Montgomery County Public Libraries – Olney Branch

Library is supposed to serve the customer right? Yet, they shut down internet computers and printers, that we pay to print, early so that staff can leave right at closing time. If it is open until 5 it is open until 5pm. I really can’t see what the difference it makes shutting down computers early as opposed to right on closing time apart from accommodating employees. Unacceptable. On top of this, computer shut down while I still had two minutes left on it, just randomly shut down before I could log out of my e-​mail. This library was closed several times during the winter, due to «inclement weather» when there was no weather issue at all. On Sundays library is open from 1pm to 5pm and while there were a few drops of snow during the early morning, by 9am there was no snow, sun was shining, and temperatures were above 60 °F, yet library was closed? There are pros here as well, it is clean, new, has nice selection of books, but as everywhere in Montgomery county employees lack people skills and smiles are strictly forbidden. The best service I got at this branch was from an eight grade volunteer.

Best children’s section I’ve encountered in the area.
Pros:
–New building! It’s beautiful.
–Super large selection of board books, over 100. Rockville has five, at best.
–Lots of couches in the kids area to read books to your little one.
Cons:
–The room used for music time for kids was bursting at the seams, with half the parents standing outside the room. Surely there must be a bigger room to use, right? I opt to go to a library in DC (Cleveland Park) that puts on story time almost daily, instead.
–Montgomery County PL has some really uptight, annoying rules. I brought in a bag of books to return (only containing books), also was holding my baby, diaper bag, etc, and the librarian insisted I take the books out of the bag myself. Only having one arm I attempted to dump the bag out on the counter and of course nearly all of them fell on the floor, leaving me to scramble to pick them up while still holding the baby. Thanks. So much.

Gorgeous new building. Awesome, fast, self check out. Cute play area for the kids with puzzles, puppets, computer games. Events for kids during the week. Definitely a good place to go kill some time, alone or with the kids, or you know, read some books.