I came to submit my application to get the library card. The staff members at the desk were helpful, funny, courteous, and efficient. I was impressed with their professionalism. I was surprised with the size and floor space of this library and observed that nearby rooms were filled with students from nearby schools. Definitely I will return to explore the library for its offerings. In addition, there is an underground parking garage! read more

REVIEW IS FOR PASSPORT SERVICE PROVIDED FROM THE LIBRARY Don't go here to renew your passport or go here at all regarding your passport. The woman who works for this section is extremely rude, does not care for the client's personal information, does not bother thoroughly explaining each step of the process even when asked for clarification, easily tempered, rolls her eyes at clients, and gives one hell of an attitude. She is not helpful towards international clients, if you aren't good at english, she will point that out and constantly say it's your fault you cannot follow instructions. My dad failed to properly read instructions on renewing both my sister and my passports and my mom scheduled an appointment here a couple weeks ago to fix up the application and have it re-sent to the government. In the letter that was sent back to us, included specific instructions for the PASSPORT AGENT. It was titled on the last page. When the woman who was working there was getting frustrated as to why she couldn't send to the address that was listed in the letter, I VERY POLITELY with my NON ACCENTED ENGLISH and POINTS TO THE TITLE instructions for passport agent, and ask "Is this page instructions for you?" and she rudely says "Yes. That's why it says instructions to the passport agent." Yet she kept failing to explain to me as to why she couldn't follow the instructions and constantly rolling her eyes. Left my whole family pissed off. Ridiculous service. Go take a food industry job and learn some customer service skills. Never met anyone so rude. Even the second woman who came in to fix her frustration was rude but AT LEAST HELPFUL. read more

This library looks very new to me. The city either did a good job in remodeling/maintaining or this is newly built library! They have underground parking. The library itself has 2 levels. There was a summer reading program for children and adults. There are also lots of weekend activities for family to spend quality time with. The second floor is a better place to study as it is more quiet. The children's library is on the first floor, which sometimes might be a little noisy. read more

Brief Review: A modern, beautiful library with 4 hour parking, outlets, and wifi. Overall, a decent place to study. You'll need to register with the library for Wifi, and it gets crowded with students in the afternoon. Ambience: Pretty and modern with large open space inside. Two stories tall. Outside, you'll see plenty of benches on the concrete patio. Personally, I'm personally a fan of grass and trees like they have at the South Pasadena Library Wifi: Okay. No noticeable slowdowns, but for some reasons it blocks the spotify web player. You'll also need to register with the library to get your wifi access Parking: 4 hours underground parking or 4 hours at the nearby parking garage on Second Street. Usually there's plenty of space. Noise level: Great for quiet study, but it can get a little loud when local students finish school. They have enclosed meeting rooms for group study that are available for reservation. Location: Near Main street Alhambra which is convenient in case you want to grab something to eat afterward. read more

I love this library! It's always very tidy. I'll admit that it's not always quiet since it's near a HS and the hooligans come here after school. But, I'm always armed with my noise-cancelling headphones so it doesn't matter anyway. The bathrooms are generally clean, which I always appreciate since coffee runs through my system like no other. The outlets are not plentiful, but I've never had trouble finding one. They're available all along the wall and in some select seats away from the walls. The wifi is potent- you just need to log in with your library card. This is one of my favorite places to get work done. read more

Couldn't bare to part from my dad's belongings after his passing, but everyone I spoke to assured me nothing would be discarded. If not right for circulation, then they'll sell in the bookstore or pass them along. Donated 6 boxes of his books and feeling good that others will benefit from them. read more

If I can give zero stars I would. The staff is incredibly rude and self centered they have an attitude of a teenager yet they're 40 years old and they judge every move you do like if you get up to drink water they stare at you and if you have a question they answer with such sarcasm the library itself is nice but they need better staff to work at such a nice library. The employees are plain out an embarrassment. read more

It's a clean, accessible, organized, student-friendly, old-people friendly, wifi roaming two-story library with a free spacious underground parking lot. Rating a public service like this with anything less than 4-stars is beyond me. While I've only visited a handful of times, they rightfully earned a solid 5. They get new books in all the time! I love access to free reads! They even sort and display featured/new books on the main floor right when you enter the building. Thanks for that! Wifi is reliable and quick. You just need your library card # to access it. They have a stellar selection on travel guides. I picked up a few crisp 2015 Lonely Planet guides recently and it felt like cracking open a book from a neatly packaged Amazon order. Probably cause the rest of the world is getting their traveling tricks and tips online...you fools. haha. This library rocks. The only thing I'd imagine to be an issue for some are the hoards of teenagers once it hits 2/3pm..it's right next to Alhambra High...so if you want to avoid the kiddies, be sure to go early and book it before 2pm. read more

