Amarillo Public Library Central Branch Review

I just recently had one of my most favorite things in the world happen to me: I got a library card!

I just recently moved to Amarillo, TX, & on my list of things to do, after "get driver's license switched over", was get a card for the library. And so I have!

I have always loved libraries and respect them much. Whenever I enter into a library, I am worse than a kid in a candy store, & I am sure much more enthralled!

I have a special spot in my heart for these temples of words & information, as I spent many hours of my teen years in our local Library. So much so, in fact, that I landed a job there when the head librarian said one day that I knew the library so well, & had read so many of its books, that I might as well get paid for helping patrons find things!

Libraries open our hearts & minds, show us places & things we never imagined, contain books on every subject matter & type of people we could could imagine! So needless to say, I've been waiting to delve into Amarillo's Public Library, & test the waters!

Amarillo Public Library contains 5 branches, actually. Their central Library is where my husband & I went to get our cards, since it is right down the street from the bus station terminal, & we are there all the time anyway.

There is another branch of the Library nearer our home, but it is a smaller version, so we figured we'd hit the main base of operations first.

The Central Library is two stories, housing their fiction, & huge collection of DVDs/VHS's/CD's/cassette tapes, as well as puzzles, & audio books (which in Texas seem to be called "talking books") on the second floor, & their non-fiction-both regular, large print, & over-sized books.

There are computers, of course, for which they will give you a pin if you intend to use them for an hour.
There are at least 2 people on each floor who are at their own desk (as opposed to the front desk), who have the sole job of knowing where everything is, & who breath & sleep the Dewey Decimal system.

The staff in general was very kind, & helpful, & seemed to all have a sense of humor! If you have been to different Libraries, you know that this is not always the case. I don't know what about knowledge makes people gloomy & stiff, but apparently it can happen to the best of people when they work in Libraries...

But not in the Amarillo Public Library system. Sure, you still should be quiet, & turn your cell to vibrate, & not drop or break things... But you do not sneeze & suddenly hear a hissing "Shhh!!" from the floor below!

The central Amarillo Public Library is all around a great place & system, & I look forward to checking out the other branches!

The only disappointment that I would note is the website. It's not very visually appealing, but more importantly, it's complicated to navigate. It opens up other tabs when you click links, & it took me a bit of searching to find where a person is supposed to log in. And though I believe the system itself has a great inter-Library loan collection, it's tough to find it, & you have to fill in your address & such every time you look for something.

But aside from the disorientated website, I am very glad to have found the Amarillo Public Library, & look forward to visiting it many times, & renewing my love for reading!