Boston Public Library – Roslindale Branch

The options are limited and I usually cannot find what I need when borrowing books for my students to research in the classroom. Some of the staff are absolutely rude, but there are a couple of them that makes the place fairly tolerable.

This is a different library … weird, in a good way. It’s very different to other libraries in the area, yet it serves a purpose for Roslindale. BOOKS! They don’t have too much «stuff» here though, and as another Unilocaler stated, sometimes there is a wait. I still think it’s a good library. Much better than the new, gross one in my town (Westwood)

I really want to love this library branch, mainly because it is in walking distance from my house, but it’s got a lot of issues. As everyone says, the main selling point is that it is connected to the BPL and you can place holds. I don’t understand the children’s section. I can barely find anything there, so I’m not sure how my kids are ever going to be able to figure it out. There are just small peeling labels indicating what is on each shelf. A nice large colorful poster on the side of the shelf would work much better. Once you find the section, usually everything is out of order. The catalog will say it’s on the shelf, but it’s just not.
Many times I have returned books only to find it still on my account. When I’ve called in to ask about it I’m told to call back when someone with authority to handle it is in. Sometimes I have to find the book on the shelf and bring it to them to show that it is really there. And it looks like they really need some funding. I asked if there was a water fountain and was told it’s been broken for about 20 years. The AC barely works and the toilets flush over and over wasting huge amounts of water and should be replaced.
As far as the librarians go, it does seem they are over worked, but usually try to help you. Checking out takes way longer than it should. They do answer the phone and help other people while checking you out as someone said.

I love libraries. They are probably, hands down, one of my favorite place to spend a day. But this library is just sad. From the outside, it looks so promising. The building is stunning and looks like a library should. On the inside, it’s a mess. Books are all over the place, totally out of order. There’s also a weird smell. Not sure what that’s about.
Yes, you can pick up your holds and this library will serve its purpose just fine. But there’s no joy here. It’s missing the library love.

Ok, so the collection is not all that great. But you can easily place and pick up holds. So, that’s only a slight drawback.
As for the librarians… sure, they’re overworked and at least one of them is waaay too loud. But there are others who are like the librarians of yore but without the attitude. They’re friendly, quiet, and try their best to keep as comfortable an environment as they can. So, that’s mostly a big plus. If that one librarian would learn to tone her voice down (don’t they teach that in Library School?) it would be pretty good. In fact, if she’d be quiet I’d give it four stars rather than three.
There _​IS_​some noise from patrons BUT it’s largely kids. Anything that gets kids into a library is just dandy in my opinion. Sure, it would be nice if they were quieter but they’re growing up in a culture in which quiet is an unknown phenomenon. Chances are pretty good that they’ve hardly ever had a moment without some electronic noise blasting at them. They haven’t been taught better so you can’t fault them. And, when they ARE asked to tone it down most of them are pretty civil about it. So, that’s as much of a Win as you can get these days. I suspect taht of them actually pick up books and start reading so that’s a major plus.
The architecture is funky and, while I’d much rather be in the main reading room at Copley, the Rozzie branch is not without a certain charm. For a small branch on a very busy street in a very busy neighborhood it’s pretty good.

The Roslindale branch is a little lackluster, to put it nicely. They have an okay selection of mystery and fiction. The children’s section is large and in charge, so it’s great for that.
It’s good for having a library close and not have to go into Boston every time, but it is very small and the options are fairly limited. You can always place a hold online and get them sent to this branch, which is also convenient.

Sorry, Quinn, I had to write this review because your one little star broke my heart a little.
I grew up in Roslindale and the library was my home, my heaven, my haven, my first love and my best friend. Here I met Dr. Suess and Shel Silverstein, and Franny and Zooey, and Francie Nolan and Mary Lennox and Madeline Engel and the Little Prince and Margaret Simon and Jonathan Livingstone Seagull and Tuck Everlasting and the Little Women and Mrs Frisbee and Nimh and the Indian in the Cupboard and Lewis Carroll and CS Lewis and Thoreau and Keats and Dante and Dickinson and Ginsberg and Kerouac and Marx and Eliot and Gaarder and Poe and King and Bradbury and (ok! diatribe OVER!) just about every other book and author I considered a friend growing up. Almost every book I laid my greedy little hands on growing up came from the Rosi BPL. I used to go almost every day. A librarian there gave (GAVE!) me my first Vonnegut to read.
And c’mon! How can you fault a library that looks literally like a liBERRY, with its circular blue dome top! Gotta love that early 60s architecture!
From Quinn’s experience, it sounds like maybe there’s a possibly meaaaaan, likely overworked and underpaid lady there these days. But please don’t judge the place on that! Libraries are always wonderful — that’s the best of their charm — you can just hide away and lose the outside world in a book!
Oh Rosi library!!! You made me who I am! And likely saved my soul…

Ok, I’ve picked up more stuff here and I take it back, you WILL lose your mind. Let me preface this by telling you, I love libraries. So much that I’m actually in grad school for library science. But this branch is stupid awful. Today I just wanted to get in and out, so I dropped my returns on the counter (where there is a sign that says, «In a rush? Drop returns here.») and went to pick up my holds. I smiled and said, «Hi, I just need to pick up a couple holds,» and the librarian was totally snotty to me. «You need to give me your returns first.» I complied, and she checked them in, answered the phone twice, shouted to the library assistant to find someone in the children’s section for a mom on the phone, and marked my returns that needed to go to other branches. It took 20 fucking minutes when it should have taken one! Totally unnecessary. And infuriating because I really want to have an excellent branch library in Roslindale. Oh well, I’ll boost the numbers of West Rox or JP. But I’m never going back to this branch.