Ballymena Central Library

This is a great library if you’re going with a purpose to borrow books. The book selection is great and there are plenty of computers. It’s also a very spacious and clean library with a very good section on local history if that interests you.
But stay away if you are after a silent study space. It’s not a good place to concentrate as staff talk at the top of their voices all the time. Actually there was a group of teenagers beside me who were talking at an average volume and were told to be quiet by a staff member. Yet I could more easily hear conversations between the staff than the group of teenagers. I was trying to study for my final exams and instead I had to hear in great detail about someone’s holiday for over half an hour despite having headphones in so I gave up and went home.
There is a silent study space called the learning centre but it’s only open at certain times of the day. The sign on the door said “closed from 10am to 1pm” so I went in at 2pm to get a bit of quiet to study and was only in 10 minutes before a staff member quite rudely told me I had to move as if it wasn’t their fault for posting a sign with the wrong information.
Ultimately it is a good library but let down by the staff.

I was here recently and I noticed that the library was untidy and there was a smell of stale cigarette smoke. Library staff were helpful, everything okay except the two things I've raised at beginning of review.

I have found with this location, the staff have good ears and never closing mouths when it comes to gossiping. There is also a drunk who hangs around causing trouble. The toilets reek! Also there is no longer any refreshments. When its study leave with the schools the library gets roudy and the staff don't do anything to deal with the situation.

Usually a very good library but lately it's been closed even though all other libraries have reopened. Twice I have made the journey there to be disappointed. Online it still says it's open but it's not! And I don't think it's the roadworks outside as there's a pedestrian path down the side of Pat's Brae.

This library was a whole lot better years ago, now a days it is disorganised, rowdy, untidy, unpleasant smelling and has a couple of cheeky staff members. One of the staff members was cheeky about my age because I didn't know everything about computers. Will not be back.

If you are researching your Family Tree the Local Studies Dept have a wealth of resources and are extremely helpful.

This library really needs a good clean. It is very cluttered and disorganised. The staff are hardly ever around. No friendliness here. Wont come back in a hurry.

They have a wealth of great resources concentrated here, and generously long opening hours. I only get here rarely, but when I do, I try to make the most of what’s there. They have many hundreds of reels of different newspapers on microfilm. They have old photograph collections. Ballymena Library peculiarly has better resources about my home town than my local library does! Two great books I wanted were marked as “borrowable,” but when I tried, they could not be taken away. Booo. My lift was due, my day was done, and they had to go back to their shelves.

The library is excellent clean and very well managed,if you need help to use the printer or photocopier the staff will gladly do it for you, they are very friendly and helpful, I enjoy going to Ballymena library.

I was here to do some research. I found documents to do with a talk I'll be giving soon. The staff were very helpful, and there seemed to be plenty of them. Lots of chairs, desks, light. I must try to get back here.