Royal Oak Public Library

The individual working the circulation desk was condescending and implied she would not look up my library account number when I presented my driver’s license. It should not be an inconvenience for a library worker to look up an individual’s account when one does not have their card. She suggested it would cost me $ 20 to get a new card… which sounded both outlandish and rude. Her behavior was noticed by my son who also thought she was unprofessional. This has the unfortunate result in making me, and my son, disinclined to use this service in future.
I am a professional librarian by training and practice, having worked in the field for close to twenty years. It is my earnest hope ROPL improves its customer service immediately. My time, and monetary support, are better spent in an institution which values its patrons.

The full services at Royal Oak Public Library cater to any Royal Oak resident with proof of residency. When I started renting in Royal Oak, I simply brought a gas bill with my name on it to the front desk, and got a library card.
It’s located conveniently at 3^rd St and Troy, and there’s ample parking surrounding the block. The dozen times that I’ve come here to study, there’s always been room at any of the tables scattered throughout the main floor, as well as the ‘quiet room’ tucked in one of the back corners. The ‘quiet room’ is especially useful for any work that requires concentration, as there’s even partitions within the room, and plug outlets for any laptops/​electronic devices that you may need power for.
The checkout process is streamlined, also. ROPL has their system set up electronically, with alerts that can be sent to you via email. When a return deadline is approaching, they’ll send you a reminder, with a link that provides you an option to extend the checkout. Done ‘n done!
Overall, the facility is clean, quiet and resourceful. The staff is polite and helpful. Would recommend ROPL for anyone looking to kill some time and venture through aisles of books… who know, you may find yourself deep in a book you never would’ve imagined liking!

I love libraries. If I can’t find what I’m looking for, I love that I can use the inter-​library loan program and have pretty much any book delivered there for pick up. There also have decent movie and audiobook selections. The employees are great and the little store has some good deals if you are looking to make a purchase. They also host some great events — speakers, used book sale, tons of kids activities/​programs. All in all, a great community asset…

ROPL is just fine but there are other Public Libraries nearby that offer more.
A few thoughts:
– I have noticed homeless people IN the library taking a nap or relaxing on the chairs up in the front area — a few times.
– The Children’s area downstairs seems nice! It’s large & inviting. I haven’t noticed a lot of activities/​events at varying times for children. They seem to stick to the same 3 events & meeting times.
– Parking is a pain… COIN metered parking is your only option.
– I rented a TV series & it cost me. It was like a few $$ a season but really? I’ve never had to pay to rent/​borrow anything from a library. Isn’t that the point of a library?
Again, ROPL does the job — ok.

I recently realized that I have been foolish buying books over and over to just turn around and give them away once I’m finished with them. I love this whole library business! And they staff here is so friendly and helpful.

Quite possibly the worst run most mismanaged library in the State and definitely in Oakland County.
There are a lot of weirdos in Royal Oak and they all come into the library and look at porn. They smell bad and stink up the bathrooms, as the library is too cheap to turn on the fans.
Royal Oak’s MS software predates the 2007 version also so dont rely on their computers.
I have been in there countless times to reserve private study areas just as I have done for the past 20 years. The evening staff are pretty cool about using them but the daytime monitor is skinny and has blonde hair. She, on more than one occasion has violated the library’s own policy of group study, which means more than one person and even had the nerve to bump me out of a room because there was supposedly another patron waiting and because I was a resident of a neighboring city, therefore I had to move downstairs. I kept checking every 10 minutes and there was never anyone in there and nobody was ever waiting. This other patron was colored translucent or was a ghost or something because nobody ever showed and the door remained locked.
Meanwhile, she spends her days whispering and sneaking around and laughing at the clientele who get angry with her making up the rules on her own. Yes, that’s right, she will laugh at you!
And this isn’t only her, I have been witness over the years to several employees who treat the residents of the library disrespectfully. Rosemary is also on the radar. I have talked with the director, Mary, on many occasions and she doesn’t really seem to care.
My advice is if you are a resident, write a letter to the mayor or attend a city council meeting to put these people on the radar. In the meantime, Berkley’s library is quiet and peaceful and their study room policy is consistent. The bathrooms are cleaner and you will never be hassled or laughed at.
I would then put Ferndale’s in second place, almost as good.

