Central Square Branch Library

Closed for renovations since summer 2009… until when? :(

I used to run through the stacks of the children’s room when I was a toddler and rip all the books down as I ran… Or so I hear. My aunt used to run the Children’s room (or at least, to me, she was in charge) so it’s probably true. We lived about three blocks away when I was growing up, and spent enough time to almost call this place a second home.
Things used to be more rough and tumble in the square when I was growing up. I remember the warning of never putting your hand up inside the paper towel because one of the children’s librarians got stuck by a hypodermic needle when doing so. There were a few drug overdoses in the bathrooms when I was growing up, and the police used to make regular visits, sometimes to calm people down, or let them know that they were no longer welcome at the library.
My sisters and I were home-​schooled growing up, and so we spent a great deal of time here because of that. It was an activity that kind of «fit» into any area of what we were doing, and as soon as we could read, we could entertain ourselves while here.
I remember they used to have these big blocks that lined up in front of the big windows at the back of the library (children’s room) I couldn’t tell you if they were green or blue, but they stacked up and looked like the biggest set of stairs you’d ever seen. I remember playing on them and using them as a chair to read in. I remember being at the library with our mum and knowing almost every kid there. They would be getting homework help from either our aunt or another one of the great children’s librarians there (they don’t make um like they used to!) or be reading a book by themselves, or come and sit and listen to my mum read books aloud to my sisters and I.
They had a great big room on the middle floor, that had a ceiling, about 20′ high? It was an impressive room. The toddler singing programs and other programs were held there. The theater group that my sisters and I were part of when growing up used to borrow (rent?) the space to rehearse and I have a feeling (though, my memories are kind of a jumble sometimes) that we even put on a performance in that room. My aunt also used to bring her guitar to work and do a sing-​a-​long with the kids regularly.
Later on, my older sister and I would do the summer reading programs, even though we weren’t in school, and most of the books seemed to be geared towards what people had to read for school — to then write reports on. It was fun to finish a book and get the librarian to mark it down as «read» with you, and move on to the next one. It was the closest thing to homework I found as a kid, but it was fun and engaging. My older sister and I also used to meet our tutors here when we were doing math and other subjects outside the home. They had a great amount of space to be able to work and not bother other people or be inconvenienced because of space or noise (unlike our house!) issues.
When I was old enough to get a job. I got one here. I worked downstairs in the adult section, my older sister worked upstairs in the Children’s room, as «pages». We both worked here for a couple years (first with the Mayor’s Youth Program), and it was nice to be around interesting people — most of which we’d known for almost our entire conscious lives. It was also nice to be surrounded by all kinds of different books and newspapers and magazines. I don’t think I even noticed what this library held until I had to help people find things, or find out where things had to be put back.
The design of the building was always something that I wasn’t sure if I liked or not. It’s one of those blocky, mostly cement, with a few massive columns thrown around to hold up the other floors of cement. It doesn’t look inviting from the outside, in fact it looks a little sad and old these days… But it has definitely grown on me in a way that no other place has. I’m a bit of a snob about the way buildings look and if I like them or not. This ‘80s cement/​modern architecture doesn’t do it for me, but this building has always had a lot more going for it inside, so the walls matter very little in the end.
I appreciate the times that I spent in this library, without which I may not have had the same love, or fascination with the written language as I do now. I don’t think I would have really understand how to use the Dewey Decimal system to my advantage, and it was one of the first jobs I really felt responsible for doing a good job at. Check, check, and check.

It pains me to write this about a library. As a bibliophile, I’d never been to a library that I didn’t love. Until now.
The Central Square branch comes through in a pinch.
They have the literary staples: most Shakespeare, a nice lil’ dvd section and a computer lab downstairs, but I can’t get over the cold, gritty feel of the place.
My favorite part is the information and event board near the entrance.
It is a sad day for books, everybody. A sad day indeed.

This is a favorite haunt of mine even though the building is ugly as sin and it doesn’t have a very large collection of books. It’s location smack in the middle of Central Square is what draws me here – when I feel the need to rest for awhile in the middle of the day without spending money, or need to use the computer. I love that they always have tons of flyers up for community events and the people who work here are friendly. And, while I don’t often find the book I’ve come for I usually pick up something else.

Maybe it’s because I work in a different public library and am used to an interesting assortment of people hanging around but I haven’t noticed that there are any more homeless people here than at any other library, especially in such an urban environment. At any rate, it is a rather small library but it’s just a branch and since they are part of such a large library network, you can get pretty much anything sent there to pick up. I kind of like the 70s/​80s feel inside the building. It reminds me of being a kid and going to the library with my mom in Schnectady, NY.

This library reminds me of TJ Maxx. It’s small, dirty, and at first glance doesn’t seem to have much of a selection. But when you go there several times a week like I do, you discover the hidden gems like the DVDs of Extras and the new cookbook that you’ve been looking for. The selection does leave something to be desired– if you are looking for a particular book, rather than just browsing for cool stuff, you have about a 45% chance that they will actually own it (75% if it’s a children’s book). However, this is what the Minuteman library system is for! You can get online and request pretty much any book you want, and get it delivered to Central Square (NB– this is true of all the libraries in the Minuteman system, which includes most of the suburban libraries including Brookline, Somerville, Newton, Watertown, Wayland, etc.)
The DVD selection is pretty good; I think it’s gotten better in the last year, including more TV show boxed sets. It will be pretty picked over if you go on a Friday, and then you’ll be stuck with the Masterpiece Theatre that you have never heard of (because the ones you have are all checked out) and Lethal Weapon 2. Again, if you’re looking for something special, they probably won’t have it, but you may find a surprise gem instead.
The children’s department is upstairs, which is nice for a couple of reasons. It’s not as attractive to the stranger elements that frequent this library, so your kid will probably be okay if he or she is out of your line of sight for 15 seconds. Also, for those of you who don’t like kids, it means they’re not running around the main part of the library. The downside is that even when the library is open until 9 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the children’s section closes early (at 6, I think). So if you’re stopping in after work, hoping to reread some of your favorite childhood classics, you will be SOL. The library closes on Saturdays during the summer, which is kind of a drag, but come October, they’ll be open again for at least one weekend day.
The staff is really friendly, nice, and helpful. I think they genuinely like working there. For those of you who haven’t been to this particular branch, they get some colorful (and smelly) people there. Sometimes they’re content to hang out on the internet computers looking at pictures of girls in bikinis, but sometimes they hassle the staff. The staff seems really patient, and I’ve never seen them lose it or even get snippy with anyone. If you are looking for a quiet place to do work, I would skip this place and head instead to one of the libraries at MIT (you don’t need an MIT card to get into them). Because it’s small, it’s crowded, and there’s also the homeless/​smell factor.
This library is also very conveniently located– just a couple of blocks from the Central Square T stop, and several bus lines run near it as well. It’s much more convenient than the main Cambridge library, which is up near Inman (for now), so not close to a T stop.