Locke Branch Library

Great service but not a very good library.
The Locke Branch has some positives and negatives like most other libraries in Toronto, but their negatives outweigh their positives. The place itself is rather big and is separated into two halves, one of which is a children’s area and the other half is the adult area. The ladies working the front desk are super friendly and were hospitable in every sense, but the place has many flaws.
First off, the good things about the place are that it is rather large with ample seating and table space. There are about 3 – 4 elongated tables that stretch out and can accompany quite a bit of people. They are situated in the middle between all the computers scattered across the area. There is a nice lounge area where you can pick up the local paper and just relax as well, with a nice view of the park due to the wall-​high windows.
However, the place itself was HOT. I’m not sure if it was just the time I went, but I was sweating like crazy. To accompany the uncomfortable temperature, you will hear the sound of the subway trains below almost every 5 minutes. You’ll notice because it sounds like an earthquake, but I guess you get used to it? The worst part for me was the parking situation because the only parking you have is the tiny lot behind the library that really should be used for parking strollers or Tonka trucks or something. (Note: If you are using public transportation, then this place is actually wonderful because it’s across the street from the subway).
Not a very peaceful setting with the subway trains and all, but maybe I’m just complaining too much? In either case, I probably won’t make my way back to this one. Real nice park off to the side of it though…

Locke Library is a fairly standard mid-​sized Toronto Public Library branch, but I’ll always have a soft spot for it because I grew up nearby. A facelift in the 90s updated it, and it has a lovely spot on Alexander Muir park with a playground nearby.
I don’t know the collections intimately, because these days I mostly use it to pick up my holds (and that is a five-​star system, holy god), but it’s a lovely spot to sit down and read for an afternoon, and I recall it having a great selection of kids’ books.