This is the closest library to me in the Santa Clara County Library System. I love the Santa Clara County Library system because it is the ONLY library system in the Silicon Valley area that allows you to make reservations on CDs and DVDs. That means seasons of Dexter, South Park, Simpsons, Flight of the Concords.. (the list goes on) all waiting for you with the click of a mouse. The online reservation system is a such a welcomed feature that I'll overlook the fact that the hours can be a little difficult (not open on the Sunday or Monday) and that the building itself is dated - I still will give it 5 stars! This library rocks! read more

I am a frequent user of many libraries. The Campbell library is everything a library should be. The old building doesn't matter. The library buzzes with activity. The County's inventory is amazing. The staff is friendly and helpful. I love the magazine exchange, the books for sale by Friends of the Library, the rapid checkout machines--just great. Returns can be self checked in or dropped in the slot in the front of the counter. I do understand why the County System will be charging $80 for a card for non residents of their service area, but it will be a hardship for those that live closer to the County's branch rather than their "home" library. Years ago, one could not get a card from a library in a city you did not live in. I hope eventually the County system will be able to drop the fee. read more

Why are all the other libraries in the county beautiful and open and comfortable to go in but this one is dingy, akward and uncomfortable? Poor little step-child. read more

I went here the other day to read my book. Well there wasn't a really nice place to read. That made me sad, because I remember the library being quieter. read more

Decent library. Good lighting and selection of periodicals, foreign movies and plenty of seating. Plenty of French movies. Parking: ok read more

Nice, old fashioned library with traditional feel. Handicap access, lots of various programs for the community (from LaLache Meetings in the basement, to storytime to summer programs) and open computers for people to use. The people who are clerks at the top floor and Information Desk clerks at the bottom floor are EXCELLENT, especially the Information Desk people - they rock and have NEVER failed me in all the years I have used them. I have recently started using the children's librarian and she is grouchy, not helpful and surly. A point was taken off for her attitude, which I hope she doesn't show to the children so they have to go to therapy when they are older. Doesn't have as many first rate books as other libraries, but the staff is always helpful in trying to track down a book. Note: As of July 1, the library requires $80 fee per library card due to budget cuts. A large sign with details is outside the front door. read more

It's a nice little library but I get tired of them SO many times not having a book I want and having to wait for them to have it sent from another library. Glad they are open on Sundays. read more

This is the worst, loudest and grimiest library I've ever been to. This is an unfortunate update now that I've been here quite a bit over the last month to try to work. Key is try, as the constant bombardment of homeless person smell and various cacophonous sounds makes it a struggle. There are about 30 homeless people who are constantly camped in the library. They smell fiercely bad of urine sweat and probably feces. This isn't the library's fault, but not all libraries seem to attract such a community of homeless people. I've seen one such homeless person catcall every woman he walks past and stares them down. He then cowers when I walk past him (oh god the smell on him is unspeakable) because I'm taller and bigger than him. What reprehensible people seem to gather here. Watch your belongings folks. And if you're a woman, come with a friend. Nobody respects the quiet section and people will be talking on their phones or muttering to themselves and the librarians don't care The children's section is directly upstairs of the quiet section, so during the afternoon you'll often hear stomps of what must be 10000 kids running about The help desk is right next to the quiet section so you'll be overhearing everyone's conversations. There's also an older Asian lady librarian who works in the afternoons. She is not only loud but treats everyone with hostility. I've never had to interact with her but everyone who asks her anything gets yelled at. It's interesting that nobody ever pushes back, but she's very standoffish and maybe hates the fact that she has to work at a library. My final word of advice is to make sure you do laundry, shower and scrub carefully after sitting down anywhere in this library. The previous person who sat in your seat probably slept in a gutter just hours before. Take care you don't get scabies or bedbugs from the furniture here. read more

Yes Denis,(previous review if you scroll down) the people that work here do care about children,books.....helping! Lots of study space good room for children to read and lounge,great area,(who doesn't love Campbell*) and easy parking with plenty available.Wish they would pre-screen some of the DVDs so you know it's not your home computer when you check some out is my only reproving on this cool library! read more

This is a ​pretty good library, but compare to other libraries, the Campbell library is relatively old, the chairs are still made in hardwood​ without arms, which is pretty uncomfortable​ after hours of study. Hope the library can get some money to upgrade. It hasn't upgraded​ for many years. read more

