Whitmore Library

I have lived a lot of places and this is one of the best libraries I have found. I agree with other reviews that it is a fun place for kids, so there are always tons of them there. But, if you study in the adult area then you are on the other side of the building from the kids and away from the noise. I see people studying there all the time. But the reason I am so impressed with it is the the programs. This is a great resource for fun, free classes. There is Zumba (from an instructor who also teaches at the rec center), story time, and adult classes (like gardening or finance). The story time for everyone is taught by the same lady who does Zumba and she is amazing! The books are fun and she is entertaining. There is always a craft and activity for the kids to do after. They love it. There is a great selection of books. If you can’t find it here, you can have it sent over from another county library. We love Whitmore Library!

While my beloved local library is undergoing a little facelift, Whitmore has once again become my homebase for all things book nerdiness.
Big props to the staff who has helped me acclimate to the new surrounding. I was after a book that was supposed to be on the shelf but was not there. Although they didn’t find it, they got it sorted out and found one for me to place on hold.
Be sure to head downstairs for the «for sale» section and see if there’s anything there that tickles your fancy. Also, there are lots of meeting rooms down there, and it’s super chill and quiet. Not really for lounging, but for meetings.
This is a big one, and there’s plenty of things for the kids, juniors and grownups to see and read.

The children’s library has a lot of room for improvement. The puppet theater is great fun but some of the other interactive areas feel like they are straight out of Target. And their reading promotions are weak at best.
My biggest beef, however, is their STORY HOUR. It fails to hold kids’ attention. The room it is given in is so cluttered it is just begging the kids to be distracted from the story. And at least one of the librarians reads so fast and inarticulately that I can barely follow her myself. Furthermore, the themes and stories chosen can be so silly and irrelevant to daily life that comprehension of them can be difficult for, say, a toddler, with limited context to place them in. I highly recommend that the Whitmore staff benchmark themselves against The City Library. Storytime is great there.

This library is a playground. It is probably great for young kids to ride on the rocking horses and take Zumba classes in the basement… but it is not great as a Library. Plus sides: The internet is fast and effective, and there are study carols, and the staff is friendly. Down sides: IT IS LOUD. It is not a library in the sense that most of us are used to. Kids are yelling and running around, people have conversations in their normal voice on their phone or to each other, and employees don’t tell anyone to stop. I was counting on this place to be great for studying for the Bar Exam. No. The primary objective here seems to be to entertain children, and not necessarily with books and reading. With toys and playmates and dance classes. Librarians– PLEASE remind patrons this is in fact a library, not a playground or social hour. Of course I don’t expect children to be quiet all the time, or always understand how to whisper, but they are YELLING and jumping up and down, and not doing anything related to books or reading AT ALL. There are several lovely playgrounds within a 3 block radius.

I love this library and come in a couple times per week with my kids. The free classes are great. My daughter really enjoys the story time. They also have a wide selection.

Libraries ROCK! A good selection on hand all the time and through the SL County library system you can easily get books, cds and dvds from other locations. Haven’t dealt with staff very much, but the few interactions were pleasant enough.