Brooklyn Public Library - Leonard Branch

I've only been after the renovations, but to me, it looks beautiful, clean and simple space. I'm sure its hard to accommodate everyone/age group, but its been lovely for my toddler. The children's section is well organized, with a few essential toys, low tables, and computer. Storytime in the basement is first come first serve and we got there a little too late, and was full! But will try again another time. Love there is designated stroller parking in the main area. Ramp can be found in the side entrance.

The Leonard Street Brooklyn Public Library is a true gem. It’s peaceful, well-run, and the staff are incredibly efficient and kind. On more than one occasion, they’ve safely kept my forgotten earpods and cellphone charger and returned them with a smile, something I truly appreciate. I’ve attended numerous important webinars from here and can work completely uninterrupted in the calm, quiet environment. There’s even a cozy quiet corner with a comfortable chair I always seem to gravitate toward. A wonderful community space.

Beautiful historic library, made even more convenient after its renovation. My favorite spot in the neighborhood for studying. Staff is excellent and always helpful. My only criticism is about noise management. At times, very young children who are crying or loud make it hard to use the library as a quiet space. I’d love to see clearer policies, or better enforcement of existing ones, to keep the library consistently quiet.

Glad the place is finally open after years of renovations. On the negative side, about 2/3 of the place is devoted to kids (mostly toddlers but also an unused teen section where no one can go). So there is only a small corner where adults can sit at a few tables to read/work (i.e. library stuff). Unfortunately, the last time I was there, toddlers with their nannies were screaming and throwing things and running through the tiny adult section too. Maybe they should remove the handful of grown-up tables (one of which is permanently occupied by a puzzle) and officially make it a kiddie library?

After years of living a few blocks away, I finally stepped into my neighborhood library. I had placed holds on a couple of Italian short story books for advanced beginner / early intermediate learners — lo and behold they were ready for me on the hold shelves. It took less than a minute to process them through their self checkout kiosk and presto, I was ready to go. The library itself is very cute and seems like a great place to work from on occasion. Looking forward to returning :)