Libraries are mostly about convenience for me, but I'll yelp this one anyway. the GOOD: -it was convenient for me :) right near downtown Campbell -plenty of parking -good variety of books - not as much as some of the large libraries, but enough for my needs -good website - you can request books online, see your account, when books are due, when your new requests are expected to be available, renew, etc. -self-checkout!! I love self-checkout machines :) the BAD: -it's closed on Sundays and Mondays. Sundays I understand..but Mondays? I've showed up a bunch of Mondays only to realize it's closed. -the kids section is right as you enter the library, and there's always kids. read more

What can I say, I love libraries, especially this one since it's so close to my home. I always use their one hour computer whenever my Internet or laptop is down. The only thing that I don't like is their bathroom. It's downstairs passed the computer area, down a quiet hallway and around a corner. I don't know why but this bathroom always gives me the creeps for some reason. It reminds me of a deserted high school locker room since it's so quiet and eerie and I always try to avoid it whenever possible. It's right across from the men's bathroom and the exit door so no one can really see what's going on back there. Whenever I'm in there, I always try to get the hell out as soon as possible. Maybe I watched too many scary movies.... The bright side is they have some cool foreign film collections and sometimes they have new released DVDs. Other times I check out what they have along the shelves. Pretty surprised that they have a lot of new movies displayed. Beats Blockbuster at times since it's free. Also, their CD area has a lot of variety of music to chose from. They have certain lecture nights and well as free monthly arts & craft nights. Check out their website: www.santaclaracountylib.org Parking is plenty and the staff are always nice. There a few self-check machines by the front and you can also renew your stuff online. read more

Nice place! Old furniture and technically there are less equipment then in others, but atmosphere is quiet and magical.. It reminds me my home, 20 years ago. read more

This library is awesome. I can spend all day here. It's usually quiet and there's always plenty of space to do whatever you need to. The hours are pretty convenient and flexible. Large selection of books, CDs and movies. Places like this library really make you feel like your tax dollars are being spent right. read more

This has always been a SUPERIOR library with a GREAT selection of media and what-not! I have been going to this library ever since I was a child and it helped foster a love of reading and imagination in me that I carry to this very day, I would check out all kinds of books on a wide variety of subjects ever since I was in grade school from this library and over the years I have slowly stopped reading as much ( especially with the advent of the Internet, where I pretty much live my life, real and virtual, now ) but every now and then I like going to the library to pick a new book or a CD to check out and enjoy. What's funny about this library is when they're hurting for cash they are REALLY hurting for it since it is a community-based library, so please support it as much as you can. When the government first started with their fiscal crisis back in 2008 I owed $70.00 in fees to the library and they ACTUALLY CHARGED ME VIA MAIL FOR THE FEES!!! I COULDN'T BELIEVE THEY WOULD ACTUALLY TAKE THE TIME TO SEND ME A LETTER ASKING FOR THE MONEY I OWED THEM BUT I PAID UP RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE OF ALL THE NICE MEMORIES I HAD OF THIS LIBRARY AND SINCE THEY HAD BEEN THERE FOR ME FOR SO MANY YEARS I WAS GOING TO RETURN THE FAVOR, YES I WOULD! I have lived in Campbell all my life and as long as I live here I will continue to go to this city landmark and enjoy feeding my brain! read more

I moved to the area from Mountain View, which has a library that is hard to compare to... Although this building is on the older side and definitely worn in, the new material coming in is always up to date and I've never had a problem finding books I'm interested in. I keep up with new releases, and so do they to the best of their ability. The computer area is constantly packed but I've never had a need for that service. I enjoy coming here. read more

I'm really appreciative of this library! I come here almost everyday to study for my mcats and am able to get a lot done with limited distraction. The only thing I'd change is extending the hours of operation. I wish they were open everyday from 10-9 but I understand it's a small library with limited funding. read more

