My hubby, our toddler and I stopped by on Saturday to kill sometime before dinner! Berkeley Public…read moreLibrary's kid section is great! Our almost 2 year old had a blast playing in their kitchen, hiding areas, with their huge stuffies, dolls, chalk, big wooden car, coloring and reading books with mommy! This library has been apart of the community since 1893! I love how you get to choose your own library card, she picked out some DVDS! Would return again, hopefully soon! SYOY! :-)

The Berkeley Public Library is a cornerstone for learning and community engagement. Beyond its…read moreexcellent collection, the workshops and public fairs provide meaningful opportunities to develop skills, discover new ideas, and connect with others. These programs make the library an active place of growth rather than just a place to borrow books. The online resources are equally valuable--accessible, well-organized, and central to continued learning. Whether researching, studying, or exploring new subjects, the digital tools extend the library's reach far beyond the building itself. I would also strongly recommend the public laptops and the broader community resource network available through the library. These tools provide reliable access to technology for research, applications, and personal development, ensuring that everyone has the ability to stay connected and productive. The availability of these resources reflects the library's commitment to accessibility and practical support. Overall, the Berkeley Public Library stands out as a reliable and forward-looking institution that supports education, curiosity, and lifelong learning for the entire community. Please give them a visit and leave a positive review online.

Renewing my library card was quick and easy here! The staff was very nice…read more There's apparently a tool lending library. I have yet to try it, but it's so great when a library can offer tools to borrow! Short and easy walk from Ashby Bart.

Small, serviceable library with children, teen, and adult sections to serve its community…read more As part of the Berkeley Public Library, the services offered here are separate from the Alameda County Library system. Be sure to register membership in this local library system to take advantage of the resources available from one of the foundational landmarks in the city of Berkeley. With mainly street parking that is scarcely available due to popular hotspots for locals and visitors during the weekends (public park across the street and a popular Buddhist temple next door), it's probably best to walk or bike if you live nearby or be prepared to park further away. They do have plenty of bike racks in case you're coming from a bit further out. The individual sections don't seem too big but do pack a good amount of books and DVDs to be borrowed. If you need help finding something, the staff members at the front desk are helpful and friendly. The rooms are well ventilated and lit by natural sunlight, quiet, clean, and has enough space for individuals and small to medium sized study groups. As with many libraries, with WiFi access, this location makes a great place to harness your focus and be productive and imaginative. Overall, while this location may be rather small, the Berkeley Public Library system has a few sites within the city and can certainly accommodate your resource needs. The bulletin boards often are plastered with flyers for community events and opportunities so even if you're not in need of the library services, it's a nice spot to stop by for a quick glance at what's happening around the city.

I luv this library--small, just big enough for me to easily find the latest novels, classics, bios,…read moremysteries, history, travel, some nonfiction. Also, the librarians are very nice. I hardly expect to be treated like best friends, but I will always be polite. I've read this diatribe and I can see why this person was banned. If you don't like the library there are many others to visit--Albany, Berkeley Main, Oakland, El Cerrito. And this is just one opinion and nasty at that. If I didn't like it, I would just go elsewhere.

N. Berkeley library is the worst library I've ever experienced. Filthy green chairs, uncomfortable…read morewooden chairs, little insulation, not enough space for books, magazines and newspapers, an intimidating security guard (the tall one), a Supervisor whose main skill seems to be as 'enforcer', certain smelly, homeless people who are a health issue which needs attention, a disrespectful staffer, etc. And worse yet: if you criticize and complain seriously in writing you will be suspended ie denied access to the library for a time -with no reason or explanation given. This is an abuse of power in my view. I couldn't believe this was happening in Berkeley - I can't make this stuff up! (It was yours truly who got 'banned' for simple free expression and bringing various issues to light, in writing)

The level of service here is unacceptable. The system logs users out roughly 20 minutes before…read moreclosing time--even if they are actively logged into personal accounts like email--creating a clear and serious security concern. When this issue was raised, the response was dismissive, limited to a simple apology with no accountability or solution. It is difficult to understand how a publicly funded facility can operate with such disregard for basic user security and service standards. Taxpayer resources are being used, yet there appears to be little urgency or responsibility from staff to address legitimate concerns. This incident occurred today, Friday, 4/4/2026, at the end of the day, and reflects a broader lack of responsiveness and professionalism. This location urgently needs more attentive, accountable, and customer-focused staff.

