Nothing quite like the smell of old books. This library is quite grand and was a welcome surprise…read more I did not need to do research or to check out a book. I needed a quiet and cool Place to hang out before my flight home and for about 3 hours. This library was so perfect for my needs. And it was much larger than I expected. There were large tables with several chairs and lots of space and there were small individual tables. I was able to catch up on some work!! Air conditioning in the Deep South and Work! Win win!! Oh! One other mention, their internet is super fast. Another plus for my needs. If you're looking for a place for study or work, give this library a try! I'll be back next time I'm in Hattiesburg.

I'll start with the good, and there is a lot to like here. From the vast openness and beautiful…read morearchitectural design to its collections of books and media, computer lab with printing services and a helpful staff, meeting rooms, community events/activities, game/media center for teenagers, huge lower level children's area designed just for them, and an enclosed and mostly covered outdoor patio, it seems perfect at first glance. But spend some time there, and its problems permeate the space. Expect to be greeted at the front entrance steps to large puddles and accumulated mud due uncorrected incline drainage issues, fed by morning sprinklers and rain. If you require concentration and focus, be sure to request one of the three small individual study rooms as the noise level inside is high most of the times, and the rooms go fast! The vast openness and lack of textiles spreads and amplifies even normal conversations, and the frequent screaming child can be very distracting and annoying. Headphones can help, but noise-cancelling capability should be used, especially with earbuds. The noise level might be tolerable if a patron believed the staff was ACTIVELY trying to manage it as is expected in a normal library environment, but unfortunately, this is absolutely not the case as it is very hands off by the staff with the ONLY single action done--listening to a required complaint from a patron. But don't expect an intervention or change, as a noise complaint is usually tolerated and dismissed. And to emphasize the passivity to noise level, the library doesn't even have a SINGLE friendly-toned sign posted ANYWHERE to remind an unthinking or unaware or forgetting patron about using an inside voice within the library in its acoustically challenged environment. If it did, it would establish an expected boundary for noise level, and thereby giving patrons the assumption of potential verbal warnings for the non-compliant. Isn't that the very LEAST that they could do? But honestly, they should do so much more.

My least favorite Graduate School that I attended. I made friends with a lot of cool people on…read morecampus but was also terribly disappointed in the lack of quality of commitment to one's work that some professors and some fellow graduate students displayed. I was not accustomed to an environment where a "side-stepping" mentality to avoid one's work in Academia was an acceptable approach towards graduation requirements. My University experience previous to this was that one must put in 100% study effort to get 50% of the credit needed and the other 50% needed comes from doing something innovative in your work. It was made clear to me under no uncertain terms that 20% effort and a little bit of mild plagiarism would suffice for some graduate students that were lacking in their ability to otherwise graduate with a diploma. My time ended at USM with empty recruitment promises and quite a few labor law violations committed by my graduate assistantship job supervisors. Perhaps this is different for some, but I found my feeling towards my time there was the same as roughly 25% of the people I have talked to that also attended the University. Most of those former students that had similar experiences were far above the University base requirements for admission and recruited through offers of full scholarships with "custom tailored" assistantship positions that were magically exactly the assistantship areas/positions we were all looking for in a program. It was untrue of course and too late to change after the semester had started. Now, instead of giving 1 star, I gave 2 stars due to more recently having been told of somewhat of an overhaul in some Department Faculty and programs of study that would make some of the issues I am discussing obsolete for newer students. My attendance was well over a decade ago and one would expect a large University to get better over time rather than worse. So please take my review most accurately with the "dated age" of my particular experience as my complaints might very well be inapplicable in more recent years due to changes having been made. All the best and good luck!

Got my Masters of Science in Public Relations from Southern Miss. It was wonderful.. Professors…read moreare excellent. I still check with them from time to time for help with teaching my class. I go back and visit them as much as I can.

A wonderful option if looking for a comfortable place to work for a day. Today, I used the "study…read morepod" at this library branch. There's only one pod so it is available on a first come first serve basis. The pod contains furniture that folds out--one table and two benches--plus several outlets. I was able to do some work calls from the pod without feeling disruptive to other patrons. after my calls were over, I vacated the pod in case someone else needed that space and works from a regular table in the library. The tables have plenty of outlets in the library is spacious. The best part, is that I did not need a local library card in order to use the study pod. Since I was on a road trip and just needing a place to work in transit, this was very helpful. Other features: --In the children's section, there is both a puzzle table and an art table, in case the children want activities other than reading. --In addition to the study pod, there is a conference room that can be checked out.

They have a separate kids area fully packed with kitchen, puzzles, books, movies, computers, tables…read moreand chairs. Books for all ages. I bring my toddler here in the mornings and it's quiet and she loves playing with the kitchen and reading books. They have a bunch of computers and printers if that's what you're looking for. Getting a library card is easy and fast. They also have plenty of people in the library to help you find whatever book or category you're looking for. They do morning events for families, toddlers and big kids. Schedules are posted up front with times and dates. They have something for all ages which is good when you have three kids (one being a toddler and two being older) very friendly staff and plenty of parking. It's very peaceful here.

Everyone was friendly and helpful. Very clean and quiet. Very nice outdoor area to relax and read…read moreif you wanted.

This library has some sofas and desks, but there is really no privacy for studying. It doesn't feel…read morelike a quiet place to focus. I also noticed someone listening to an audiobook out loud and no one said anything, which was distracting. The furniture also looks outdated and could use an update. If they improved the setup, it could be a much better study space.

I think that people forget about the libraries sometime and they offer a wealth of information and…read moreresources so I recommend checking them out

I recently visited our local hometown library in Covington with my grandsons. This location…read morefeatures a bright contemporary decor, a helpful and knowledgeable staff, fine meeting rooms, and an adequate collection of books and materials. Good programs are also offered for both kids and adults. What more could you ask?

Smaller, intimate/cozy public library that has great staff! Welcoming encounter today with library…read morestaff-even though they were doing kids crafts today! Way to represent Librarians!

Stopped in on a Saturday morning to see Mr. Bingley and to surf the shelfs. Staff was knowledgable…read moreand very helpful. Mr. Bingley was kind enough to grace my lap with his presence. Eclectic and "yummy" shelf contents led to some solid purchases.

I am planning on visiting an independent bookstore in each state I visit this year. I made my…read morehusband backtrack on our roadtrip..back to Alabama so I could visit THIS bookstore. Everything about this store is perfect...the decor, the cat (I didn't get to see him :(. But saw of his haunts) , the selection. There are sections for mystery, sci-fi, fantasy and my favorite romance. And within those sections there are local author shelves. The staff was welcoming and helpful, and offered recommendations if needed. Fun store!