Howard-Tilton Memorial Library

you have one staff member in the Howard-​tilton Pj’s that is the single worst customer service provider I have ever met. She talks on the phone, ignores people, and takes her sweet time doing dumb stuff like stocking when the like is WELL over 5 deep. She doesn’t ask before she makes things (wrong), she doesn’t know how to answer questions, and she doesn’t tell you what she is out of until AFTER you pay. I want you to know I have had enough bad experiences with this woman and I will not purchase anything while she is working because she is god awful. She wouldn’t tell me her name, but she is working this min (4:38 pm on Sunday ¹⁰⁄₂₆). I watched 3 other people give up and leave line too.

I’ll admit, with the volume of material that a library has, it is understandable for a library to be a bit of a labyrinth, but navigation Howard Tilton for that molding book on Easter Island or African Diaspora is too much of an adventure for my taste.
Their catalog is straightforward enough, but the book rows are all over the place and sometimes difficult to follow. Not to mention the fact that the majority of the stacks are in low-​ceiling, basement like spaces, giving one the sense that they are in the opening ghost scene from «Ghostbusters.»
Also, for a library building, Howard Tilton is rather noisy. Of course, people will chitchat as they do, but the HVAC units are constantly roaring and the staircases echo like anything.
If you get a couch seat on the third floor while the sun is still up, then I’ll admit, it makes for a lovely reading space. Also… thank the good lord they put a PJ’s coffee inside!

The Howard-​Tilton Memorial Library is a student’s dream. With the newly remodeled 3^rd Floor Quiet Study Area and the less recent addition of the 1^st Floor Learning Commons, it is an effective place to finish work or study for a test.
Howard-​Tilton has many special collections, including the the Louisiana Research Collection in Jones Hall (it’s actually across the street from the library) and the Music and Media Center. Unfortunately both of these special libraries are a closed stacks, so you have to already know what you want to check out (you can’t just browse like you can all the other books in the library). The LaRC has some phenomenal stuff, including newspapers, maps, books, articles, letters, etc. concerning the history of Louisiana. The Hogan Jazz Collection is also pretty spectacular. You can’t check things out from these areas though; you have to read/​listen to them while you’re there. In the Music and Media Center however, you can choose from a number of music and film genres and take them home with you to watch on a lazy afternoon. It’s definitely a great place to visit!