Arlingtonians are lucky to have a multitude of public libraries scattered throughout the county. The libraries range not only in size but also in the variety of books they possess.

Central Library:
Central Library is the biggest public library in Arlington, spanning two massive floors. It houses many spaces for comfortable reading on both levels, and the second floor has spectacular spaces for quiet work. The library is in Ballston, but it does a stellar job of removing the loud and busy feeling of the city surrounding it. Central Library has the biggest Nonfiction section as well. The library is easy to navigate since the genres are also separated in a way that makes sense . They also do well separating the many children who visit the library and the people who are there to do work. The second floor is mainly a workspace and contains the above-mentioned Nonfiction section. This allows people to go to the second floor if they prefer to work in quiet.

Westover Library:
Located in the neighborhood it is named after, Westover Library provides a large range of books and has great spaces to study or do school work. Westover Library includes a large section for young kid’s books and an area with two walls of floor to ceiling windows with cushions to read on. The whole library feels open and is easy to navigate thanks to the many signs designating what each shelf holds. The library is also connected to the newly built Cardinal Elementary School. Another enticing aspect of the Westover Library is that every Sunday, the local farmer’s market sets up right outside on the road in front of the building. This gives people the opportunity to browse books, fresh produce and baked goods.

Cherrydale Library:
Cherrydale Library is tucked away in a neighborhood which can make it hard to locate for first time visitors. Although this library is on the smaller side, it still holds a wide variety of books. The bottom floor holds the majority of the books the library contains and there is a small classroom that acts as a second floor at the top of the stairs. The Cherrydale Library carries a cozy feeling due to its size, a trait many people look for in a library. This one especially makes a person feel like they want to curl up on one of the chairs and dive into a new story.

Glencarlyn:
The Glencarlyn Library is located a few streets over from Kenmore Middle School. This library has a great kid’s section with many books, which seems to be the main focus of this location. It also boasts a large garden with flower beds and a wide arrangement of plants. The library is simple but that makes it better and very easy to locate the different genres one might look for. The main library is one big room with the majority of the right side dedicated to children’s books. The garden makes this library unique and gives anyone an opportunity to learn about plants that are local and exotic.