The Alhambra Library is beautiful! It is located in Downtown Alhambra near Main Street, Police Station, Civic Center, Alhambra High School and the courthouse. As you walk in, you will notice a nice lobby and a few computers and the children's section. Then upstairs is more computers, chairs and the rest of the books. The customer service here is about average, nothing to complain about. I've been here to ask about the passport services. The best thing about this library is it is so new and clean and bright and open. Love it!! It's pretty quiet the few times I have been there. But I can see how it can become crowded after school. Parking: There is lots of street parking, but be careful because 1st St is one way. You can also park in the lot across the street for free. read more

This library was built after the old one "blew up" (Quoted by JJ) . The only con about this library is that they charge you if you want to check out any DVDs, movies, or TV shows. I find this kind of bull because in the OC, they give you a 7day return policy and you don't need to pay for it! In LA, all the libraries do not charge you for borrowing DVDs and such. Alhambra is not that much of a top notch area, so they should not have any reason to charge you. -__- Nevertheless, I love this library. They have wifi and its in close proximity to Main Street. I could walk here from my house! (No stalkers, pls.) They have many study rooms and it really is a step up from the old library. This library is clean and there is an underground parking structure for library parking only. I like that they open everyday, because the inner nerd in me likes being spontaneous and reading sometimes on a Sunday afternoon. :o) I usually park in the underground structure, or right outside the library. They also have book drops on Second and First street! How convenient! All in all, this place deserves a good visit from their favorite reading fans! read more

They do a VERY good job at keeping the library clean. Especially since the outside walls are completely white. I'm surprised people didn't tag it yet D: I hope they never will... One of the librarians think she is the FBI or something, though. read more

Decent place to study but due to COVID you can't even drink water got in trouble for taking a sip of water...

They have their own parking lot. 2 story library with an upstairs outside patio along the perimeter of the 2nd story. Free wifi. lots of tables to read and study! Also this library is located close to main street which has some good restaurants! There is also starbucks walking distance from the library. Parking structure info. 4 hour maximum. garage closes at 930 pm mon- weds and at 530 pm on thurs-sat so make sure your car is out by then or you may be cited! read more

No eating in the library guys. So don't be letting people find food remains in the library trash cans.

If you have been living in Alhambra for awhile, you would know that this library is a huge upgrade from the previous one at West Main St. Opened back in 2008, this library has a modern look and all the facilities inside here still look quite new. This library has 2 levels. In the bottom one, you can find the Young Adult, Children and Fiction. In the top one, it contains Auto-Biography, Biography, Non-Fiction and Foreign Language. Free Wi-Fi is available, but you would need a library card. The last 5 digits of the card number would be the password. There is a large collection of DVD for rental. The free ones are located in the second floor which are mostly consist of educational materials, documentaries (a few good ones that I have checked out before included The Cove, Food Inc, Life and March of the Penguins) and TV shows (Friends, Seinfeld, Grey Anatomy, Sex and the City). As for those located in the first floor, the old ones cost $1 for 7 days while the recently came out cost $3 for 3 days. From time to time, there are also free movie screenings and workshops so lookout for them. Passport service is also available here (By appointments only). For parking, you can park on street for 1-2 hours or at the underground garage for 4 hours. Random Fact: Part of the new short by Wong Fu Productions "The Last" was filmed here! read more

One of my favorite libraries! Super bright, clean, and open-feeling inside. Lots of windows for natural lighting and a great place to get work done. Even on weekends, I can still manage to find a seat because there are tables/chairs upstairs, downstairs, and even outside! It's super organized and it's very straightforward to navigate around/find whatever you're looking for. Lots of parking underground (yay for shaded parking!!) and even across the street in a parking structure. read more

When I am not at school (@ Pepperdine) then I am home and I go to this library! After the renovation this place has UPGRADED nearly 423942%. But now that it is DIRECTLY across the street from the high school it is ALWAYS BUSY during the school year! So if you are going and you want some peace and quiet I would go during 8am-2pm during the school year and late at night during the summer. That way all the loud kids are out of the way! And trust me they get loud. As for the parking it is either right in front of the library (usually taken) and the underground parking. For me I get VERY cautious about parking underground. Something about that parking lot scares me... and taking the elevator up scares me even more. So if you are going at night PLEASE try to park in the front of the library. The underground structure is too creepy and I trust no one. read more

