We love going to the library. My husband and I are both library card holders. We get all of our books on tape for road trips. I took my son to story time every week and sometimes just went in to the kid section to play with dinosaurs or find a book to read.
I love everything about this library - librarians are mostly helpful, though I have encountered a couple of aloof ones, range of book topics are satifactory, not top-knotch yet. My main complaint is: why is noise permitted in the library? There are so many riffraffs hanging out here. Their loud chattering, cursing and babies making a racket... oh my god. Boise Public library is the first library I have encountered that does not feel like a library at all, more like a busy street market. It can get very distracting and annoying. And once in a while a librarian might remind a patron to stop chattering on a cellphone, but mostly these talkers are left alone and they can be loud! Old-schoolers I have met had expressed the same of this library. You CANNOT hear your own thoughts let alone a pin dropping.
wonderful staff and a willingness to help; children's section lovely and friendly
Go for the books only. The resources might be limited if you are from a bigger city but it's a good library.
The library has a small but nice used bookstore with an interesting selection available at very low prices and very good conditions.
My wife and I briefly visited the Boise Public Library last week. We only had an hour and we mainly sought out the Internet service. We were granted a free one-year's visitors pass. We found several available PCs. Speed was excellent and navigation was easy. The only problem that we encountered was an older person nearby who kept publicly muttering and expressing his frustrations about something about his computer endeavors.
The Boise Library is doing such a great job for the entire community on a limited budget. And while we have not lived in Boise for some time, we still recall how nice it was to have a community resource for ourselves and our children. We now have lived on three tiny islands from the Caribbean to the South Pacific, and have come to appreciate what a wonderful resource the Boise Library is. So take advantage of it; there is so much to offer!
I like how the kids' section is in an area separate from the main library. There are puzzles and tables so the kids can do an activity while you're there. There are couches and areas where you can sit with your child and read a story. They offer many free story times and other activities, so there's always something fun to do. The storytimes in the main auditorium can get ridiculously crowded, though, and make it difficult for all of the children to pay attention.
Boise library has been in the same building for decades and it shows. Three levels of public use and a childrens area which probably their biggest achievement. It has a fair selection of books and crowded public computers. The librarians are kind, there is some seating areas, although not sufficient and it is not very quiet. There is also a tiny coffee machine.
I can check-out or return a book to any library in the area--how convenient! I love taking my kids to story time and other programs.