Monmouth Public Library

A remarkably well-​executed public library for a small town in a poor county. Very good layout and ergonomics, especially by comparison with the libraries in neighboring small towns. The collection is strong and often holds titles not held by the Salem library, which is itself progressively managed. A locked cabinet contains the local history collection. There are certainly enough computers available for searching the catalog; I never use public computers for surfing the internet and don’t know the library’s policy on that, nor do I use wi-​fi. There are no microfilm readers but the nearby college library has some.
The staff vary in the faces they present to the public, but I have had no really off-​putting encounters. As the previous reviewer noted, there can be vocal distractions. The tables seem to be gathering places for people who behave as though they were conducting counseling sessions. It is after all public space and perhaps that is considered part of the library mission.

This is a small town library. Being as such it has more lax rules than any library I have visited. It is the LOUDEST library I have ever visited. The librarians and the patrons all speak in a normal to slightly above normal tone of voice which makes it impossible to study. The library has a large selection of dvd’s which is very popular. The periodical selection is adequate. The library does have wifi but it is W-​E-​A-​K so stick with the library supplied computers. Don’t get me wrong… it is a nice little space if you get there at the right time and miss all the noise. During my visit a parent was there with his autistic son. The child was flipping through a magazine and as autistic children will do had an outburst every once in a while. No worries. The father spoke to the child calmly and the issue was resolved every time. Apparently an adult friend of the family came in and she proceeded to ask the child questions very loudly. I kept thinking… he is autistic, not deaf lady! There were also children running around gleefully. To sum up… If you get there before the children you are golden… other than that… head to the local college.