This library needs a major redo. I utilize it for my drop off and pick up because it's conveniently located on my way to and from work. But on the weekends, I head to Leesville Library. Night and day with regard to the look, the user experience, and the staff.
The staff is getting better at this one but overall, the ones who have been here the longest are so snooty and unhelpful. I won't go into the run-in I had but I had to write the incident up, it was so unprofessional. The manager was not involved but her staff was and they are still there. I don't know how being a librarian could make you grumpy but they are grumpy at this location. At Leesville, they are always smiling at me and others. This one, they seem to have a permanent frown and frequently avoid eye contact with patrons.
Regardless, the place is so so small. They recently closed it down to do a make-over but it's still too small. That wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the parking. The parking is HORRIBLE. Again, the parking wouldn't be that bad but it's the handicap parking that is THE WORST. I have filled out every survey to write about this. There are A LOT OF OLD people that go to this library. I have parked next to, and have offered so many times, to help these people get their walkers out, with their books, and their purse, to walk across the parking lot, to go up one single ramp, to open the door, and then finally get into the library.
There is only ONE handicap parking spot and it is directly in front of the book drop off bins, so lots of folks use it to 'temporarily' park to drop off their books. In this section, there are only four parking spots, with the handicap spot.
The library sets within a strip mall, so on either side is a Pizza Hut and then a chinese take-out, so those spaces are reserved for those places. So the rest of the parking is in the lot, so the elderly people have to park there, with their walkers. Or even without the walkers, they are still slow walkers, or well, it's just a horrible experience for them and others.
I hate the suggestion of moving or REmoving it as it may be the closest for most of these people but it needs to be re-envisioned to suit the demographics in a more usable way. And the staff needs to REMOVED or relocated or RETRAINED to be nicer. I don't think retraining will help because it's just like faking it. I think some of those people are just unhappy and in the wrong job. I'd be HAPPY to be a librarian, surrounded by all those books...organizing them by the dewey decimal system. OMG. Heaven. read more