Every year there is some bond vote to throw more money at the Berkeley Public Library. I'd like to cut their funding until they prove they are serving the people they are supposed to be serving. I don't think this complaint belongs on Yelp, but one of the things frustrating me is I can't figure out what an appropriate and EFFECTIVE venue would be. I have nothing against libraries, and I love to read. I help keep Berkeley's wonderful used bookstores afloat. My complaint about the Berkeley Public Library is that I've rarely use it over the past 15 years, and there are massive disincentives for using the public library. The mandate of the public library system should be to especially serve low income members of the community, increasing literacy and cultural appreciation among those who might otherwise avoid reading as an unaffordable luxury. However, every time I go to the library I find I have fines between $20-$30. Even if I pay off the "minumum" amount of $10-$20 every time I go to check out a book, that's still enough money to go out and buy the darned books instead of checking them out! I realize that libraries charge fines to make sure books are returned in a timely manner, and I like to think of myself as a responsible enough person to return my books on time. The problem is it became harder to keep track of when books were due once libraries started using automated check-outs that only provide a slip of paper instead of stamping the books themselves. I am signed up for email reminders, but the reminders don't always come. I'm not sure how much the daily fine is, but it seems to stack up to over $10 if the books are only a few days late. If I dared to check out more than one book, the Library Shakedown skyrockets. This isn't maintaining the book collection, it's pickpocketing library customers for extra funding that they never voted for. Furthermore, the public library has a local monopoly: I can't go to an alternate public library if I feel they are ripping me off. Thank goodness I also have a UC Berkeley library card, which by the way maintains its collection by limiting the books I can check out at any one time instead of charging me the price of SIX used paperbacks every time I turn around. Because these fines are always there, I have rarely used the Berkeley Public library even though my income falls within the segment of the public that the library is supposed to serve. When I went to the library last week and found the fine mysteriously jumped back up to $25 again, I swore that was the last time I would ever use it. No matter how many more years I live in Berkeley, I will get books elsewhere. I'm furious about how much money I've already "donated" to them over the years. I will always think of the Berkeley Public Library as the place that's more interested in picking the pockets of poor people than encouraging them to read. I feel like it's some sort of heresy to speak out against the library, but if the library is going to discriminate against poor people instead of serving them, then they must be exposed and they must be stopped. I would like to see their funding frozen, if not reduced, until there is a public inquiry about how many other poor people in Berkeley feel they have been alienated from this service. If anyone has a suggestion on how to do this, please share. read more

Great book collection; horrible ambiance. This place is a haven for homeless people to doze and creep out normal people. Definitely not a study zone. They also try to make a quick buck by sending you book replacement bills for books you've already turned in. I guess they were disappointed that I had a $5 (ONLY!) fine. The one time I checked out books at the desk, the clerk (or whatever) kept me waiting while she discussed popsicles with someone else. This place is best accessed via your Kindle account. For more on the BPL (and also for pure pleasure) make sure you read Forrest I.'s reviews on this place: (http://www.yelp.com/biz/berkeley-public-library-berkeley-6#hrid:S3KngtH5sRAQeYwunh6X4w) read more

Because I am often un(der)employed, I spend a lot of time at libraries, so believe me when I say that this library is freakin' EPIC. The architecture alone is worth a trip. I like to sit in the quiet of the stairwell and ponder my life while picking my nose--that's what being un(der)employed is all about. read more

Berkeley Pulic Library is a boon to the avid book fan and college student. I check here first before making any purchases for the current semseter's curriculum, and I am often able to offset the horrendous cost of new textbooks with this library's selection. They also have a computer lab that patrons can use, a great selection of dvds, and you can order your books online and get an email when they're ready. I have even done this with pre-order books that haven't even been released from the publisher yet. I just click to be put on the waiting list and I get a chance to read the newest releases without forking over $20+. I highly recommend this library (even though it does kind of smell weird every now and then). read more

I am an avid library goer in any city, and this is one of the better local libraries I've used. The facilities are above average (on rainy days the homeless often come into the library, but that's hardly something the staff can help), the books and other materials are well maintained and catalogued, and the staff is helpful and hardworking. They have a terrific selection of items and a well functioning online catalog and hold/request system. I regularly submit requests for items, and they are promptly delivered from other branches, etc. Borrowing periods and fines are reasonable and standard. Terrific library. read more

