find a spot to sit in the café either. It gets pretty cold and they have these gigantic Windows with no blinds so the sun is bothering the entire study room. It gets funny watching everybody squirm to escape the Sun but I mean — get some blinds. Their book selection is pretty good and their clean. That’s about it

This library is huge, quiet, lots of parking spots, and super clean (especially the washrooms). but its not my go to library for many reasons. First of all windows are huge which means if its sunny outside then there is going to be lots of glare on your laptop screen (if its snowy then you will see lots of kids sliding down the hill!). Second, WiFi is terrible here. Its slow and keeps disconnecting. On the bright side it no longer require a library card just to connect. Third, there is nowhere nearby to grab something to eat. There is an overpriced coffeeshop downstairs but that’s it.

It’s only good if you don’t mind the cold temperature and the terrible wifi.
The big free parking lot and the comfortable seats get 2.5 stars in my view.
Bring your snack and drink. The café on the ground floor is your only choice to purchase snacks and coffee, which nobody recommends due to its high price. I’ve personally seen bugs flying around the muffins in their pastry window.

Growing up in «the Hill» this library (and it’s original location) were my local spots for picture books, read alongs, summer camps, tobogganing and young adult books (big ups to R. L Stein and Christopher Pike)!
Later in life, my high school exam periods were spent here on weekends when not working, studying for tests and getting work done when home seemed too busy to get anything done.
Later still in University, I continued to seek solace here from the world outside when I came home from Waterloo on weekends and needed to get things done.
It was always a positive study experience. Provided you arrived early enough (aka at opening) and managed to out run the teems of people racing you for a prime seat by a window). I always thought it funny to watch people run like they’re about to miss out on a big sale or their bus, up stairs, pushing one another over just for a seat.
These days the library is packed with student, you cannot get a seat anytime of day and folks spend a lot of time flirting and talking on their phone in the stacks whilst occupying limited study/​work retail. Blah!
Not to mention the Wifi is spotty and restricted (no streaming or video watching… not even Youtube) and the café on the main floor (which has been there since day 1 of this location) is over-​priced and low quality at the best of times.
I can’t totally slam the place, it’s still one of the largest public libraries in the GTA and a central focal point in Richmond Hill as you drive North on Yonge approaching Major Mackenzie.
I’ll be back again I’m sure, for now it’s coffee shops for my working needs!

My fav place to study in
Very comfy i highly recommend it for all my colleagues ;)
#york#university

Great library, actual one of my favourite study spots. I mean on the third floor, it’s actually quiet; silent! I enjoy the fact that the library has a lot of large glass panels as windows. During the afternoon, I enjoy the exterior sunlight that shines in. On the third floor, they have a number of large tables in which many share when studying or just reading. Some might not fancy the idea of sharing a table but the tables are actually quite big therefore, while I was studying there with my laptop, I was fairly spaced apart from those that was sitting at the same table as well. The chairs there aren’t the most comfortable, they are wooden chairs so after a while it does bother my back a bit. Overall nice place, very clean, comes with free wi-​fi that operates at different speed depending on how busy the library is (basically how many people are on it). One thing that I wish was better was their parking lot, it’s an average sized parking lot but the spacing of it and just the overall route is a bit strange but the free parking makes up for it.

Great place to study, do research, or attend a seminar.
I like the magazine racks. Not only can you get your hands on the current issue of several dozen popular magazine, you can go back several months worth of issues too. Let’s say you read the readers’ comments about and article from last month. Not a problem, last month’s magazine would be right here.
Libraries are thought of as places that can loan you a book. And there are a lot of books here. However, there is a pretty extensive music library (I was able to find some pretty cool jazz CDs) and movies on DVD.
I hear now they can loan you an e-​book on your reader. I haven’t tried that yet so not sure how that works.
There is a pretty big section for kids.
Seminar rooms upstairs (either two of three) are available for events. Smaller rooms fit about 40 people. Two small ones can be converted into one big good for 80+ people.
One trick that not that many people seem to know: You can borrow a book here and return it at another branch. I’ve been dropping stuff mostly at high school on Leslie and Elgin mills.

It’s a good place to study.
Bad: wifi sux!!!
BRING A SWEATER. There’s always a cool breeze –_​_​–
There’s this female security guard who walks around like a noisy man with boots… She tucks in every single chair. If you disobey the rules, she won’t whisper to tell you so. Once, I was leaving my table of 4 seats. A friend came by to take my seat. The security guard didn’t believe me that I was giving up my seat for my friend; that I truly had to leave and tutor someone else… Trust issues =S

Great system self explanatory, great variety, clean, lots of room, not congested, you don’t feel everyone is on top of you. and love the on site coffee.

Richmond Hill Central Library is quite nice…
I love the open and green area in front of the library.
The little coffee shop inside the main floor that allows you to buy a drink and sip while relaxing is a great idea.
The whole third floor is a quiet zone… big signs telling you what you allow to do or not allow to do. I love those arm chairs facing the big windows… comfy and have a great view!
But why 2 star?!! You have to have a library card in order to use their WIFI! So if you are not a resident of Richmond Hill… you are out of luck!
BOO!!!

Wow… just when I thought libraries in the Bay Area (San Mateo) were good. The Richmond Hill Public Library System is a Goliath compared to the David that is the SMPL. Just the central library alone is huge with 60,000 sq ft of books, DVDs, newspapers and other media, study areas, meeting rooms, and internet zones spread over four floors.
There is a coffee shop on the ground floor which serves a decent cup.
Parking isn’t all that great considering how big the central library is. Also, the internet requires sign-​in on the fourth floor (library card required) and you can only access the internet for 3 hour chunks. Small annoyances though considering… if I lived in Richmond Hill this would definitely be a hangout.