I have a very long history with this library. I grew up in Royal Oak and spent many a day here with my mom when I was in grade school, and I once served on the library board here.
I recently began frequenting the library again after a while away because of work and other IRL concerns. It’s nice to see that it seems much improved in recent years. I’ve found some unexpected treasures among the newer books, I like the U-​Scan check out system, and I like the ease of doing things like searching for books and reserving them online.
It’s also a more pleasant place to visit these days, although I don’t find it a particularly pleasant place to stay to read or study for long periods of time-​I don’t like the harsh lighting, and I wish there were some more comfy chairs there (the chairs up in the new book section, for instance, are downright uncomfortable IMHO). The books in some sections are still a little too dated, and the selection is a little too skimpy, for my taste as well (computers and art, for example), but I’ve had decent luck with finding newer fiction and biographies I want to read.
Having to pay for parking most of the time (you have to feed the parking meters after 11 a.m.) and the fact that the library doesn’t open until noon on two of the six days it’s open are inconveniences. Being able to return your books via the drive-​up drop box on 11 Mile is a nice convenience.
I also wish we were in a network that included places like Troy (my mom moved there recently, and I just took her over there to sign her up for a new library card – the atmosphere there is more pleasant to linger in, and I found several new books I really want to read that are not available to me at Royal Oak).
The Friends used book store is well worth stopping by. It’s open many days, and I’ve bought some great books there at great prices.

Since its renovation a few years back, I find myself visiting the ROPL (physically and virtually) more often than I used to.
The location is very convenient and aesthetically pleasing, especially during warmer months. There are benches and greenspace outside where you can relax and read, just remember what time your parking meter expires!
They recently installed u-​scan checkouts at the front desk, but for some reason people seem reluctant to use them! Fine with me, I LOVE u-​scanning! Watch me skip to the front of the line!
Per one of the librarians, she THINKS you have the ability to pay your fine online at their website, but she wasn’t 100% sure. I’ll check it out next time I… err, I mean, if I ever neglect to return a book in a timely manner!
They do have e-​books and audio books available for download online as well (
), although the interface is clunky (be prepared to click about five times just to confirm YES I WANT THIS BOOK!) and there is a surprisingly small number of available copies for popular e-​books, which can mean a frighteningly long waiting list for some titles. Do yourself a favor and scroll down to the «Hidden Gems» section, though, those titles are almost always available and I’ve found quite a few that I really enjoyed!
Helpful hint: don’t even bother trying to check anything out without your card… I was told by one librarian that they’ll accept your driver’s license to look you up in the system, but I’ve been roundly scolded the two times I’ve had to do it, and apparently they can flat-​out refuse to check you out without it!

Okay, I am a long time public library patron and enthusiast, but right now I am strictly reviewing the library as a study space.
Pros: ROPL is very quiet, both in the main table area, the computer lab area (which seems quite large, but I’ve never actually used it), and in the separate study carrel area. There is free wi-​fi, and a computer tech assistant who is always available. If you can’t connect to the wi-​fi — this has only happened once — the tech desk has an ethernet cable you can borrow. Every staff member I’ve encountered is gracious and kind. Also, the front desk sells headphones for $ 2 if you happen to forget yours.
Cons: There is insufficient study space near electrical outlets! This is a huge pet peeve of mine because I’m neurotic and tend to panic when my battery life dips below about 50%. There are floor outlets by the tables near the computer labs, but they are often full. There is a beautiful study room filled with carrels and a huge sunny window, but I could only find a single outlet (two plugs) underneath one of the study carrels. I couldn’t find any outlets near the tables in the side room where you pick up your books on hold.
Other: I suspect there is a No Food or Drink policy in force, but I have never tested this. It would be great if there were a café section in the library, as I would prefer to eat a sandwich while studying (yes, I am a fattie), but this only a minor drawback. Also, sometimes the teen section of the library gets a little rowdy (for a library), but that is largely forgivable in light of how precious it is to see young people hanging out there.
So, the library is a pleasant and quiet study place, but I would recommend coming with a fully charged laptop before settling in for a lengthy study session.

This library is in the heart of downtown royal oak. It is huge. And they are part of a network of libraries so if you are looking for something that they don’t have, they can usually order it for you from another in network library. They have a great children’s area. They also have quiet rooms and rooms that you can rent for hosting meetings. The only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is that you di have to pay for parking, and they monitor the meters quite religiously.

When I first walked into the RO public library, I was super excited — it’s big, clean, and there seems to be a lot of books there! However, after I pulled out my list of 15 or so books that I wanted to look at, I found that they only had 2. TWO! On a list of 15! Now I know I can order the books from other libraries, but I’m an instant gratification kind of girl, so I don’t want to wait 3 – 5 days (or more) to get a book to read.
Aside from the poor selection of books, I was having trouble locating one of the two books that they had, so I asked an attendant at the desk. I had to make 3 trips to the customer computer area to look up info for her to tell me where it is! Finally she used her own computer and looked it up — but only after I got frustrated and asked her to. Wasn’t a huge fan of her either.
So all in all, I hope I never set foot in the RO library again. If anyone knows of a library in Oakland county with a decent selection of books, please let me know. Otherwise, I’ll stick to Barnes & Noble.

