Clearfield Br Library

I LOVE LIBRARIES. They are calm, quiet areas of respite filled with tons of amazing information. And we get to rent that amazing information and hang out here (quietly) FOR FREE. FREE. Yes, FREE. No pressure to buy a crappy overpriced drink or media material. It’s all free!
Free is fabulous to a point though. When people bring in their messy children or messy selves to rent materials for free, they must think they can abuse said materials because they are free. It can certainly be unhygienic. Most definitely disrespectful. Quite often, a buzzkill.
I love the quaintness of Clearfield. I literally can walk in here, grab a book, and self-​check out in about 30 seconds flat. What I don’t love about Clearfield is that it feels dirty. The reference computers look like they have never been cleaned (look up your shit at home, on their website, before you come in). They don’t use the Dewey Decimal System anymore. Books are sorted by category and are alphabetical by author. I used to come in here as a peewee, after swimming at the Town of Amherst toilet, er, I mean POOL. Back then, before computers, there was a card catalog and the Dewey Decimal System was used. My how things have changed!
The books are in various conditions… The book I got today, save for a smudge or 2 on the cover, was clean for all intents and purposes. I have rented children’s books from here for the Daisy Girl Scout troop that I co-​lead as a volunteer (I mention this because as a volunteer we have little/​no budget to buy educational materials for the girls, so libraries are beyond important!), and the books have been beyond disgusting. The clean freak in me always wipes everything down with Clorox wipes after I rent. The one Berenstain Bears book I got was so filthy, I had to use 2 wipes on it. And the wipes were both brown after the wipe down. I shudder to even think where that book had been and with whom over the last 20 years that it had been in library circulation.
:heebie jeebies:
For the particular Berenstain Bears book I was searching for, I had to request the help of the librarian because I could not find the book alphabetically. She was on the cold and stern side, but she did find the book eventually. The children’s section is so sloppily organized. Don’t have high expectations to find anything alphabetically.
As I said, I love libraries, and I donate and support them, but this one could use some improvements.

This is the library I grew up going to, so I often still come here. And it’s a surprisingly busy library, considering the deterioration I’ve noticed inside. The carpets are threadbare and pretty filthy. Last night I was stepping on bits of cracker. And something scuttled across my path as I made my way to the DVD section. It was too quick for me to identify but almost seemed too large and too fast to be a bug… need I say more? Also, when you first walk in through the Plaza Drive entrance, there are books strewn across the floor and it looks cluttered. Not a very welcoming first impression.
The book selection is plentiful, so is the DVD and audiobook selection. Which is why I continue coming here. There is also a large section of newly released books.
If you’re looking for a relaxing, tranquil experience, go to the Clarence library. If you’re just running errands and grabbing XYZ from the library is a chore, come to Clearfield. The staff is exceptionally friendly and helpful and when there’s a line, it goes quick!