Finally got to visit here! =) It's a very nice library, comparable to Cerritos Library in terms of materials and space (missing the whole shark tank aspect ;)). The organization is very neat - your younger and popular sections downstairs. The referances and study rooms are upstairs. THEY HAVE STUDY ROOMS! =) And decent ones to boot - nice comfortable chairs, glass room. =) Style wise, it's very minimalistic, though it does carry on the mosaic theme that Alhambra's going for. Plenty of computers, plenty of magazines (even US weekly!), plenty of DVDs (even anime!), lots of seats and good amount of computers to ensure you a space. The staff is really friendly as well. They also seem to have a lot of classes offered or exhibitions and events going on which is pretty neat. The only thing I didn't like was that it's in quick to miss area and the sign isn't too obvious as to what it is. I'm not sure if there's another are you can park, but I parked in front of the library - 24 minutes only. I guess that's cool for a quick dash. There are also 1 hr parking spots, but didn't really see if there's a garage or lot specifically for it. What's nice is that it's located near lots of eateries in Downtown Alhambra (too bad I call it mediocre row though). read more

First time I came here, my jaw dropped from the beauty of this place. Lots of brand-new shiny books, all that looked very interesting, nice architecture, plushy chairs, and rooms that you can rent to work in. Seriously very catered to the community. I came here one day to finish some icky summer school work with a large group of people and it's thanks to this place that we managed to get something done. I'll definitely come back here to check out some nice books in the future. Lucky Alhambra kids. read more

Probably one of the best libraries in the area if you want a nice, clean, and fairly new place to go read or study. It is pretty quiet, but sometimes there are always those people who just don't care about the other people and just talk super loud. They have free wifi here and you can use their computers too, as long as you have a library card. The computers limit you 2 hours a day, so get your studying or web surfing done fast, because time flies! There is plenty of parking, across the street in the parking structure, as well as underground too, which a lot of people don't know about. Be careful when parking in front of the library because there is a time limit! read more

Ok, this library is nice! in terms of the design of the building. However, it isn't too conducive to holding a large amount of people who want to study. They often have plenty of empty study rooms, but if you are studying by yourself, then that's not helpful. Unless I come within the first hour of the library opening, I can never find myself an individual study desk spot. I must also say, the vents are freezing in this library. I've moved around to a couple different areas both up and downstairs and I am still freezing- so I recommend wearing pants and bringing a sweater, especially if you plan to stay for hours. The restrooms are nice, there are two floors. I also have to gripe about the wifi password. It's hard to understand why they re so secretive about this. If you don't have a library card, you will not have the wifi password unless you ask other people in the general vicinity for it. I don't like the hassle of that. So, I will stream and stream and stream when I'm on their wifi. haha. read more

Friendly staff I always go upstairs its very quiet but they keep it pretty cold so bring an extra shirt. Building and restrooms are very clean. read more

I grew up going to the original Alhambra Library, and I have to say that this new one is a step up and a step in the right direction. The old place always felt like a convalescent home to me, with its old carpet and well, just old everything. The new facility is state of the art. Computers are everywhere. The place has lots of windows that allow much of the sun light from the outside to shine in and grace the inside with that wonderful light. High ceiling and beautiful artwork from local artist's. The new library also has an underground parking lot which is great as parking can sometimes be an issue in that area. It's also conveintly located across the street from the local high school, post office and next to the police station and city hall. If you haven't had a chance to check it out then I would recommend stopping by. Check out there website also, their always hosting all kinds of events that are great for the family. read more

I never saw the old Alhambra Library so I've got no comparison. However, the new library is very nice. They have a great selection of books on many topics including odd ones i.e. beekeeping. Also, the staff is pretty helpful with sending you in the right direction to track something down or answer questions. I also like the idea of being able to borrow from any library in LA; I haven't used this service yet but I like the option regardless. Being able to renew or reserve books on the internet is awesome too. They also have an interesting thing on the site that lets you purchase things through Amazon but it gives the library a little kick back for some funding. Only real downside is that it opens at 11 and they don't have a drive by book drop on the street. read more

This is my default public library if I need to study or print things if my home printer is misbehaving. Parking is usually plenty. I'm glad they constructed this library. I remember when I would go to their old library to study. This is a major step up for this city and neighborhood. Plenty of places to study or read. I like coming late evening and nights to avoid crowds from the high school. Staff here are nice and helpful. Computers and printing stations are plentiful. Seats are kept clean and comfortable. I feel at home in this library. read more

Pretty nice library considering it's brand new. It's a new two story building too. There are lots of study rooms, computers and laptop stations which makes it a perfect place to study. They have a patio area too, but I've never seen it open. I'd love to study outside on their patio though. Maybe it's just for special events... I wish they had more books though. It kinda seems like there are more study tables and computers to use than areas with books. I guess they have room to grow. They also have a small (storage-sized) room where they sell used books. Not too much there yet either. read more

I usually come here in the morning when they open. I do wish, they would opened maybe an hour earlier so I could get my work done earlier. It's very clean and they always have tables opened in the morning. I did come at 11:30 one time, and no tables were opened so I had to sit in a chair. The bathrooms are also very clean which is always a plus. read more

