| rev:text
| - Pros:
1) one-of-a-kind architecture, with
2) great views to the north and south, especially from the top (5th) floor; bring your camera
3) study desks on the top level: "private" solo stations or rows of side-by-side workstations, all with electrical outlets
4) natural daylight on the top floor; very nice if you have limited exposure to this at home or work
5) bathrooms are well maintained, given that some street people like to use them as hygiene stations. On the rare occasion I've reported a problem to staff, they have gotten a housekeeper on it quickly.
6) free Wi-Fi Internet access, though it can be quite sluggish at times (too many people streaming video?)
7) climate control keeps the building comfortable, though the 5th floor gets much warmer than the other floors in the summer, given its exposure to the sun
8) interesting general collection of books. I haven't yet sampled the Arizona-specific collection
9) though they seem to have cut back a bit on the selection, the number of magazines carried is impressive
10) security makes frequent rounds; I've only seen a couple of "incidents" with patrons, and they were handled quickly and efficiently
11) large collection of books, though a lot of them seem pretty out of date, almost like cast-offs b-grade stuff from other collections or donations that really don't merit being shelved, especially in the nonfiction materials. At least there is inter-library loan process, though I once tried it and the book I wanted still wasn't available after over a month, so I gave up on it.
12) e-books, media rentals, streaming and downloading music [just discovered that]
13) computer access for those without a computer; fax/copy machines, etc.
14) new coffee shop for a worthy cause (autism), though I've not tried it yet. Seems I also saw they only accept cash. *sigh*
15) numerous special events: lectures, exhibits, etc. The summer solstice event is a Phoenix bucket list item. Descriptions and pictures are nice, but it's really amazing to experience in person.
16) other specialty services/departments I haven't used
Cons (after several years of attendance):
1) water fountains--on the fifth floor, they're pretty much useless due to low pressure. Could the library management figure out a way to increase the water pressure up there so I don't have to put my mouth on the spigot to get a drink? 'Cause I don't put my mouth on water spigots anywhere, and neither should anybody else.
2) I'm average height, but the workstation tabletops on the 5th floor are a little to high for me, and the seats aren't the best, ergonomically speaking. The seats slope backwards: the butt area is way lower than the front edge of the seat, causing me problems with both sciatica and circulation. A flatter seat (with ventilation holes, like those on the 2nd floor) would be welcome. Neat chairs but poor ergonomics. :-(
3) that lovely view to the north and south is marred by a revolting coating of pigeon poop (especially on the south windows) on the eastern- and western-most panels of the glass. Perhaps clean the glass every other month or quarterly, and entice a few of the local raptors to take up residence or nest nearby? Fresh pigeon: mmmm!) This is a tourist attraction, so it would be nice to maximize the photo opportunities and minimize the yuck factor for tourists and locals alike.
4) second floor has lovely, big tables and chairs on the north end, but no electrical outlets for those tables. It's nice to have a spread-out work environment for a laptop and materials, but you'll only be there as long as your device's battery lasts.
5) copier service prices are very high for this day and age, especially given that most of the clientele is clearly not rich
6) I guess it's based on demand, but I wish the hours were more consistent from day to day. The Sunday short schedule especially is just mean, though I'm sure the employees don't mind it. Since this is the main library, I'd hope for 9a-9p hours Monday through Friday. We can hope, right?
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