I'm at the library trying to read peacefully but I hear someone playing videos on their device --…read more What kind of rude patron would do this at a library? Oh it's an employee! The security guard!! Real professional!!!!

Located after the main drag, which makes parking easier and they do have parking in the back offers…read morewhat most libraries do and then some. It has an interesting history. It used to be a hospital back in the day, so it's space was planned out perfectly. The city and people of Albany are able to use the rooms within there to do a lot of different activities not just as a library, but as a service to the community itself. The last time I went in for one of these, not looking for a book was when we had the Medicare. Meeting where they explained how Medicare works and all the different parts of it to anybody who's headed to that age that needs to be educated on how it works. People hung onto every word of it right there. They usually side rooms for wonderful things like that it's very informative. The library itself isn't huge like some public libraries in big cities, but it offers everything that everyone would need for a small community surrounding it. And I like the people that work there they're very courteous and helpful. It's always clean and there's plenty of space and I see all the tables are occupied by kids students and adults all working side-by-side together going through their books writing their papers all the different activities that are found in the library. It's a very modern design of a building and it offers so much to anybody that comes in there. Check their schedule of events there might be something for you.

Great staff, interesting collection. They have been very helpful in finding interesting series on…read moreDVDs for adults. Hopefully they will add to their collection.

One of my main campus haunts during my time during undergrad here. One can get lost here, and I've…read morespent a lot of great (and not so great) memories holing up here among its shelves, desks, and computers. I have pretty much lived here, and pulled an all-nighter. Lots of nostalgia here.

Can thank this library enough. They have amazing collection of some rare religious texts that was…read morehard to find otherwise. They also have all topics on philosophy, psychology, Christianity. Every time there was something new to read.

I stopped by the library briefly and appreciated how peaceful it was. It's the kind of place that…read morehelps you focus naturally.

I live in San Francisco now yet still got love for Oakland and the East Bay. Rockridge is a fun…read moreneighborhood. Millennium is here for a special occasion fine dining at a vegan restaurant. They were named one of the top 25 vegan and vegetarian restaurants in the world. There are some fun bookstores in Rockridge and the Rockridge Branch Library is on point. When I walked in there was a display of cookbooks including Oakland's own vegan cookbook author Bryant Terry's book Vegan Soul Kitchen and the fun vegan cookbook Thug Kitchen: Part Grub for social mother f*ckers. Inside they had some nice records in the CD music section and couple of stellar vegan cookbooks. I loved the shelf with the display of Staff Picks with several books on display. That was a nice touch. Staff was friendly. This branch is an A+

The staff is unbelievably lazy. There were four staff members waiting around and chatting with each…read moreother but not offering to help me, while the most incompetent staff member kept repeating "I don't know" to my questions about the printer and then stared at me blankly, hoping I'd give up. Finally after 15 min of agony, one of them agreed to help when I asked them to, and it was resolved within 30 seconds.

Great, quiet spot to come and study. I had to get some work done and this was a great option…read more I didn't come here to check out any materials. I came here primarily to work on my laptop. However there were a lot of new and interesting material available! I would definitely recommend coming here to check out their selection. They had some Moosewood cooking books that caught my eye. Pros: -street parking wasn't hard to find -large communal tables with outlets to plug in -quiet, great for work/study -visitors are courteous and respectful Cons: -n/a

Their tool lending library is an under appreciated and invaluable resource. There's a wide…read moreselection of tools and the staff on hand is quite helpful.

I must have driven by this place so many times and on few occasions, borrowed from the tool library…read more- but it wasn't until recently that I went in to the main part to discover how awesome of a library it is! They were hosting a taiko drummer over the weekend - the session was educational, fun, and engaging. A treat for our little one! Afterwards we explored their space for children's books and toys too! As a bonus it was also FREE Comicbook day! Looking forward to future events and visiting again soon

What a great monument of history at UC Berkeley. With more than 900,000 volumes of literature in…read moreEast Asian languages and priceless pieces of art and scriptures to view. The media room holds a collection from reels, cassettes, vhs, dvd, etc. The books really catch your eyes with the colors to each collection. As soon as I walked through the doors, I felt an automatic sense of peace. It's free to the public to visit, you'll need to look for parking off campus because there's no driving up to it. I highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area.

One of my favorite libraries on the UC Berkeley campus. The architecture is gorgeous, and there's…read moreexpansive, vast collections dedicated to Chinese, Japanese, and Korean books. As an alumni with alum access to the libraries, the staff is still very helpful and responsive when I need to do research for writing. I could lose myself here for HOURS