The Children's Room staff are the best. The room is bright and attractive for children with toys, puzzles, murals, and display books. All staff is helpful and friendly with information and suggestions. Meghan is phenomenal during story time with song and book choices that keep the children tuned in. She even brings props, egg shakers for toddlers and scarves for the babies. My one suggestion is to please ENFORCE story time rules so everyone can enjoy the experience. There are always a couple parents blatantly disregarding stated rules and it ruins it for the rest of us. So please be firm on that, Miss Meghan. Pause the storytime, if needed, and say "I'm Going to wait until children stop blocking the front so everyone can see, or I'm going to wait until children stop running so no one gets hurt". Without pausing to let parents know you're serious, everyone else is impacted and the behavior will get worse. Ask another parent to translate if it seems the parent isn't understanding. read more

Fabulous staff and resources including hoopla app rentals ! Monterey Park library doesn't have ...

After spending my high school years as a patron to Alhambra Library, I decided to visit the new library during my spring break of my fourth year of college. I must say, this place is nice! I came by later in the evening and was able to just sit and catch up on magazines. Despite expecting it to be dead, there were lots of people studying and on their laptops! This place also has two floors. I love the ambiance and am a bit jealous of what high schoolers are getting now. Haha. Parking is also underground too, and that's great when you want to avoid frying your car in the sun! read more

Open very late at night (till 9 pm some nights). Very helpful, friendly employees. Took me to the book I was looking for. I got a library card even though I'm not a resident of Alhambra. Shhhhh this can be our secret. read more

I definitely appreciate USC's libraries a lot more. Maybe it's because there everyone is a student and under pressure to study and keep quiet, but the Civic Center Library is not the most conducive place if you need to actually work. In my personal experience, the only place worth checking out is the kid's library and that's only if you need to take a child. Everywhere else...debatable. The teen's area is loud and rowdy, as expected of teens but I feel that the librarians should do more to ensure that behavior doesn't exist in a public library. Because it's so close to a high school, its patrons are mostly adolescent youth on weekdays and most weekends. Definitely would consider stopping by, but only to check out a book and then leave. If you need to study, make the drive to Pasadena. read more

I always drive by this library, but never knew it what it was until my friend told me it was a library. This library has a lot to offer, it has a kids, teens, and quiet area. It also has private rooms where you can book for up to 2 hours. It's a clean nice library with it's own parking garage. If your hungry, you can literally walk down the street to many different restaurants and if your thirsty or feeling tired, there's a starbucks across the street. This library is big, clean, and is in a convenient spot. Great place to study at. read more

Very clean, quiet. It is a perfect place to study. They have 4 hr free parking underground, elevator that will lead you to the main entrance of the library. It is one of the " techy- look" library I have ever visited. Definitely will come here often! :) read more

Great local library with a nice collection and all usual bells and whistles like audio/video, wifi of a modern library. Hard to find a place to study/read/research after 230 pm because of the high school kids and also during the summer because everyone is mooching off the free A/C instead of turning it on at home. read more

I swear Alhambra is the only city that can keep up with the amount of new construction that goes on in Vegas. When did the new library go up? I still have fond memories of the old one on Main Street. I suppose that's Life; out with the old and in with the new. This new one is nice. I like how they keep it spacious unlike other libraries that cram everything into tight aisles. There's a sense of airiness that has a great calming effect. There's parking underneath the building, on the street or at the structure across the street. I just came by today to check it out after lunch. I didn't have too much time but I liked what I saw. I checked out both floors. There's a copy center, a DVD collection ($1 per title), computers for internet access and rooms for meetings. I was impressed the massive collection of Biographies. So impressed that I signed up for a library card! Wohoooooo!!! Even as technology advances, there's no way digital can replace the analog. There's nothing more retro than reading a real book. Print is not dead! read more

I love this place! There's something for all ages. They're open 7 days a week. Some librarians aren't knowledgeable. There's street parking and they also have their own parking structure underneath. read more

I bit on the small side compared to the other libraries in the area, but it has a very nice, cozy feel to it. It is also very family-oriented. They have a huge room just for kids, which I think is pretty neat. Unfortunately because of it's size it lacks a few books I was looking for. The collection here caters more to recreational reading for teens. If you need a place to study but all the boba shops and cafes are jam packed (which they like to get on Sundays), then this is the next best thing! Now if we could just work on sneaking food/drinks in.. I'm not sure what the policy is but I have a feeling it's a no-no. But college libraries let us do it so... :} read more

Wonderful library, very quiet. Two stories, as well as a free underground parking lot. Internet access requires a library card. The A/C level is great, and there are many desks, some with outlets, some without. The building looks very clean, friendly, and nice. There are study areas and meeting rooms to use. The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 was because the staff is crude and answers questions in a you-should-already-know attitude. At least the old Asian lady upstairs did. Overall, great library to come and study. read more

The people there are really nice. There is always parking when I go and seats open to sit in inside the library. The downside is screaming children at night. read more