Davis Library

Came here to study on a weekday and I was surprised by the amount of old people that came here. And I was annoyed at how noisy this library was. Thank god for earphones. Also, this library is super old and hasn’t been renovated feels like since the 90’s. I would still come here in the future just because it’s the closest library to me and isn’t as noisy as a Starbucks or Panera bread.

I come here to study in the «quiet room», but it’s not always quiet. The quiet room is located right off of the road. You can hear the traffic from that. The high school is across the street, and the kids practice out there. Sometimes they blare music. The library has community rooms downstairs. The sound travels through building. One day a bunch of kids from a local daycare, or school had their lunch break and outdoor fun time on the front lawn of the library — right outside of the «quiet room». It’s more like a community center than just a quiet library to study. If you need a really quiet place to study, Davis probably isn’t your best bet. Bring ear plugs.

One of the only libraries in the county that has not been remodeled. The moment you
walk in you notice a musty odor that permeates the entire building. I feel sorry for the staff that has to put up with the odor .As a busy library in a major metro location it is a travesty that it is left outdated. The citizens living near WJ are just as much Bethesda residents as the folks who live near the swank library on Arlington Road. Where are our local representatives?

This library isn’t like I remember it from twelve years ago when I worked nearby. I tutor a client here twice a week now, and I must say it is the noisiest library I have ever been to. It is not just the patrons. The guy who works at the information desk talks in an extremely loud voice when he is on the phone. The lady, when on duty, is much quieter.
People leave books and magazines all over the tables and I often see people drinking beverages when there are signs saying no drinks allowed except water. The public computers are right in the center of the library, and there is no privacy.
The Davis Library does have a huge collection of books on tape. I found two to take with me on my nine hour drive to Michigan. As far as special needs go, you would think they would have private study/​tutor rooms to reserve. The Silver Spring library does, and they are not a special needs library.
Since this place is convenient for my client after work, I will continue to meet him here, but for my own personal use I’ll stick with Chevy Chase Library.

Like all Montgomery County libraries, this has free wi-​fi. You can go and telework there, away from the office and away from your house. The library has a quiet room to set up your laptop that is kept quiet.
This library has a really good (and large) space set aside with used books for sale. 50¢ for paperbacks; $ 1 for hardbacks. Lots of books, lots of changing inventory.
Warning: you’ll need to wipe your working space with paper towels. The cubicles are really dirty.

I seriously must have been the only teenager to have ever cut class… to go to the library. But that’s what being a hyper-​crazy Asian will do to you.
I went to high school right across the street from Davis Library. My high school was also less then a mile from Montgomery Mall — which was where all my friends would go when they cut class… only to be promptly caught and brought to the vice principle’s office in ignomy and shame. To me, they were stupid and deserved to get caught. Everyone knows that there was an entire security team patroling the Mall for kids skipping class, so it made no logical sense to go there.
However, for much of my high school career, I elected not to go to class. Not out of hatred for school, but out of boredom. How many times do we need to go over each concept??? Geez, I realize that this was public school, but I don’t think anyone in my class was *that* dumb. And if they were, they probably shouldn’t be in that class. So I would often slip away across the football fields to Davis Library where I could study and read (and yes, daydream) in peace and quiet without the annoying buzzing of those poor beleagured teachers. On the rare occasion when I was caught, the vice-​principle always had a hard time deciding how to punish me. I broke the rules after all — however, how does one punish a student for going to the library? I usually got lunch detention which was fine as that allowed me to get caught up on the day’s gossip. Good times! Good times!
So you can imagine what a stroll down memory lane visiting Davis was, after all these years. Not much has change, and yet, a lot has changed. There is still a seperate room for the kids — which is much appreciated, and the awesome sci-​fi section (where I first discovered Arthur C. Clark’s «Songs of Distant Earth» and read it in 2 hours, sobbing the entire time). The «teen» section isn’t as extensive as I remembered, but then, there really isn’t really good «teen-​lit» is there? However there are now computers there! And a DVD section! I can only imagine the serious drop in my grades if there was internet access and movies around back then! I suppose that all libraries now have these things — but honestly, in my mind, Davis would be a changeless time capsule — looking, smelling and feeling the same as the last day I crossed through their doors.
Although I know it’s probably not true, but I could swear that the staff hasn’t changed either. They are still the same smileless, slightly grouchy, but infinitely competant librarians I remember from so many billions of years ago. I actually asked one where I could find a book — and she took me to that shelf and whipped the book right out without even looking. Heh — say what you will about getting stuff online or going to B&N — no one knows a reference book like a librarian!
Davis Library — I will always love you… you were my sanctuary in high school, and I seriously don’t know how I would have survived without the agonized screaming from bored frustration without you.
Don’t ever change! K-​I-​T! BWAHAHA!