Southfield Public Library — Attraction in Southfield

I hate to give negative reviews to facilities that aim to serve the public, however it is my hope that library management will consider these criticisms and look to improve the experience for patrons in the future. To be fair, it is a beautiful facility, the location is great and the place has very distinct and welcoming vibe. Definitely a place I would love to spend some time to study, read a book, or just get some work done. However, doing any of the aforementioned becomes nearly impossible during the summer months due to the excessive temperatures within the building. Granted it was a hot summer day with temps around 85F, but I was surprised to find the temps within the building to be just about the same (in excess of 80F). I was on the third floor and it was steamy, very uncomfortable. And I wasn't alone in experiencing this, other patrons had voiced the same discomfort. However, if you were able to withstand the heat, your next challenge would be the library's wi-fi connection. It is extremely slow and lagging. Forget streaming videos or the like, it took nearly a minute to bring up my email inbox, reminded me of the days of using a dial-up connection. Finally, if somehow you were able to deal with the excessive temps and super slow internet connection, then you'd have to deal with the fact that this library closes at 8pm. Really? That closing time is a full hour earlier than other libraries of similar caliber. These are some major drawback and it's quite a shame that such a beautiful facility is rendered almost useless due to these factors. It's sad when a Starbucks or a Panera bread provide a more conducive environment to study or get...

The staff at the desks were very nice and helpful. But the 2 security guards at the door were very rude. When we walked in they informed us the time they closed and told us hurry up and finish. When we were walking to the pop machine they asked us if there were a problem as if we were trying to steal something. Lastly when we were packing our things up and about to walk out one of them came in the room and started yelling and rushing us out. He said “it’s time to leave, get out, hurry up.” Then walked us out as if we weren’t already leaving... When other people were walking out he was very polite and patient with them but with my group and I he was very rude, unprofessional, and unpleasant. This was a bummer to me and my group because we go to school down the street and we need to come to the library to work on our project. We are teenagers and were very unproblematic and respectful even when he was disrespectful to us. I don’t think I will be attending this library...

The southfield library has always been a great place for me. Unfortunately today was less than stellar. My mother is older, doesn't drive, and is not too comfortable with computer payments. I was stopping by the library and she had an old balance. I told her I would take care of it. I stopped in and was met with nothing short of contempt by the man at the front desk when I said I was here to pay someone else's balance. He brought out the person in charge. Up until this point I was fine with any attitude as long as I got the end result I wanted. The statement that caused me to write this post was "um.... your mother is an adult". Upon hearing this this I bit my tongue. I wanted to know why this statement was made in the first place? I'm a son attempting to do what I thought was a simple for a loved one. Who are you to give me an attitude for having a question, asking the "help desk" for help, and insulting my mother? Hopefully, this is a one...