Reviews of St. Catharines Public Library - Central Library Branch (Library)

Lucas HF

Wonderfully friendly and helpful staff, who allowed me to get a membership within minutes. Their membership has great access to online content, and their physical collection is fantastic.

Patrick

Great staff, large selection, and they even lend video games!

Leigh Hammond

Nice library. Nice computer area. They have a little coffee shop also

Sharvin Shaw

very dirty

David Flack

This library has many interesting talks on various topics, several live events, and a most scenic outdoor area with benches and flower gardens. There is also a little cafe.

Dave Clayton

A great branch chock full of everything you could be looking for, books, graphic novels, movies, music, video games, etc. You name it they probably have it. I stop by at least once a week and the staff are always very friendly, courteous and helpful. They have a lot of nice workshops and activities for children as well. There can occasionally be a somewhat colorful cast of characters present, but there is security on hand if there are any concerns.

Okay DeIn

Coming from the city life. Lovely Library. I come here to study most of the time. There are a few things that are not good. 1) the timing, the library is not good. It closes on Monday, open for only 5 hours on Sunday (makes no sense) 2) the inside looks kinda outdated. Maybe do some renovations or something. The staff is very knowledgeable and kind.

Okay DeIn

Coming from the city life. Lovely Library. I come here to study most of the time. There are a few things that are not good. 1) the timing, the library is not good. It closes on Monday, open for only 5 hours on Sunday (makes no sense) 2) the inside looks kinda outdated. Maybe do some renovations or something. The staff is very knowledgeable and kind.

Brian Sheehan

Loads of parking, good selection, nice clean library, and very friendly staff. They have a great selection of CDs!!

Hakim Aziz

Great service ????????

Jason Michael

On the positive the Librarian and Library Staff are lovely, friendly, and good for a conversation…the biggest drawback to this Library, at this time, is the location and the shelter it provides to the transient population at night. At 9am the Security Guards clean up the property and make the Library a more friendly approachable entity. I highly recommend the Library but chose the time you go with care.

Justin Keswick

Great library

Annie Mike mike

Came to the Library programme

John Sturtz

Wish they were open on Mondays!!!

Victoria Bomberry

Large bright and spacious interior and looks like a large selection. Maybe it's just my luck but the Internet is anything but fast here. 1-2 mps on laptop and 3-4mps on smart phone. ???? EDIT: Frustratingly slow and inconsistent. Not many outlets to plug in to. I came to work while my son played but there are no desks to work at within visibility of children's section ???????? Worth a visit if you're in the area but could be better.

Josie Sanderson

I have always loved the library, it's a great place to get printing, research, books, movies and video game rentals.

Junie Luisa Anderson

Nice place and friendly and helpful staff

Thomas Ballard

It's a very nice and quiet place to study

steven waterman

Visited Sunday at 2::15 to email some documents. Signs say they should be open but was all locked up. With them being closed on Monday I'm 2 days behind getting important documents sent. Must be nice to set hours and not have to follow them

marlin youkhana

Super quiet and clean. The employees always great for help. Everything is so organized in there.

Chris Iapetus

I'm a library rat. Every city or town I've ever inhabited, the librarians have necessarily become very familiar with my presence. The St. Catharines main branch location is one of my favourites. Quiet, good selection of materials, the staff are friendly (most; as everywhere there are exceptions), the layout is nice. Unlike Toronto, there isn't the constant threat of having your electronics stolen. I've spent many a snowy, cold, dreary afternoon happily ensconced within its protective frame, utilizing their public high-speed WiFi & drowsily browsing the stacks. Love it.

Melissa Luther Pendragon

Libraries are the best thing ever. Books, CDs, DVDs, graphic novels, internet access, online classes....and it's all free!

Chris Bernardi

So amazing. I had a well overdue item and they didn't make me feel bad, let me pay my fine and then helped me get another card. Great staff and so professional

J A

Employees there were very rude. I had a couple questions about a library card and they were just rude to me.

Danny Blackhathatter

Comfortable and good snacks very sweet place to hang out

Kyle Trojan Murphy

It would be nice if they updated some of their selections. I'm not knocking them, clearly they can't have everything, but I can't seem to find anything on First Nation religions just as an example. The staff are friendly and it is clean.

shirzad Kurdy

Great staff and facility, i would loved if they had private study rooms, because some people come there are very loud and the are disturbing the readers big time!!

Lori Peters

I wish there was better security coverage! My kids love going to the library, but it's getting harder to bring them.

Big Lips

Love this place. Amazing selection of fiction and non-fiction as well as video games for all consoles. Saves me hundreds of dollars a month. God bless you

Lucille Renaud

Amazing library, pleasant, and clean environment. Love the staff, they are always knowledgeable, helpful, and friendly.

Bob Rochon

The security guards were extremely in your face and intrusive

Mauricio Suarez

Excellent. Very kind staff.

Peek Freans

Over the past few years this place has devolved into the defacto meet and greet for the cities drug using community. Their social accumen isn't much to desire although they're all harmless and you can safely conduct business here with little to no issues. Just lock your bike lol. Disclaimer: Scenes of open drug and IV use may be encountered so for those with kids please keep this is mind.

