Horsham Township Library

This is one of the nicest libraries in Montgomery County that I’ve been to! The staff is extremely helpful and friendly. The library itself is modern, clean, and spacious.
But there are a few things that are holding me back from giving it 5 stars. I have come here a few times to study, and I have left a bit frustrated every time. it is next to impossible to find any outlets near the study areas so I usually end up leaving after my laptop dies. The wifi is extremely slow so don’t expect to do anything more than checking your emails. And it can get a little noisy in the evenings (even in the conference rooms) when most of the kids are there. More outlets, faster wifi, and a designated quiet area would give this library a 5!

What a lovely space to work, read, and hangout. The wifi is super slow, but at least it keeps me focused and not distracted with social networking.

This place is wonderful, and large, and welcoming, and just this perfect and beautiful safe haven of words and knowledge. I work in the business park right near by and walk here on my lunch every chance I get. They have a small deli, too, that I’ve never tried. The staff is wonderful, helpful, and kind, as librarians usually are.

The Horsham Library is a beautiful, state of the art, under-​appreciated gem. In this age of technologies, libraries are often forgotten and this is one that definitely should not be. The staff is friendly and helpful, the computers are fast, and the book selection is on point. If they dont have a book you want, they will quickly borrow it from a different library for you. Everyone should take advantage of this township resource!

This is a very nice liabary with tons of books and helpful resources. The downfall is the time that it closes. The people are nice to most guests but will get a little mad a kids like me going their just for help and they will get mad if you make noise. The vending machines are pretty amazing!

This library is top notch for a Township facility. A must stop.

So the library is probably the nicest in the area, but you’ll probably find more peace and quiet at a Starbucks. You have noisy kids, their yappy suburban moms and the staff who are just as loud. Whatever happened to the «SHHHHH!» policy at libraries? Also adopt an internet infrastructure and policy that is as modern as your building.

As far as content, Horsham Township Library gets an A. They seem to have a good quantity and selection of everything. The science fiction and fantasy section takes up two sides of a lengthy aisle (and has a few nice surprises!) They also have a large selection of DVDs, including a decent amount of foreign films, many in Criterion editions. Large young adult section (that’s where you’ll find most of the comics and graphic novels.)
Unfortunately, it’s a relatively new library, which means that it’s one of those new libraries, both in terms of architecture and attitude. High ceilings, glass windows on every side, and hard floors mean that every little sound carries from one end to the other, from the clacking of the DVD and CD security cases to the screeching of the children that run down the aisles (there is no real division between the children’s section and the general area.) Ah, yes, the children. I won’t go on a rant about the current generation of parents, but the librarians do nothing about it, either. Remember when you could go into a library to get away from it all? I remember those days, and I miss them.
Horsham Library is the place to go if you always wished your library were more like McDonald’s. Go for the resources, but go during school hours or bring a personal music player to help block out the noise.

As far as area libraries go, this is among the best if not the very top of the group. When I went there I had spent about a week trying to go to local libraries to check out some books on CD for my commute and ran into a string of closed libraries with ridiculously inconvenient hours and others that had insane membership fees. Horsham’s library was a rose among thorns.
The building itself is modern and they have plenty of parking. Once you’re inside you’ll find that the library is very active, airy, and bright (not always the most quiet of libraries with all of the little kids running around for different programs, but that’s okay — it’s a lively place). They have a ton of windows, so you don’t feel like you’re in a cave as you might in some libraries.
They have a fairly large selection of movies (a lot of documentaries) and while not the biggest audio book collection I’ve ever seen, it was sufficient. They also have a great book selection and, of course, can have books brought in from other Montgomery County libraries if they don’t have what you’re looking for. Finally, you’ll find that they have a lot of empty shelves. I think this is definitely a plus because it shows that they’re always getting new materials in – they planned this well and will be able to stay current on new literature and other media for years to come because they have the space to accommodate.
One warning: they don’t open until noon on Mondays — I got there around 10, which is when they open on most other days and was a little bummed to find I couldn’t go in.