Haggard Library — Attraction in Plano

This is without a doubt my favorite library in the greater Dallas area. It’s located off Coit, between Parker and W Park Blvd. The parking lot is huge and the entrance quite welcoming with bike racks, ample benches and even a picnic table around the side. There’s also a drive-through, covered, ATM-like automated return system. The glass facade is two stories tall and impressive.

Entering the library you find quite a large collection of used books and magazines for sale. Hundreds, actually. To the right is an activity room which was quite, err, active. There was a lot of comfortable bustling and chatting here, and throughout the library. A very friendly, comfortable place.

The entire first floor - in itself larger than many entire libraries - is devoted to children. Everywhere I looked it seemed there were more activity and study and meeting rooms.

The adult materials are on the second floor. Even getting there was a pleasure with carpeted, gentle rise decorative stairs leading me up. The number of fiction and nonfiction adult books rivals that of the Dallas Central Library in quantity.

I have to admit at this point I was a bit overwhelmed and didn’t check to see, for example, how many computers they had available. They had at least two groups of fifteen; maybe more. Study rooms for quiet, study rooms for discussion...

I also noticed a large Chinese language section of books and DVDs. Also, the basement appears to be devoted to genealogy. There are probably a lot more gems I have yet...

I really like this library. I used to live close to here before having moved. Today’s experience left a lot to be desired. I was in the area and wanted to print some stuff for my scrapbook. First, Microsoft word kept crashing and closing out on me. When I asked the Asian lady upstairs about it, she suggested I use another computer. It worked for a bit before I started having the same problem again on the second computer. So I wasn’t able to get much done today as I had hoped. Then, I couldn’t get into my google account and when I asked her for help, she told me it was none of her business and refused to help so i never asked her about that problem with Microsoft word that kept happening on the second computer.

I was just really disappointed because I was really looking forward to having a lot done today. And it became clear that the Asian lady really didn’t wanna help and just wanted to go back to her desk. Because there was another patron who needed help and kept her busy for a while and the Asian clerk was just rolling her eyes and becoming impatient the entire time. If you don’t wanna help anyone, just get someone else to. You have multiple clerks at the library just sitting at their desks and people are gonna walk up to y’all...

Richardson Public Library's shift into a temporary building left me disappointed with their lack of books. (I was first in line for a book on hold and still didn't have it after a month. :( will be giving RPL a second chance after they move into their new building.) Came to Haggard Library with a TexShare card but the librarians immediately filled me in on the information I was missing: I could be have a library card their due to my residency. (Nobody at RPL mentioned that.) They helped me through the application process and were super cool about it. Only thing I can't do is place a book request online, but the selection of books is so wide that it's not usually necessary anyways. Thanks to this library I was finally able to finish the Warrior Cats arc I was reading (The Broken Code, if you were wondering) and got access to the new series as well. Not trying to bash RPL from this review though, as this is all from only one experience. Haggard just came out the winner this...