Brenda Law

Excellent selection and the staff very helpful. Nice and clean,one of my favorite places.

Sean Scarisbrick

Friendly local library with a good selection in multiple medias. Active in the community, too. Librarian and staff knowledgeable and willing to help.

Melissa Turcotte

Excellent precautions in place. Contact tracing information collected when you arrive. Clear signage and sanitizer available. Self checkout for books also available. You can easily search for books online and place holds, then pick up your own holds at the library. The entire experience can be contact free. I've also used their digital platform through the app Cloud Library where I've signed out audio and digital books.

Eddy

fast internet and nice selection of books. a little noise though sometimes

Chris Heka

Good library you can pretty much find your needs in here

C. A. G

For many years now, our family has enjoyed this Libray and all it offers to the community

Santina Barker

Love this Library! They are very inviolved in community and always have things to do. We enjoy story hour for toddlers and Builders club activities once a month. They always have the books available that my children like to read. Check it out!

Christine Lynn

Absolutely exceptional customer service. I went in with my boyfriend and our 3 kids today (November 20, 2021) and everyone was lovely, but kudos to the woman (maybe mid 20’s with long, straight hair) that was working upstairs. My son was looking for a particular book on zodiacs and even though they didn’t have what he was looking for, she went out of her way to even Google it and offer to print out information for him. I didn’t catch her name unfortunately. A very welcome environment with a wide array of books.

cyndi gibbins

For many years now, our family has enjoyed this Libray and all it offers to the community

Matt Ryan

Decent selection. Cool art in the lobby, there is even a fountain. Overpriced café in the lobby, but at least they have one. Free access to computers and Internet via WiFi. Overall a solid library.

Helen Bolshaw-Walker

As well as the huge selection of books and ebooks I love the fact that they have a good selection of up to date video games to borrow.

Yvette Levasseur

First time visiting the city in 15 years, was not impressed by the amount of drug users dealing and using drugs (not weed) on the library's entrance and surrounding garden. Not to mention it is right across from city hall, a destination point for first time tourists. Not only the library but the street had paraphernalia lying in plain site, proving the age old problem still exists in St. Catherines. Definitely wouldn't bring kids until the library's grounds are safe. I left other reviews of this city, since St.Pauls dining experience was great.

Susie Konkle

They charge way too much for an out of towner to get a library card

Ferd Merqury

rude staff... watching you!

John Volo

Good service and selection but could use a foreign DVD selection.

K C

The staff is simply amazing ,they are so nice and helpfull

Derek Taylor

It was quiet and the staff was very friendly.

Trevor M

Offer programmes for all ages during the week. Free computer access with internet an word processing. Can be a wait for hold items if it a popular book

Teacher M

The layout is nice, there are more than enough outlets, the staff is great on the first floor but the second follow staff talks constantly and loudly. They laugh and chat in every corner. Libraries are supposed to be quiet. People go to libraries to study in quiet because sometimes they have adhd… worst experience in my life unfortunately. Hope this message will be delivered.

Milan Plentai

I try to come to the library once a week. The library is first class. The people who work there are curteous, helpful and I always enjoy the experience.

Simon Bird

It's a lovely place, I thought.

Jeff Goss

Excellent selection of books, movies, games and other. Friendly, knowlegeable staff. Good disability access. If you want research of leisure they , in all likelihood, have it.

Jen Benstead

On March 25 @ 10;02pm ( after I got home from work), (By the way I earn minimum wage as a cleaner in Niagara falls on) I tried calling the library renewals line because I had 2 items that were going to be due soon, and because of lack of transportation over the Easter holiday and also having to work at my job in Niagara Falls; I could not get here to bring them back. I DONT DRIVE; I Take BUSES or CABS to get around. It would have cost me $25 to go from Thorold to downtown St Catharines by Cab( I didn't have this much money available). This is why I called to renew the items!! Meanwhile I could not get the system to renew the items for me. The Items were A DVD called TRASH and a DVD called WOODS. So I left a voicemail message for the library to please call me back the next day> NO ONE CALLED ME BACK!!! I worked the next 4 days consecutively, then I called the renewals line again on March 29@ 4:02pm to try once again to renew the items. This once again was unsuccessful, So i again called the library on March 29 @ 5:18pm ( after work). I finally had time off on Friday evening so I brought the items back. Joanne at the front refused to help me with this issue, and is now demanding a $10 fine for the 2 items. The CEO Mrs Stripniek has refused to return my calls or respond to my emails to get this issue resolved. This is a total rip off!!! A money making SCAM perpetrated by the library so they can fleece customers out of their hard earned money!!!

Jacqui Sedore

Great selection of books. lots of large print books and two floors

MIchelle Russell

Great staff and services highly recommended...thank you

D. Anson

The picture is incorrect. What you are showing is where the police used to have a satellite office. The library is actually one building over, towards the actual police station. Tried writing this under "Suggest an Edit" but no place for comments, hence this route.