Ann Arbor District Library

I come here every now and then to get some work done. The wifi is always fast and there never is a lot of people on the second and third floors. Overall it’s a pretty great place.

I’m going to go ahead and say that I was a little too rough on the AADL. The noise has been a lot better even though I’ve still never seen them confront a roaming loud talking cell phone user (oh well, we live in an imperfect world.) The library is great; helpful staff, great selection of books, cds, dvds and lots of blu-​rays (they even have a decent selection of criterion discs too.)

The AADL (downtown branch) isn’t flashy by any means. And that’s part of what I love about it. Instead of pouring money into cutting-​edge technology projects or sculptuaries, they focus on delivering great service and offering a comprehensive range of books, music, movies, and other resources. Our household uses it almost daily. A fantastic institution that serves as a center of community interaction and activity, and that will be even better when coupled with the park to be built next door, if the DDA ever pulls its head out of its ass and stops approving all of these godforsaken soulless high-​rises instead.
TL;DR: AADL rocks. Keep Ann Arbor low and funktastic! Parks for the people!

Amusingly, this is my 3^rd Unilocal library review. :) Yay for reading!
So I am very impressed by this place. It is HUGE and they have a TON of different TV show seasons on DVD. This very nice librarian helped me search for Mad Men DVD’s which was very kind of her. I have picked a few books off of their staff recommendations section which have been enjoyable! They also have huge sets of books that book clubs could all check out, which is really nice. I am impressed by this library, and am glad to have such a great free resource in town!

It seems kind of strange to review a public library, but when I think of places that I love in 2A — this is at the top. My friends have listened to me gush about the selection here, it only makes sense that the rest of Ann Arbor know!
I am a library aficionado. When I move cities, I register my car, and then promptly get a library card. Ann Arbor has more selection than my last huge library in DC (partly because there are less people here, so the selection is available more frequently)
They participate in Overdrive (for checking out electronic books for eReaders) and have a wide selection available for download. If you have a Kindle or eReader and haven’t signed up for Overdrive, it’s amazing. It’s as simple as clicking the check out button, which takes you to Amazon, and the book is automatically sent to your Kindle.
They have really unique things. You can check out musical instruments! (They have an electronic bagpipe for crying out loud.) The kicker for me are their bookclub packages. You can get a tote bag with 10 copies of the book, plus reading questions, of really great book club suggestions. Instead of everyone in my club having to buy the book, one person can check out the tote for everyone. They have the entire collection viewable online, or you can browse them in-​person (walk through the doors, make a right before the stairwell, they’re on the back wall). The selection has classics (Jane Austen, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Huxley) and modern book club selections (White Tiger, Goon Squad, Glass Castle, Oscar Wao).
I asked a question at the Reference desk upstairs, and the woman walked me through the entire process. She was amazing. I think my last interaction with a Librarian was in middle school. It was so refreshing to have a human help me instead of walking myself through the process on Google. The library also has lots of events for teens (workshops, homework help) and adults (Excel and Word courses, Facebook 101).

I love the AADL especially the Downtown location. I just recently found out there is free tutoring for 4 – 12 graders by UM students on Mondays and Wednesdays. How great is that? The library is large and has quiet rooms as well as a kids room, a teen room and a gift shop. The one thing you need to know about the Downtown location is that there are homeless folks shuffling in and out especially in the winter but no worries, they don’t bother anyone and maybe reading a good book will brighten their day:). The other branches are great and super convenient if you don’t want to park Downtown but they don’t have nearly the selection of the Downtown branch. But, don’t forget you can reserve books online and pick them up at any branch! Also, bookclubs take note. All branches have book club to go. A bag of 10 books to grab for your bookclub and checkout. They have waiting lists though so get online and reserve your bag early.

I only used a conference room. The library and the post office can’t agree on whether I do or do not live in Ann Arbor!

When I leave Ann Arbor I’m really, really going to miss the Ann Arbor District Library. Their online services are tops
and it’s great to request materials to be delivered to the location that I decide is most convenient.
And I love their self-​checkout stations. No need for anyone to raise an eyebrow when I check out all three seasons of True Blood on DVD.

Pretty nice library. Like the artwork. Only street parking as far as I’m aware, which is a bummer. Otherwise, it’s not bad.

A large library with a good sized art section.

Perhaps it is a little nerdy to review a library, but this one is really a cut above. During the summer they offer museum tickets for Detroit, they have framed art to rent and a huge modern music collection. They are open late and you can generally find a quiet place to read. Requests come quickly because the whole library system here is one of the best I have seen. They will often purchase books they don’t have.
I won’t dock a star for it, but the volunteers/​low paid workers can be a little bit over zealous about their responsibilities. Fall asleep in your calculus book? You’ll quickly have a volunteer making some smart ass comment about sleeping. Have a handful of books without a basket? You’ll get a stupid comment about how you should use a basket for the book’s sake. So on and so forth they get a little excited. There are two in particular that are borderline assholes but that’s not the library’s fault and I guess they keep the peace.

One of my favorite places in A2.

The staff are amazing. If they don’t have, they will find it and let you know when it’s in so you can come get it. The reading/​study spots are all comfortable. The bathrooms are clean. What more could anyone ask for?

