Charles Library, Philadelphia PA

Not a community library no quick print job will have to wait a long time to print stuff

I need to print something for job interview my resume didn't help

Doesn't serve community and they make you show ID which is unconstitutional for public buildings

The Charles Library was intended to fulfill Temple University's vision of promoting community engagement. As outside visitors, we enjoyed the tour given by Justin, Margery, and Nancy.

Gorgeous space with amazing library services and staff. Temple students get the very best!

I don't know how it's possible to spend millions of dollars on a building this terrible. It's hideous, lacks sufficient seating, and has very few outlets.

I hate working at this Library as a student worker! The supervisor is a dictator, and she does not understand what RESPECT means. Not recommended working here at all.

Ugly building, interior has a lot of wasted space and isn't functional. Temple wasted a lot of money on this

I think space is used a little poorly but study rooms are great but impossible to book. And inconsiderate people talking loud via zoom or face to face which is annoying. Visually appealing it's my favorite place to study regardless.

I drove 30 minutes to the library today to do some work. I entered and swiped my ID card. I was told it was not working because of some Covid procedure I did not perform. I therefore tried to enter all the details of Temple's page including a picture of the vaccination card. After all that my card did not work. I asked the security guard to get a manager, and she told me that one is not available and to go to some other building. I do not have to go from office to office to try to figure out where the miscommunication is. I was willing to show my Covid vaccination card, which I think is much. I was even willing to show my a Covid test that I had done at work yesterday. First, the procedures at Temple are terrible. Second, the response at the front desk was dismissive. I chose to go to the Penn library, which I got into as an alumni without proof of vaccination. I spent thousands of dollars on a Temple education and I cannot even enter the library.

To the architect, you did a horrible job. You couldn't even design a library correctly. Wasted space. Hardly any books, which doesn't make sense because it's a LIBRARY. Honestly, I was interested in Temple in the fall, but the way I see Temple use their funds, I rather not attend.

I love this library. Great place to study, but the hours that they have are pretty counterintuitive. Like the fact that they close early on Fridays, have reduced hours on Saturday and Sunday, and this often leaves me with the 24 hour study area. Why am I complaining then right? Well, the 24 hour study area is pretty dimly lit, even at the most bright parts of it, and when there are more than a few people there you are often stuck in a corner where you can barely see your own notes. Aside from the minor gripes with hours and lighting in the lobby, it's an awesome/peaceful place to study.

People give this place a hard time, but it's a quiet and pretty place to study in the center of campus. The fourth floor is the highlight of the building, filled with bookshelves and ample tables/outlets.

Very nice library. Quiet, has space for groups, and even study rooms to claim. The book retrieval system is cool, but I have not used it yet. Also the building looks very cool. I come often.

Apparently we can just throw a whole bunch of cheap tables into a large space and call it a library?

You'd think being a library, there would be shelves lined with books throughout the facility, but instead they're apparently within the walls. Well surely that must mean there's plenty of room to study, use computers, and occupy meeting rooms! No, not so much of that either. It's a beautiful building, no doubt, but it isn't the most effective use of space. It feels pretty empty! I hope they learn to fill it more over time.

It's a step up from the old Paley library, but the old library did not even have a sufficient number of outlets, so the bar was set pretty low. The new and shiny Charles library does not have a good, sensible design for studying and researching. Where are the computers/computer labs? I could not find a computer to work on. There was just one that was functional and it was occupied. There is a sprinkle of others, here and there, which is incomprehensible to me given that this is the main library of a major research institution. There are no more stacks except for on the fourth floor, so plenty of space to place computers. The Duckworth Scholars Studio computers are reserved for only students doing digital humanities. Temple could have, and should have, invested in more computers. You are allowed to borrow a Dell laptop for a few hours, that's it. Why does every floor look the same? There are tables and chairs, all the same type on every floor, without regard for different learning needs and forms of studying/researching. Was everything just bought at IKEA and plopped into place? What if a student needs/prefers a different type of desk or chair for their work? Also, why are the chairs so darn small? They remind me of chairs that you see stacked up for kids in kindergartens: small, plastic, colorful, and tolerable only for short periods of time. Why can you only book the study rooms for 2 hours a day? Even in the summer time, when there's no one there and the rooms are not booked by anyone else? I need more than 2 hours to do my work. The graduate/faculty lounge is just a big room with a bunch of desks and chairs, no computers or study rooms. Why can't graduate students either have their own study rooms, reserve the general study rooms for more time or, at least, have carrels they can rent for the semester? So far, I have mostly used this space as a nicely air-conditioned building where I can get wifi.

I would give this review 100 stars if I could. Beyond grateful the Charles Library replaced Paley Library. It needed to happen about 20+ years ago. It's truly a library for modern students, modern faculty, and life long learners looking to evolve. It has fast internet, dedicated support staff, quick book retrieval mechanical system (if you actually need a physical book), and the number of academic databases that Temple Library subscribes to is: immense. I also love that they have physical stacks for the latest casual interest reads (among other books), and a full wall dedicated to magazines. Love the breakout rooms, love that you can check out a laptop if you don't have one, love the dedicated computers for the local community, and love the Security Staff. I enjoy the reading rooms, and this library has so many outlets. The Green Roof is cool to look at and functional. I love the wide windows, because it makes you feel like you're working out of a loft apartment. This library is also a great place to take pictures for Instagram. Instantly upgrade your life and go to the Charles Library - just don't forget to bring your ID and chargers.

The new library is a much needed improvement from the old library at Temple University. Charles library offers a lot of amenities for the students and guests. There are conferences/study rooms, plenty of spots to sit and get work done, and a lot more natural lighting - just to name a few. It's also right next to the shops at Liacouras Walk, which is quite convenient.