The reference area and periodical section are great. There is a pay telephone conveniently located on the first floor. I recommend bringing sound blocking ear muffs because every now and then a person with an apparent mental illness comes through the door whose rant carried through the open air atrium to all floors above. The bathroom was out of order on the second floor so I recommend going to the third floor when necessary. Most persons looked studious or somewhat professional. A person wearing vagabond attire and sunglasses did sit immediately across from me at one of the reading tables. He took the one electrical outlet in front of me to charge his Nokia phone. Thankfully I did not need to plug in a laptop or outlet as there is roughly one outlet per two seats. Thankfully the person sitting across from me smelled okay so this did not ruin my experience. The lamps are super convenient for reading. The staff seemed professional with respect to answering questions on how to apply for a library card for the patron ahead of me in line. I also like the electronic card catalog and self-checkout computers too. read more

Good selection of books. Worst selection of front desk staff. Incompetent. Anal. Worrying. Truly a Kafka novel playing out within the walls. Check out your book and run. Don't look back. read more

The central branch of the Berkeley Public Library is fantastic! With five stories of books, movies, and music, it offers an excellent selection with lots of space to read, work, and go online. The self-checkout machines make borrowing items very easy, and the 50-item limit should be enough for most patrons. Located close to the downtown Berkeley BART station, it's easy to get to, and it is fortunately open on weekends. The children's and YA sections are both very extensive, and the nonfiction selection offers something for everyone on anything. If you can't find a book you're looking for, it's easy to order it through the computer and pick it up when it gets in. Another upside of the central branch is the broad collection of foreign-language books, including Spanish, Urdu, Russian, French, German, Chinese, and Japanese. There are a lot of computers with free Internet, although there's a wait. A separate computer with Internet is also offered for teens. It's not uncommon to run into strange people at the library (anything from the eccentrically dressed to the overly friendly to young women trying to recruit you to the Unification Church via an innocent-sounding questionnaire), but it's definitely possible to tune them out and do your own thing. One of my favorite libraries, five stars. read more

Berkeley Public Library - Outside view of the library from the street. - Libraries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Call me a geek cause I work at a museum and visit this library sometimes twice a week, but I love reading books and watching DVDs for free! One little secret that many people don't know about is the request/hold list. I just make up to 15 requests/holds of movies and books I want to read, including all of the newest released DVDs and poof, they show up at the library. Sometimes it takes a while, but I am patient and it's better that way. Netflix gets you addicted to watching movies non-stop, so this makes me appreciate the movies I watch. You can now pick your hold items up on the shelves yourself and check them out at the self-checkout machines. These aren't always functioning perfectly, but it's still a great way to get in and out of the library when you're in a rush. They also have a great selection of art books and magazines on the top floor. This floor also offers a fantastic view of SF on a clear day. I hope that apartment building going next door doesn't block this. I'll have to see... read more

all of the people that work here are really friendly and passionate about their jobs, which is a great touch. it's a big library but not so big--it really feels like a friendly independent bookstore. the san francisco public library feels a bit more faceless and beauracratic in comparison. it's also super cool that you can get a tie-dye library card! it's also a happy vibe in front of the library on a weekend, all the freaks hanging out and singing and dancing. i also like the new books section in the front, where i cherrypick a lot of my reads. I'm a heavy reader... and they stock mp3 audio books, another great touch! read more

Excellent libraries. Free WiFI and all sorts of extras like the Link+ system that allows you to get materials from other libraries. I like their system that allows you to checkout audiobooks electronically over the internet. read more

this library is a gem, and hell yeah we waited and paid for it. the renovation turned out so beautifully, i can only gush. the berkeley library has the goods! the earnest nerdy librarians, a solid fiction room, dvds, cds, even a respectable foreign language books section. they can get you pretty much any book you want, though you may have to wait for it to arrive via some special magic lending source, and new books can be awfully hard to see on the shelf. i plug away looking for the new books to no avail until i just forget that i ever wanted to read them and settle on whatever vapid fiction is sitting on the shelf. i missed out on freakonimics that way, and eat/pray/love, and i am sure god is not great will be checked out for at least a year. i know this doesn't sound like a 5 star review, but i forgive it all, i forgive BPL for everything because their magazine reading room rocks and i love the art deco details and the old marble stairs. it's got great light and tons of books and it's just a solid public space that makes me feel peaceful and like i am exercising some civic duty just by checking out a book. read more