Gwinnett County Public Library

it was nice and clean. it had free wi fi and a good workspace

I was finally able to visit this library. Every time I am in town or drive by, they are closed for some reason. The library is very small, so therefore the collections are small. However, the content of the collections is quite impressive and up to date in the Young Adult and the Youth areas. But, even with the smaller space the area librarians could do a little more to make the interior spaces look more inviting.
There is only one foreign language section, which is Spanish. You would think there would be a Chinese or Korean language section as well. I am just used to other places where those collections are quite large and always on rotation. But, the librarian let us know that those languages are only available in Dekalb County system and not Gwinnett, which made no sense at all.
Wifi is free and slow and the bathrooms are almost always occupied.

With a friend the other day who wanted to stop in and look for some audiobooks for a future trip. I like the fact that it’s a simple self-​checkout process. Everything has a RFID tag in it, just lay it on the pad, put your library card on the scanner, and you’re done.
They have quite an extensive audiobook selection also, which was really nice. Not many public libraries have them or keep them in such good condition.

I love libraries. The Gwinnett County Public Library (GCPL) system is wonderful! Believe it or not, you can actually check out a total of 75 items (books, CD audio books, DVDs, etc.) at any time! Wow! =)
Since I had loved the beautiful Hamilton Mill branch so much, I decided to check out the Norcross branch because I was going to be in the area on a Sunday. I was finishing up a book that was due that day, so naturally I thought the Norcross branch would be the perfect place to finish my book and then return it when I was done.
I thought the Hamilton Mill branch was small, but this one is TINY. And really old. There aren’t a lot of desks, but there were some empty sofas at the left as soon as I walked into the library, so I sat down. I immediately noticed that there was a really bad smell in the area. It smelled like body odor, but then again, it could have been the smell of the old sofa and old books. Ick.
Eventually, I couldn’t stand the smell anymore, so I left the library and ended up finishing my book in the car and then returning it through the drop-​off chute that you can access from outside.
Overall, the Norcross branch of the GCPL system gets 3.5 stars — mostly because I love the GCPL system so much. I subtracted 1.5 stars because the library is super tiny, old, and smelly. I missed and had a newfound appreciation for the Hamilton Mill branch that is so much closer to me. I probably won’t return to this one unless I simply need to return books and I happen to be in the area.
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