Dover Public Library — Attraction in Dover

5 stars to 1 star. We used to go there all the time, and my wife has never had a problem getting a key to use the bathroom after they've implemented this practice of requesting a key. They have never questioned her once; she just went to the counter, and they gave her a key, whether or not she has kids with her. I went in to use the restroom, while my kids were there in the library, actually in the kids section doing a story time. They refused to give me the key and insisted that I walk upstairs to request one. I then walked upstairs, asked for a key, and they claimed they did not have a key to use the restroom. It was obvious someone from downstairs called upstairs.

After arguing they then privileged me with letting me use the key but said I had to go downstairs to get it. When I went back downstairs I was then asked whether I had kids there, and I actually had to interrupt story time to prove my children were there with my wife. Meanwhile, when I finally got to use the restroom, someone walked out who appeared dirty, under the influence, and smelled of fresh cigarette smoke. When I went into the bathroom, it stunk badly. Ultimately, they have their biases on who they let go. As stated, my wife has never had a problem, and now they even consider this a safe haven for drug users and have a needle receptacle... but if you are a dad waiting for your kids in story time? Well, that's where they draw the line... The fact is, I have an actual medical condition, and really had to use the restroom, that wasn't the time that I wanted to argue about getting a key. It was humiliating and discriminatory.

Old 5-star review has been removed. This library has...

Libraries are one of the cornerstones of a community. They are the last bastion of egalitarianism, where anyone in a city can come and drink from the fount of knowledge for free. They are a testament to the goodness that civic society offers; that taxes and a functioning government are vital to the happiness of the people.

The public library is a radical idea. So radical, that if it were first proposed today in the United States, it would probably be shouted down as a communist or socialist plot. Take a little bit of money from everyone, to just, give out free knowledge to anyone who asks? Preposterous. What's next? We just give hungry kids lunch for free and don't put them in debt? What a slippery slope that would be.

A library is an indispensable part of civic connection and engagement. Libraries host town halls, community meetings, cultural events, provide government services and documents, act as the repository for a community's history; the list goes on and on. They promote education, the single most important positive indicator in any person's life, they reduce inequity, they provide free internet access to those without it, they help under-served groups and ESL folks, the list goes on and on. They just simply make any place they are a better place to live.

It doesn't hurt that our Carnegie library, as horrible as that man was, is also a gorgeous place to read a book, and props are due to the city for keeping renovations and updates as historically accurate as possible (looking at you slate roof).

The Dover library is the best thing about Dover. A library is the best thing about any village, town or city. Libraries are the shining...

I love the Dover library and the Librarians who work there are so helpful knowledgeable! It's a great place to go for many reasons whether you are a child or an adult!!

Lately the library has become a neutral safe space for members of the community who might be seeking out information on all kinds of different things that would generally be a hot button topic elsewhere.... But here it is handled calmly and thoughtfully with an emphasis on expanding one's understanding of a myriad of situations where social stigma reigns supreme over the actual truth at the heart of the matter. I applaud the librarians for their hard work and making the library achieve the standards to be a family place where children and their parents can both feel equally safe and excited to run through the doors, a place where it's okay if you don't have a dollar in your pocket there's a wealth of information at your fingertips in the evening extended the guest pass from 1 hours to 2 hours on the internet, the amount of hobbies and materials you can use to learn a new hobby is quite amazing!!! They just keep getting better. And they are always there to welcome me with a smile no matter if I'm having my worst day of the year or a big smile on my face in return. It feels very much like a refuge to me where I can take a mini vacation from the craziness of the world and I hope it does the same for many others. From the regulars that I see there, or the newcomers exploring it for the first time, it's my opinion that it is a similar experience for all generations within...