El Paso Public Library Main Downtown Branch

I come to libraries as student to get some quiet time doing my homework on my laptop. I don’t play games or get on Facebook like so many patrons do. I do serious homework from the moment I get there till the moment I leave. This is the dirtiest and nastiest library I have ever been to in the country and I have been to libraries all over the country not to mention the city. The first bad experience I had was sitting down in a chair in the lounge to use my phone. It was covered in urine! I mean it was wet and actually got on my clothing! I told the librarian and she just said «I shouldn’t sit on upholstered chairs.» She actually said that calmly without even flinching! Then every time I asked this librarian Martha for help she would ignore me and someone else would come running answering as if she were some special case! When I used my laptop there, fleas kept jumping onto my screen. Yes, actual fleas! I think I may have actually gotten fleas from this place! I have contacted the manager about the rude behavior but haven’t gotten an answer back yet. I dare you to show me a library worse than this one! I’m not sure why it has good reviews when the staff are unfriendly and the place is this filthy! I’m very surprised it isn’t shut down for health reasons! My suggestion is an «avoid at all costs» unless you want your complaints to be ignored, to be looked at in an unfriendly manner, not greeted, ignored in a condescending manner when you try to get help, have fleas jump on you and your stuff, and urine soaked clothing when you’re done. Pathetic!

Pros:
— Great facility w/​lots of space & books
— upstairs restroom was clean & had hooks
— open everyday, longer hours than the branch libraries
— More books than the branch libraries
Cons:
— Would be great if there were more outlets to plug in my laptop
— Downstairs restroom was smelly (but clean)…better ventilation would be nice. Also doors were missing hooks so I could hang my bag.
— More sweaty people here than at the Westside branch.
— Parking might not be available. I went on a weekend, so I was able to park at the meters w/​o paying.
Overall, I prefer the smaller branch library near my apartment b/​c it’s closer, has pretty much guaranteed parking, & I didn’t encounter smelly people (yes, bad smells really bother me), but it’s not always open :(

A 5 star facility frequented by 1 star people… This has nothing to do with socioeconomic status or anything racial, but I saw a fight break out in the lobby the last time I was here.
Not a shouting match, not a shoving match, actual punches were thrown, and the fact that the security guard merely asked them to break it up while these people’s friends were trying to pull them apart made it worse. These people needed to be kicked out or the police should have been called, that’s why I reflect this incident on my review.
That aside, I hadn’t visited this library since the new renovation, and like I said, the facility is great. They have a nice lobby area, which is not only perfect for cholos to fight, but they also have a coffee stand. The computer lab setup is great, lots of PCs available. The stacks area is brightly lit, which makes it a good place to study. And of course they have the most books since its the main branch.
It’s a real shame that security is an issue, particularly since this branch is the only one open every day of the week and is open the latest. It is a great library to visit during the daytime.