Albany Public Library

It is the not the library content, it is the visitors that are uncourteous, shady and aren’t there for the purpose libraries are intended for. You can enter this library disease free and leave with pneumonia or some kinda of viral infection, ill people takes shelter here, like this is an ER! It is these guys you give them a look to quite down and they don’t care, then you tell them, then you just don’t want to stay in this place anymore. It is the bathrooms that are disturbing, the father who brings his kids to the quite section thinking it is a zoo! He isn’t wrong about the last part. This is unkept zoo! Still clean and look nice! But I am not catching tuberculosis here! I am out!

I hate to hate on any place that has books– FREE book! But as others commented the book selection is extremely sparse (I request books online and pick them up there now). I, too, have had problems with having to pay fees twice, and also returning books and having fees pile up still.
My biggest complaint is the extremely rude front desk staff. I asked to renew a book (for the second time, I’m the worst) and the lady was insistent that this was negligent of me to even ask and had a «no way, no how» attitude. Her manager overheard her and instructed her that if there were no holds on the book, there wasn’t any reason for her to give me trouble and she should just renew it. This truly seemed to throw her in a tailspin.
Libraries: please do not hire folks who get hostile when asked to renew a book AT A LIBRARY.

I expected more from the downtown branch… It seems like an ancillary library.
Wifi is free with your own device, and a library card is not required. It is relatively quiet I guess, but it’s not really a great place to study because of the influx of traffic in and out of the facility. All of the tables and chairs are centrally located so that staff and security can keep an eye on potentially disruptive patrons. There are no study rooms. No chairs or small tables off to the side in quiet corners either.
It’s only useful while I’m waiting for my internet service to be connected. It’s unlikely I’ll routinely visit this branch to study which is a real bummer.

Possibly one of the worst Libraries I’ve been to my entire life. Only good for use of the bathroom or to get something notarized on the 2^nd floor.
As a previous poster commented, it’s a homeless shelter with books and magazines.
The worst part — The staff are very guarded and unfriendly due to dealing with the local crap that populates this place.
Homelessness is a big problem and I’m happy this library is providing the homeless a warm place to sit in the cold winter months. Better here than on the street.
A wonderful library for newbie librarians and staff to appreciate their next library job.

I work within walking distance of this library and I’m a heavy duty reader so I make a trip 2 or 3 times a week. There’s a pretty good selection of books, way too much space taken up for videos and an incredible unique clientele. The staff is amazing — patient with some of the more unstable patrons, well versed in where to find things and how to access services of the Upper Hudson Library System, all the while keeping a pleasant demeanor. I probably wouldn’t use this library if it wasn’t so convenient but the staff makes more than makes up for the craziness in the building.

I hate to disrespect but the APL Washington Ave. branch is nothing more than a homeless shelter. I give a ton of credit to the folks who have to work there because I wouldn’t be able to do so and remain professional.

i have a hard time giving any place that has books less than 5 stars. but i need to mention a few things about the main branch of the APL.
they need more strict security gaurds. and more explicit rules. now i am not one of those librarian types with her hair in a bun and glasses low on her nose that will look up and «SHUSH!» you every time you adjust yourself in a chair but really. there was a group of 15 to 20 young kids running, yes. RUNNING around in the back aisles of the first floor. i was searching for books and kenz was with me. she had to plaster herself to my side because they kept zipping rudely thru the aisles we were in and loudly shrieking when they would see each other. keep in mind they were around 10 to 14. where the hell were their parents? or if they were in an afterschool or learning group where were the adults supervising them? they kept knocking into us, Hard. i pulled kenz to me, located my book and went on to another aisle. only to have it happen again. but even more rudely, one of them pretended to be looking for a book because the one guard was looking over. and she wouldn’t move for me to look on the shelf she was in front of (which of course is where my Other book was located.) i almost said something but bizarrely i wasn’t in one of those ‘line monitor/​no cutting line’ moods. i just wanted to get my reads and exit.
another thing about this branch is that i think a huge quantitiy of the patrons are only there for the free movies. that isn’t either good or bad but i thought a library was for books. the video section has spread to take up about ¼ of the first floor. that is what the video rental stores are for. ok, maybe i am just a book snob. (they also have a crappy selection, you would have to be pretty desperate for a flick to come here. and then i say, why not just get a book? it takes up waaaay more of your time.)
the saving grace for this location (beside the Location that is) is that they really do have a good selection of books and the desk people are, for the most part, very nice and friendly. once i had kenz and nina there and they got all 11-​year-​old-​little-​girl-​giggly and i asked why. it turns out that their substitute teacher was also a librarian there. he was quite sweet and obviously touched that the girlies liked him.
oh — keep your receipts if you have to pay late fees (like i do all of the time. i think i keep them in business truth be told) as sometimes there are computer glitches and i have had to pay my fines twice, more than once. of course, even with all of that good advice i just gave, i still chuck the receipts as soon as i leave.