Queens Borough Public Library – Glendale

I used to come to this library at least once a week growing up and it always felt like the most magical place on earth. It always seemed so old and mysterious to me especially with the second level’s balcony.
If the library gave off the same impression as it did in the past I would most definitely have given it five stars. Unfortunately, it’s been downgrading steadily for the past few years. I actually went a year or two without visiting it and when I came back my excitement was instantly crushed. The selection of books is lacking in every category so more often than not I have to constantly request books because I will never find the ones I want there. The staff used to be amazingly friendly and their love and passion for their profession always shined through. Now I completely dread having to talk to any of the staff. Thankfully, they now have a self check out so I don’t have to deal with their nasty attitudes. They are so unhelpful also. I had returned a book I had taken out from this branch at another one and it had gotten lost during the transportation. They refused to help me or even give me the time of day and constantly kept referring me back to the branch I returned it. On going to the other branch and talking to the librarian there, she was completely perplexed as to why they were making me do all the leg work instead of contacting the library themselves like any professional would do. She ended up being a huge help and fixed the issue under ten minutes (this woman worked at the North Forest Park branch).
I do however love the way they redid the children’s section. It is now located in the basement of the library in a room that is brightly painted and decorated in a way that would appeal to most children. It is so sweet and an improvement from the way it was when I was a child. Loved it.

If you’re looking for quiet, this is the branch for you. It’s literally dead most of the time. The downside is you have to take a bus to get here or do a lot of walking on Myrtle Avenue. I’m also not so sure you could drive here & easily get parking. Not a large, main library branch but if you want to avoid juvenile delinquents, super trashy types or most of the unwashed masses, stop by here.

Miss coming to this library as a little kid. Always would come with my friends during summer to relax and read stories.

My review in based on their children’s room and selection of children’s books. I have gone to their «mommy & me/​Baby & Me» classes. My daughter enjoyed it and we went a few times a month until I went back to work.
Last week I came here to get some peace and quite to finish up a research paper for my college class, after I couldn’t get that at another Queens Library branch. It was nice and quiet, and the librarians seem to know the children that were there and made sure they were not disruptive (and they weren’t). My only complaint is that their WIFI seemed a little slow (compared to the other branch I went to).

It’s the library I grew up with, and that carries some amount of nostalgia with it, but in all honesty it’s a little lacking. Like a lot of small libraries, it seems there’s too much focus on attracting the whole population, so the selections are spread way too thin. In addition to books, there’s an attempt to carry DVDs and CDs, and with the limited space and resources available, it just looks incomplete.
I can’t fault the people who run the place. I’m sure they have a ridiculously tiny budget to work with, but you’d almost rather they stuck with one concentration, and directed you to one of the larger libraries for the ancillary stuff.