Tuscarawas County Public Library System, Main Library — Attraction in New Philadelphia

The library is very nice. I’m sure most of the staff is also great and helpful. However, if you’re looking for notary services, don’t waste your time here. I called ahead at 3PM to confirm they have a Notary Public, since I was driving from an hour away. They confirmed one would be on-site until 5pm. I picked up my disabled aunt from a local nursing home and headed to the library to have her POA documents notarized. We arrived around 4:15PM, and checked in at the front desk. When the notary came downstairs to meet us a few minutes later, she announces she “doesn’t do these very often.” We present both our driver licenses to the notary, and she provides my aunt with a clipboard and pen to complete the paperwork. My aunt has blindness due to diabetes and cannot see or read normal print well. We verbally reviewed the documents together beforehand, but she needed help knowing where to initial, sign, check mark, etc. I verbally indicated to her where to do these things, (while understanding, as a notary myself, that she cannot sign the document without the notary witnessing her signing the document). Right before my aunt arrived at the signature page of the first document, the notary puts her hands up (as if to stay hold-up) and says dramatically, “I don’t feel comfortable with this. I’m not comfortable with the way you are reading her the document and I’m not going to notarize this for you.” Completely confused and befuddled, I asked why? All she could say was that she was “not comfortable with me reading” my half-blind aunt some words on the document she’s signing. I asked to speak to a manager and was able to speak to one, but there was nothing anyone would do for us, since it was the Notary Public’s discretion. The notary then went on to say that she felt I was “coercing” my aunt, to which my aunt rebuked and said, “she’s my niece and she’s not coercing me. I can’t see well.” Still, no service, and time was of the essence for getting it done while I could be in town during business hours and my aunt could have a pass from the nursing home. We were turned away and had to rush to her local bank, whose Notary had no issues completing the service. A few take aways for future reference Tusc. Co Library Notaries: If you’re not comfortable performing your services as a Notary Public because you don’t do them often enough, then don’t renew your Notary, or start doing more so you are comfortable. Simply, don’t make up reasons to get out of doing something you don’t want to do. Don’t imply or accuse someone of coercion, simply because you lack enough emotional intelligence to realize I’m there, not because I want to be a POA, but because my aunt has no children and I’m the one who is stepping up to help her make important decisions. Know your role. You are there to witness the signature. I did NOTHING to even insinuate that I was coercing her, other than reading her some sections where her initials were required. Big difference between “coercion” and “assisting.” Fundamentally different. If undertones of urgency and frustration seem to be present at some of your interactions as a Notary Public, I imagine it’s because some situations are urgent and some frustrating, not because your subjects are all up to nefarious acts, but maybe setting up funeral trusts, and taking control of someone else’s life isn’t an easy or pleasant thing you want to have to do. Regardless, it’s a lot to say about a simple, free service, I know. But maybe next time, learn how to read the room and situation appropriately before denying a service to anyone. This was important to us, and you made it unnecessarily and unfairly hard. We wouldn’t have been there in the first place if my aunt was all well and good...

For a small community and county, this is a top notch library with excellent resources, including a great place to just sit and read, maybe play video games (they have a few!), use the wifi, or see what else is going on in the local community. Everything free to anyone with a Tusc County library card, or very cheap. Free coffee in the mornings even. A cool place to sit in summer, and warm place in winter, too. Everything you could want in a community...

Visited this lovely library today with my girlfriend and the librarian Rachel was very helpful, informative, and knowledgeable about local events, history, and activities to do in and around the New Philadelphia area. She made our visit an experience for us and we couldn't...