Chandler Hamilton Public Library

The Hamilton library has a wide selection of books and DVDs, as well as a helpful staff. They are also very involved in Hamilton High School and the community. They let teachers take their classes to the library to use the computer labs, and they are involved in Hamilton’s After School Cool program. They helped Link Crew create and organize the Program, and got the venders to come to Link Crew’s freshmen orientation. This is a great place to get a book, relax, and support an establishment that works to better the community.

It is a small library and limited in what they have but super fast and easy to get a library card-​there wasn’t a line… The con is that it seems to be an extended babysitter for all the neighborhood latchkey kids — it was so loud! And more disturbing was all the library employees watching and listening these ill behaved monkeys running around and saying nothing about the behavior! Some had parents who were there but they seemed as oblivious as the employees! I will say that the employees were very friendly and helpful in finding what we needed.

This is a tiny library that I always go to since it’s very close to home. But whenever I visit, I feel like I’m being given a special pat down by TSA. Gosh, they have some very surly and unhappy employees.
Two particular problems (and I think the first is a problem with all four Chandler libraries). No drive through book drop off. Dropping off a book takes a minute normally, but it takes me a full ten minutes because I have to unstrap a toddler from his car seat, balance him and the books while walking up and then having to strap him back in again. God forbid he sleeps right when I drive into that weird parking lot. Having a drive through drop off will solve half the haphazard driving that happens in that weird parking lot.
Second, the weird parking lot. They have in the past year tried to prevent vehicles driving out of the library through the main entrance, so they made it a one way so you keep driving on and exit on Appleby. Only the two possible exits are ALWAYS locked. So we often have a several bewildered drivers driving around the lot and to the basketball court and the main school building trying to find a way to exit without blatantly disregarding the traffic cones and do not enter sign. Questions about why it is so confounding are met with brain dead stares from the unhappy employees.

I guess there’s a first time for everything, my first negative customer service experience at a public library, on the other hand the Downtown Library is a five star. The lady behind the counter was too bothered to look up from her computer to answer my 2 – 3 innocuous questions and answered rudely. Won’t be going here again.

Normally I have a strict policy against leaving the house on Saturdays due to all the people out running their errands and running over whoever gets in their way, but this morning, Captain Douchebag next door decides to fire up all his power tools at 7:00 a.m., so I thought, what the heck… I’ll go out and knock out the stuff on my list.
I had already had a bad experience at Target. Grabbed a cart, which happened to come with a dirty diaper! WTF is wrong with people? Then I got behind a woman who kept trying 14 different maxed out credit cards and it took me forever in the check out lane. I am not having a good feeling at this point. I should have gotten a breakfast burrito and immediately gone home. But I had one more stop that I really wanted to make.
I had a book on hold at Hamilton Library that I needed for a class, so I thought I’d swing in there a little after 9 and pick it up. Now, I am the first to admit when I’m wrong, and at the time I truly thought their Saturday hours were 9 – 5. I walk in, find my book, and start using the self-​checkout. Suddenly I hear, «WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HERE???»
Uh…this is a library… I’m not sure what else I’d be doing.
«WE ARE NOT OPEN! HOW DID YOU GET IN???»
I pointed to the door that I always come in, and said, «The door right there.»
An older gal who has the same hairdo Priscilla Presley had when she married Elvis, proceeded to totally attempt to make me feel like an idiot.
«YOU CAN’T TAKE THAT!»
«Do you mean I can’t take the book I just checked out?»
«DID YOU SEE THE SIGN OUT FRONT? YOU CAN’T BE IN HERE! ARE YOU FINISHED? OUR HOURS ARE 1 – 5. YOU NEED TO GO DOWNTOWN! WELL GO AHEAD!!»
«I’m truly sorry if I startled you, but don’t you open at 9?»
«THAT IS THE DOWNTOWN LOCATION ONLY! THERE’S A SIGN OUT FRONT! WE ARE NOT OPEN!»
Her diatribe was filled with many sighs and eye rolls. Oh boy. Her Monday-​Friday job must be with TSA.
Then I said something that’s just as dorky as saying, «oopsie daisy». I said, «Jiminy, I didn’t mean to upset you. Sorry.»
Jiminy. Oh yeah. Who says that? I’m a dork. She caught me off guard.
Maybe it’s because in my day job I frequently have to correct people and I do it in a way that’s friendly, at times humorous, and educational so they actually learn. It’s not rocket science, but yelling at and berating people doesn’t really tend to work very well.
Normally I find this location slightly frustrating anyway. I’ve learned to avoid the peak high school comings and goings, but they put up a one way only sign for the library parking lot, and if you follow the sign, on weekends, it takes you to a locked gate. Makes no sense. So, I have to turn around and go against the one way, which everyone else does anyway because the entrance/​exit is right on Arizona Ave.
As I left, I realized I should have asked her, «Who left the door unlocked?»

I like this branch. Yes it is very small so that limits the selection and activities, but the employees are friendly and helpful and it is very clean. I’ve had no problems requested other books or media and they are transferred to this branch rather quickly, typically 1 – 2 days in my experience.
The parking lot is weird and small. Note that this branch is part of Hamilton HS campus so try to avoid coming during the peak high school traffic times (lunch, right after school 2:30 — 3:30).

In an effort to find fun things to do with my daughter I checked out the Chandler Public Library web site. I found they offer fun things for the kids about once a week. I signed us up for a presentation from the Phoenix Zoo. There were about 60 or so kids and parents there and it was nicely organized. We were greated by Serena, a respresentative from the zoo. She did a nice presentation about animals native to Arizona. It was fun and informative. Afterwards we explored the library. It is small and attached to the high school next door. There were not a lot of people there but I would imagine when school is in session it is very busy. The parking is a bit odd. There are only a few spots in the front so we had to park on the other side by the school and walk. The staff was friendy and helpful. This branch is the closest to me so I’m sure we’ll be back but I will check out the main branch too.

I come to this branch because it’s the closest to my house. I do try to stay away on weekdays, especially before 6, because it’s always overrun by loud kids. They don’t have as good of a selection as the Sunset branch, but it meets my needs. :)

This is the Hamilton Branch of a Chandler Library, and literally right inside Hamilton High School. I approached with my head down, because I’m scared of high schoolers, but luckily I didn’t have to go into the high school to get to the library.
I’m not sure what it’s like during the day, but after school is out it’s full of students and some random parents with their young children. It’s a smaller than normal branch, but they have a decent selection of books and dvds.
It’s definitely worth it to drive a couple miles north to the big location in downtown Chandler!