West Allis Public Library

While I agree with the others about the overwhelming chlorinated air in the lobby, once you get inside the actual library, you don’t smell it.
What do I like about this library? It’s pretty user friendly and has a large selection of not only books, but music and movies to choose from as well. Not that I use it, but the magazine selection is pretty big, too.
What do I not like about this library? The copy machines. To be fair, I don’t like copy machines in general. I never know which way to put the thing I’m copying on it or how to switch the paper size if the person before me had it set a certain way. I have rarely used one and not wasted money on a few sheets of bad copies.
Anywho, if you don’t want to come over here from wherever you are in the county to get a certain book that they have, you can have it sent to your (Milwaukee County) library of choice and it will be ready and waiting for you to pick up in just a few days. Want to try it? Here you go:
Just be sure to have your library card ready.
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They have this fancy, newfangled electronic outdoor book drop that has a conveyor belt and actually checks your items in right there.
Of course, that’s only been effective about half the times I’ve had to use it. Other libraries that don’t have this contraption have buried their barcodes inside items, so the machine can’t read them. And there’s not a manual book drop on the backside of the building, where the entrance and parking. I learned later that there is one in front, but let’s be honest, who’s parking the car on National to run things up to the manual book drop?
BUT, that aside, this is a big, pretty, well-​organized library. If I request things from another branch, they arrive quickly. The kids area is up a winding staircase and totally separated, which is nice (keeps the downstairs free of screaming, running children).

I grew up in a town in Idaho of a little more than 5k people… our library was bigger than this! I really expected more from a bigger city, I guess Milwaukee county pumps most the resources into the other libraries. We spent about 2 ½ hours today though because my 3 year old wanted to play with the toys and other kids. It was nice to do some puzzles together and sit and read some books to her. But I’m not super impressed with the selection here. The librarians are very nice and helpful though. Its a 10min drive so we’ll go back occasionally or when our books are due, but I’ll continue my quest for a bigger/​better library as well. They should maybe keep the toys in a separate room… maybe the story time room when its not in use? Its kinda hard for a 3 year old to find books she wants when she’s tempted by the toys :) the bathrooms could be cleaner like others have mentioned as well.

I live very near the library in my city but I often go to the West Allis Public Library because it is big and the staff is super helpful.
We were first in search of Boy Scout merit badge books which brought us to this library and ended up staying for hours. The entire upstairs is for kids and it’s very comfortable and relaxing. Nice big work tables and lots of hook ups for tablets and laptops.
Downstairs the main desk was super helpful getting my son set up with his library card and explaining all of the online services they offer.
I would recommend this library to anyone and will continue to visit.

This place is a real mixed bag for me.
THE GOOD–
I’m pretty much at the halfway point between this library and Zablocki Library, but this one is slightly closer to me so it’s got that going for it.
It’s also one of the twenty-​some libraries that share the county catalog. Anyone who uses the library isn’t using the CountyCat Mobile app to put materials on hold should try it, it’s wonderful.
The hold system here is awesome, that placed the hold shelves right by the self checkouts, so it makes for a quick, convenient in-​and-​out trip if you won’t be looking around.
Huge library with plenty of space to sit and read or use the computer.
Good selection of books and DVD’s.
A huge kid’s area.
The best selection of Graphic Novels that I know of out of any library in the area.
THE BAD–
My first trip here, I walked into the building and had a chemically-​induced, hallucinogenic trip where I thought I forgot my swimsuit and my daughters water wings. I then figured out that I was at the library and that hallucinogenic chemical was the chlorine that’s obviously pumped in abundance into the fountain in the hallway in front. When I walk into a library, I would prefer to have use of my eyes. This is a problem when they are burning from the chlorine in the air.
While this library at least manages to keep the first letters of DVD titles together, is it too much to dream of a library that would alphabetize all of the titles? I know it would take some work, but while it’s easy to find a movie like Zoolander since there’s only like ten movies there that start with Z, it’s frustrating trying to find something like Superman in the S section since it covers about five shelves.
THE UGLY–
Maybe we could buy about two less bottles of chlorine for the fountain in front, take that money and buy some bleach and pine sol. Then you guys need to take that bleach and pine sol and clean that family bathroom upstairs. I’m not even a germaphobe and I was afraid to put my daughter anywhere in that bathroom.

Yay For Books.
I’ve reviewed a bunch of the other libraries in town but I didn’t get out to West Allis much when I lived on the East Side.
Now that I live in Washington Heights it’s just a hop/​skip/​jump away from my house and I’m there as often as at the Wauwatosa Lib, which is just about equidistant from West Allis.
The two, it should be said, are pretty different from one another. Though both have ample parking, West Allis seems to cater to a more computer-​deficient population. It seems like a good portion of the people in the library every day are there to use the computers. That says something about society, but I’m not sure what.
At any rate, they also have a ton of books. The sci-​fi section, in particular, is the best in the federated library system. Tosa has maybe six or seven stacks of sci-​fi books, but ‘Stallis has entire ROWS of sci-​fi. Obviously, someone who was in charge of buying books at some point in the past has been a sci-​fi junkie like myself. The selection is great.
The new book selection is pretty good as well, although likely not as good as Tosa and certainly not anything like Central. But it’s adequate, for sure.
They even have a fountain in the foyer that smells like hecka chlorine.
Chlorine makes me think of summer and pools and water parks and girls in bikinis.
I like Chlorine.

Many a weekend spent here when we first moved to Milwaukee and didn’t have the internet. Gasp. That seems ages ago.
We quickly purchased a computer and the internet after having to wait at the germy terminals, but we soon linked in to our land lords internet and waiting in line at the library was over. Memories.
Checked out a bunch of movies and was introduced to the Six Feet Under series. We were guilty of spending many a winter weekend holed up watching these and then hopping back to check out more.
Lots of older movies, cool CD’s, books and other great stuff at this library.
The staff was always helpful and friendly. I’m sure they still are.