Hillhead Library

A great community hub for the Hillhead and Byres Road area, they always have posters up of things which are going on around the city, and also heritage trails and information to pick up. There are public PC’s for use on the mezzanine and on the ground floor, and also printing and photocopying facilities. There is a nice and colourful kids area of the library, and also a Clyde statue to spot.
There is a community hall upstairs from the library, which often hosts events, especially when the West End Festival and Aye Write are on. I have previously been to a charity clothing fair and also a talk by Mairi Hedderwick who read from her Katie Morag books for kids in the day, then in the afternoon showcased some of her Shetland Rambles. Wonderful and free!
My niggles about Hillhead library relates to the lack of powerpoints upstairs in the study area, and also it can be quite noisy at times. The free wifi has been quite reliable in my experience, and they have really nice displays of books which are newly in to inspire you to change your normal reading patterns.
I love that the library is open on a Sunday and wish more were!

I’m happy with the Hillhead library. They always have a decent collection of kids and adult books. I can always find something I want to read. Everyone is nice enough at the desk and there is space for people to study upstairs as well.

Hillhead Library is right in the heart of Byres Road and is a good place to take a bit of time to chill out from the hustle and bustle going on around it.
Free WI Fi, good selection of books, DVD & CD.
Staff are friendly and always happy to help out, just don’t be late with your returns or you face the mighty 20p fine and stern telling off :)
If you have young kids there always seems to be a reading club on for younger ones.

It’s great to have this little library right there on the main street in the West End, Byers Road. When I’m in Glasgow I’m generally working out of coffee shops but in between my ‘coffee crawl’ I get breaks from my tiny net-​book screen by popping into a gallery or museum. When I’m at this end of Byers Road, I take shelter and inspiration inside the Hillhead library. Although relatively small, it has enough of a selection of books to keep me occupied for an hour plus plenty of comfy seats to rest and read the first few pages of books whist I decide what I may borrow from a library or indeed buy from a book shop.
Oh and it’s very close to Waitrose (if that matters to you) and a couple of minutes from Hillhead train station. A treasure.

Hillhead Library have an appeasing selection of books across the board, a decent amount of PC’s, some scanners, and study areas. But its strength lies in other areas.
It is not merely a library, but a hub of local information. It’s a great resource of knowledge on the area, and the host of many community gatherings. They hold a number of book group meetings in here, not to mention playing venue to some kistchy markets upstairs during the weekends.
I have always liked their children’s selection and in particular enjoy the wide variety of art books they have in here. They are staffed by a friendly, helpful team and are open till 8 on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. It’s nice coming here to study away from the bustling mayhem of Glasgow Uni library, and you’re more likely to gain access to a PC in the busy months of May. Hillhead continues to be a centre of the west end’s arts community, and with regular art exhibitions and continuing customers (if you can call us that in this context), it definitely ticks all the boxes.

Hillhead Library is right in the heart of Byres Road — and is perfect for a bit of peace and quiet after the hustle and bustle of the West End. It’s much bigger than other local libraries such as Partick Library down on Dumbarton Road — although obviously it is dwarfed slightly by the overbearingly wonderful Mitchell Library.
Nevertheless, Hillhead library has nicely traditional librarians and a great selection of books as well as a small collection of DVDs and CDs.
There’s free wifi too (hurrah) which is actually pretty good. You have to have a Glasgow Library card and sign up on the library site in order to use the wifi — but once you’ve set up an account you can use it any Glasgow library (including the mitchell library, the GOMA library etc).
With lots of lovely nooks and crannies, this place is perfect for hiding away and doing a bit of work.

As libraries go, Hillhead is pretty standard fare.
Decent selection of books and DVDs; check.
Study areas with free wifi; check.
Computers; check.
A large selection of weirdos you do not encounter in your life anywhere outwith the library; overwhelmingly check.
Situated in a fairly grim 70s building which wouldn’t have looked out of place in East Germany, Hillhead Library earns bonus points for its excellent chidren’s section which has been keeping sprogs of the West End content for decades.
Staff could do with cheering up a bit, mind you.

Hillhead Library was my local when growing up through primary and secondary school.
The upstairs area is spacious and very quiet which gives peace of mind when going to study. You can breathe a little!
I’m used to using the Mitchell Library now, so in comparson, Hillhead doesn’t have as wide a range of books but then again, they don’t have the space.
It’s all a bit old fashioned but a good solid and traditional library none the less.

This is a decent library, that you can access with the same library card that gets you in other places like Mitchell Library and GOMA Library.
It’s not huge (but then I am used to The Saltire Centre), but has a decent selection of books… and free wifi.
It’s in a good location near Hillhead tube station and is usually quite quiet (as libraries should be!).
There are worse ways to spend your afternoon than in here with a cup of coffee.

Despite the interior looking a bit like that of a tatty old cruise ship, Hillhead Library was during my student days, quite a frequent study venue for me if I wanted some peace and quiet, something that’s often unavailable at the actual University Library.
Apart from that, they have books, DVDs and internet access, exactly as you’d expect.

Its a Library… decent selection of books, CD’s, DVD’s, internet access (including free WiFi) and other such public amenities. However this is not my main reason for writing this review.
Having been fairly recently responsible for bringing a small person into this world (as a parent, not through my human trafficking enterprise) i would, nay, must give praise to the Hillhead Library for their «bounce and rhyme» sessions on Friday afternoons.
Now, just to clarify. The bouncing and rhyming in question is of the nursery rhyme variety and not of the baby booty shakin’ R n B/​gangsta rap stylee’ which my brain first suggested would be the case… its amazing what lack of sleep does to the mind.
The session lasts for about 30 to 40 mins and includes singing and dance moves along to a selection of nursery songs. Its fun, easy going and more importantly… freeee! A great way for new parents to introduce the little ones to songs and movement, and also a nice way for parents to meet other each other over a post «rhyme» coffee in one of the local cafes.
Hillhead Library come for the books, stay for the bounce… i’ll wager that’s never been said before.

Hillhead Library has claimed a bit of a special place in my heart — it’s a perfect shelter from the rain, and great if your internet is on the blink.
I’ve found the staff to be really nice and understanding too — always renewing my books when they’re overdue, even looking up my library number once when I forgot my card so I could access the internet! (though technically I believe they’re not supposed to so shh…)
The kid section is very well stocked too — and a great entertainment for them with the little train to play on. Though kids events I’ve been to there have always been a bit stale… Could do with a better DVD collection too.

This library is always very busy and has a large selection of books including a good array for self improvement books for cooking, sewing and homemaking.
They regularly have themed weeks, including an excellent one relating to LGBT issues and transgender issues.
The library has its own DIY checkout service although there are always people on the desk to help out.

nowhere near the best library in the world, but not the worst. however, this one gets extra points for hosting regular cd and record fairs (which are always well advertised locally).

Retro interior and exterior. Has some craft sales at times.
Reasonable selection of books. Very dated.