I heart libraries. Royal Oak Public Library is a respectable size and has a great selection considering you can order from all the associated libraries as well. I’ve found that most of the books I’ve recently wanted to read were elsewhere, but they usually get them in within 3 – 5 days of placing them on hold.
On the downside, DVD rentals are no longer free :(I understand libraries need to pay the bills somehow, but it’s disappointing when a service that was free becomes paid. Booo.
Also, I have also found that homeless people gather here for warmth or whatever (I never see them reading, so I assume that is not the reason). Though I fully understand that the library can’t do a smell test on everyone who enters, it’s pretty unbearable to get a whiff of urine and stinky human body odor while you’re looking for cookbooks.

The ROPL is a decent library in most aspects, friendly staff, clean bathrooms and a large amount of resources.
I love the book store, it’s open frequently and I find great books almost every time I stop in.

I enjoy the ROPB. They have a good selection of free dvd rentals. Not a vast selection but hey… it’s free so I can’t complain. I also enjoy the free cd rental where I can check out bands I haven’t heard before to see if I dig ‘em. The kids are is GREAT. They have a ton of books (of course), computers with kids games they can play, and a great selection of kids dvds/​vhs. With the dvd’s just watch they are all scratched, I’ve had a few that kept skipping. They have free internet but sometimes there’s a wait. The staff is always cool and helpful. Can’t really say much about the books as I haven’t really looked… the only downside to this place is being that it’s in downtown Royal Oak parking can sometimes be a pain especially if you have children.

I like this library, particularly for the FREE movie rentals! I have a television, but don’t have any channels (no cable, no channels 2, 4, 7, nothing! p. s. nothing against those who watch tv, I just like to remain blissfully ignorant about pop culture, current events and politics).
ANYWAY, there’s a pretty good selection of DVDs to choose from. They have new releases, old releases, documentaries (lots of PBS ones, too!) and television series.
I can’t really speak too much on the books – I like to buy (not borrow) books because someday, when I have my own place (and not just renting a teeny-​tiny apartment like I am now) I want a room designated as a library with books everywhere and a globe and a leather chair and a fireplace. Or something like that.
Also, there are PLENTY of characters that frequent this library, i.e., drunk derelicts from off the street. And before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, I know they’re drunk coz I can smell the alcohol from like, 10 feet away! Not that there’s anything wrong with being a drunk… or a derelict… to each his own, right? Also, the contingent of drunk derelicts adds some life to the otherwise drab environment that is the interior of the Royal Oak Public Library.
This place, however, does not make for a good studying venue. I tried to study here once, but left within 5 minutes of sitting down. First, the chairs are fucking uncomfortable. Second, the tables are too small for one + sharing with a stranger. When I was there, I sat down at a table, got to work and starting chowing down on gummy worms (brain food!). Then, this dude sat down at MY table (even though there were plenty of other empty tables). This wouldn’t be a big deal if the table was large, but it’s not. And he was staring at me while I was eating gummy worms. It made me self conscious and annoyed, so I left. A word of advice: if you want a good studying venue that’s a library (as opposed to a coffee shop), check out the Southfield Public Library – free wi-​fi, giant tables, and lots of ‘em.

Not being super-​familiar with the area, I had a bit of a struggle finding the library, then driving around the block to make sure I was pulling in the right parking lot. Once that was done, though, the library was a delight!
The children’s floor is awesome. We were supposed to be there for a mom’s group, but there were honestly too many people meeting to tell where I was supposed to be. I saw lots of other activities for kids and adults coming up, and wish I lived a bit closer to take advantage of it all.

the royal oak library is pretty darn cool… huge section, an entire floor for kids to be kids in a library. imagine that, a place where kids can have FUN with books in the area.
but the good stuff is upstairs, and if you can’t find what you’re looking for, they’ll be more than happy to help you out… or order whatever it is you need. unlike a good chunk of the people in charge of the city of royal oak, the library is doing its best to make sure the dollars are put to the best use and people are given whatever they need.
michael touched on the workshops & community events, which, if you’ve ever been… speak for themselves.
a great computer lab for any of your needs, sometimes a wait, but usually there are one or two available.
and they even sell reusable bags made from recycled pop cans. how cool.
i’ve never understood why places like barnes and noble are so successful and libraries struggle for patronage and funding. just another example of over consumption of a society falling deeper and deeper into debt.
is it the starbucks in the b & n? take a friggin coffee to the library! save yourself $ 20! participate in PSS and save some trees.
i wish they had bike parking tho… altho that goes for a good portion of the city.

What’s best about Royal Oak’s library over others is not only the sheer volume of media they house — they have a collection rivaled only by DPL itself — but the amount of community event they house.
Having completed the construction of the auditorium, they house anything from community art events, to workshops, to Q&As with political leaders, artists, writers… and the list just continues on.
I think what helps this library over many others is its web presence. Go to their website, and they don’t just have a single page with store hours, but full blogs concerning new additions to their collection of media (I just read the blog on Robert Hass and the new works of his they now have. Awesome!) but also full schedules on all their community events.
Royal Oak is showing exactly what a community center should DO: offer so much to the public in cultural development and ongoing learning that the public cannot help but notice!