This library system is amazing. They have a huge collection of books, dvds, cds, and magazines.
They have a great selection of movies including foreign films and television series. You can actually borrow everything from episodes of Cheers to episodes of Alias, Star Trek, or even Friends.
I also use the library for borrowing magazines. Whenever I fly, I stop by the library to pick up a few magazines to read during the flight. They let you borrow magazines for a week so this is great for short trips.
Perhaps the best part about the library is the online catalog and emails they send. You can search for items online and have them delivered to any of the branches you’d like. When things are about to be due, you get a friendly email warning you and then you can easily renew items online too. SOOO user friendly!
The library has free wifi and lots of computers too so it makes for a nice place to study or just get work done. They also offer read along and sing along events for little kids as well as events for teens and adults. They really work on making a community.
I will be sad when I leave Ann Arbor and have to leave behind the best library system I’ve ever seen.

Downtown has a great library. One of my favorites free places in ann arbor to kill some time. Great movie selection pretty much always, and the website is really use-​friendly to request titles. It is also spacious. Even though it is a downtown building, i don’t much get a cramped feel from it.
I wouldn’t mind more independent places to study, but most of the time the 3^rd floor is pretty quiet even if there aren’t any rooms available.
I support them so often through late fees that i should have donor status, but instead I have probably just really inconvenienced someone reading this review. The staff never judges though. They just politely collect. I appreciate that.

Ann Arbor’s library system is excellent. If you don’t have an AADL card, you’re missing out.
One of the things I’m most impressed by is the relatively short wait time for popular items, even when there are hundreds of holds. I heard a rumor that the staff orders one copy of an item for every seventh hold that is placed. Quite impressive.
The staff are receptive to title suggestions. You can request new titles (as well as make other suggestions) through a form on the AADL website. Many of my suggestions have appeared immediately in the catalog.
Make sure to check out the Friends of the Library book sales. The Friends shop, which is located in the basement of the library, is open almost every weekend. I visited one weekend and found some popular DVDs for only $ 3 (and they played!) The real fun, however, is the big blowout sale that is held every summer. Prices get progressively cheaper as the sale winds down. A friend and I had a blast picking through the books on the last day. We walked away with giant sacks of books for only $ 1 each. Not a bad way to spend a summer afternoon.
If you’re interested in scoring free admission to attractions in the Detroit metro area, make sure to ask a staff member about the Museum Adventure Passes. You can «check out» a pass that is good for about two weeks and will allow you two or four free admissions (depending on the venue). You can view the list of participating institutions at:
. It’s a great deal for families!

Its a great library! there are tons of movies and blue ray versions of them. You can borrow them for a week with no charge and always review them. The staff is very helpful. There are a ton of cds, magazines, and also books that just got released.
The booksale is a lot of fun to go to since some of the titles are pretty new there. Also they also have dvds selling there for dirt cheap. THe hours are pretty good and its easy to go in and out due to the self check out. I like to order a lot of movies online and even if its really popular subject there will be books either at the library, short hold list, or can get it from other branches.

This is the greatest Library EVER! Did you know that you can access Rosetta Stone online for FREE!!! Wow.
The staff is wonderful and so very helpful. Great location and such a lovely place for children.

One of my favorite spots around. Seriously! I haven’t been out to the new Traverwood branch, or the Pittsfield branch (where I hear they have a… fireplace! Oooohhh!), but this location is less than a 10 minute walk from me. I should be so lucky to always live so dang close to a great library like this.
The staff’s really helpful, the collection is vast, and inter-​library loan works like a charm. You can put a book on reserve, use the self-​check-​out, and even renewing my library card was lightening-​fast and painless.
They have wonderful programming– both for kids and adults, too. As someone who has a several points considered going back to school to become a librarian, I think the example that this place sets is a big part of what keeps me excited about libraries.
Libraries aren’t just places to store books anymore, by any means. They are an equal access space, a place for community dialogue and events, and this one, particularly, feels like a home away from home.
It’s a bit sad they had to put the plans for the new facility on hold due to the economy, but at least it’ll give me some more cozy time to hang out in this location, which has been near and dear to my heart (and mind, I guess!) for many years.

The downtown branch of the library has more than books.
Check out movies, music magazines and other media on your library card. Use library computers to do research on the Internet or to access electronic databases. Request books on loan from other libraries.
Check out the events schedule regularly. Interesting speakers and authors are scheduled every week, and they’re all free.
The art gallery rotates through several shows a year. Works are on display in the basement and on the third floor.
The Friends of the Library operate a used book shop in the basement. Check out their separate review on this site.
For more information, check out the library’s Web site above. You can access the catalog through the website. If you have a library card, you can set up an online account and use it to reserve or renew your books.
Open Sundays from Noon to 6 p.m. Every Sunday there is free parking on the city lot next door. Sundays only.
The new self-​checks are very fast and easy to use. Unlike the ones at Home Depot. You scan your card and then the book. Then you push one button, the one that says «finished,» and then you’re done.
Do not park in the staff parking lot. You will be towed, even if you happen to be on the staff. You have been warned. Leaving your four-​way flashers on does not actually provide any kind off legal protection against having your vehicle towed
P. S. I’m a paid employee of the library, so my five-​star rating comes with a little bias.