I am writing to express ongoing concerns regarding my experiences at the Midlothian Library as a traveling therapist serving young children and their families. In my role, I work with children of varying abilities, including those with developmental differences. Unfortunately, I have had multiple unpleasant interactions with staff that have made the environment feel unwelcoming and, at times, inappropriate for the families I serve. I have observed what I perceive to be differential treatment toward families of color, including nonverbal cues and behaviors that come across as dismissive and judgmental. One particularly concerning incident involved a child with autism who was experiencing a brief meltdown in a private room. During this time, a staff member, later identified as Sue Eckhardt, entered abruptly and stated, "What the hell is going on? I can hear the banging in my office." The tone and approach lacked sensitivity and were not appropriate given the situation. The interaction escalated an already challenging moment rather than supporting a safe and understanding environment. Additionally, I have received repeated feedback that typical toddler behavior--such as speaking at an indoor voice level--is "too loud." I have also been told that my therapeutic singing is disruptive, despite it being a standard and necessary component of my sessions. At the same time, there appears to be inconsistency in expectations for noise levels among staff. I would also like to note concerns regarding the physical layout of the children's area. The toddler space is centrally located with high ceilings, which naturally amplifies sound. This design contributes to noise concerns that staff have raised, yet the responsibility appears to be placed on families rather than considering environmental factors. Public libraries are intended to be inclusive, welcoming spaces for all members of the community. Based on my experiences, I feel that the current environment and some staff interactions fall short of that standard. I strongly encourage leadership to reflect on staff training, particularly in areas of cultural responsiveness, disability awareness, and family-centered practices. read more

It was ok, staff has some attitude but mostly Ok One time I went to the bathroom and they were all messed up. It smelt bad and what I think was soap on the mirror. read more

Attendants are super nice they have games I got so many that I never played until I moved here in August I love this place.

All latest books and place is excellently ran love to come here wish my local library was as sufficient as this one!

Midlothian Public Library is a great place to read with your kids! It's a very beautiful and colorful library. They always have activities going on for children, teens and adults. Staff is friendly and helpful. read more

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I have been out of work for a while. I needed to make copies for potential employment. I make it to the library. Doors are locked i call ask if i can make copies. Nope you have to make an appointment. Called acorn library in oak forest no problem. They have their precautions but they are open people no appointment walk in look and check out books make copies. Its a shame the midlothian library cant keep up with acorn... Head to Acorn they care about everyone.... read more

Very nice building (completely rebuilt in 2012). Lots of activities for teens and for seniors -- not so much for adults. Great selection of materials. read more

Midlothian Public Library - A side view of the building, from Kenton Ave. - Libraries Near Me - Midlothian, Illinois

Really nice patient staff. Newer looking faculty. Very updated ways of doing things. Keep up the good work.

I come here on Monday's to get books to read on the train and I love the selection. I am often surprised by some activity that is going on. There is always something interesting happening for both kids and adults. I walked in this past Monday and there were people hula hooping and singing Christmas songs. The parking lot is never crowded when I go and I can always get pamphlets about other things going on in the community that I may not have known about. I love the Midlo Library. Also if you have it card, it is good at so many other libraries in the area. read more

I think Laura and Georgette are great librarians and facilitators of the women's book club. I think they have interesting events and a variety that should appeal to most tastes. read more

This library has amazing programs for kids. The children's librarians are great with all the kids and helpful to parents. But most not all of the ladies at the check out desk are rude they seem bothered if you ask for help and always send me to ask someone else. They give me and my kids the nastiest looks and I hate to think it's because we're Hispanic. While my son decided at the front desk what movie he had to leave because he had reached his limit the women pull back 2 movies he was about to look at and told him he couldn't take them because he reached his limit. Something we knew because she told us at the beginning of of checking the movies out. When my son asked if he could put back 2 movies inorder to check out the other 2 she got upset and started huffing alerting my autistic son that she was up. Which ruined his day because he hates upsetting people and made him sad and of course ruined my day because I hate to see my children hurt, especially what seem to me that it was racial. looking for a more friendly and safe library read more

The selection of books is great and we go here often to pick up material for the kids to read. The problem is that we frequently receive emails stating that we have overdue books. We have small children so we find it entirely possible that a book has slipped under the couch and we proceed to turn the house upside down trying to find the book. This has happened at least four times and every time we end up going to the library only to find the book already on the shelf. Apparently the staff is too lazy or too incompetent to check the books back in before placing them on the shelves. We have wasted hours looking for books that were not missing and we have wasted time traveling to the library to point out their failures. It is pathetic that our tax dollars go to pay the wages of these people. read more