It makes me sad that this is my local library, and I'm a lover of classic libraries. From the limited hours, to the limited selection, to the frequent disorganization of books being re-shuffled and re-shelved, to the smell of sleeping homeless people sitting on all the upholstered chairs, this place needs some refurbishing and redesigning. There is not enough seating in multiple areas here. All the seats and desks are kind of lumped into one loud middle section. Even without the homeless people, there is always a smell in here, and it's not that "library book" kind of smell. There is no air circulation, and it really lacks any natural light coming in, since most of the windows look out onto concrete walls. We pay more taxes here in Campbell than other nearby cities, and this is the library that we get from it? Forget about having quiet time at this library. There are loud dance and exercise classes going on here, and people listen to music and talk on their phones like it's the mall. The last thing I want to see when I'm quietly trying to look for something, are throngs of sweaty people, being loud and boisterous, coming from some dance class. Why is this at the library? I understand encouraging community type events, but it's a damn LIBRARY. All this being said, I utilize their online catalogue mostly, and only go in when one of the books I've ordered has come in. I also only use the self-check outs, so I don't know what kind of people work here. I stopped borrowing their DVD's years ago, because most of the time, there was damage done to them. If this wasn't my local library, I would never come here. read more

I love this library! It is clean, quiet, and well-stocked. The staff is friendly and more than helpful. It is great place for both adults and kids, and is a wonderful way to read all the latest books without breaking the bank. Also, their automated book return is awesome! It looks like it is pretty new and makes it possible to return the books after hours without dumping them through a slot into a bin that damages the books. This after-hours return system allows for one book at a time and carries the books gently down a conveyor belt. Love it. All in all, a great library that deserves five stars! read more

This is one of the best library is Santa Clara County.I can find almost every book here.Very good selection of foreign language movie DVDs and shows.Free zumba classes on every first and third Saturday are icing on the cake.Hold books turned up very quickly.They just installed new checkout system. Overall very satisfied. read more

If you qualify to get a Santa Clara County library card, you should have gotten it yesterday! Not only can you rent dvd's, blu-ray's, cd's, video games for most consoles and of course books, they have the best way to rent them. All you do is place the media on this device and the system knows the exact item without having to scan anything. You can put like, 5 items on there and it automatically knows. it's pretty funny that the public library sets new consumer standards. Did I mention that they also have car re-chargeable parking spots? Would be cool if I had an electric car, but wow...how could the library afford that? Now I know where my donations go... I was just surprised that you can rent PS3 and Wii games at the library now...crazy! What's the world coming to?!?!?!?! read more

ya for the library! they have books you can borrow for FREE! I've been buying books for ages, and had forgotten how much the library rocks. hurray for saving money and still being able to enjoy the good reads. this isn't a new or fancy library, but the staff is friendly and helpful. the selection isn't the greatest and the layout is not so hot - so it loses a star. they have self service checkout, which is nice if there is a line. you can renew your books online too - bonus! this library gets a bonus star for hosting a free craft night once a month too. who can say no to free craft night? edit: GREAT book sale on the 2nd Saturday of the month. We scored recent hardcovers $3 and regular paperbacks only 50 cents! read more

This library is great! It's two stories and has a wide variety of books, magazines, and other media. Upstairs as you enter is a large kids area and there are people reading to kids pretty often. Also upstairs is the magazine/newspaper section, fairly large DVD section, and a small Teen Area and comic book section. Downstairs contains the rest of what you'd expect at a library - Fiction, Non-Fiction, Mystery, etc. The place is clean and quiet and there are a couple comfy chairs upstairs near the magazines and DVDs that have a nearby power outlet. My favorite area is the magazine section. They have current and back issues of a variety of magazines. So much cheaper to read these than buy subscriptions to a bunch of magazines. Right outside the library is also a grassy area between the library and City Hall, so when the weather's nice you can check a book out and read out there. read more

One of the best DVD selections I've ever seen at the Library! Books? What books?

Librarians are friendly, nice events for many ages. It's the one of the great places to spend time with your family.

You have to be tax payer in their accepted member counties to use this library. It's $80 per year if u are not from their serviced county. It's a pretty 2 story library. Bummer I can't check out a book and I live 8 min away... read more

Very nice, modern library surrounded by trees making it a perfect atmosphere for studying. It wasn't crowded when I went but that was on a weekday. Parking can be a bit of a headache as there's only 90 minute parking available all around the library. read more

It's old and dreary looking, how can it deserve 4 stars???? Well, it is close to where I live and I can stop by to return my books on the way to the farmer's market on Sundays. I'm sorry - but the Santa Clara County Libraries have waaaaaay better and newer books than the beautifully renovated and designed San Jose Public Libraries. I just request my books and come to pick them up. Love it. read more

I used to live walking distance from this library. It was definitely one of the perks of where I lived. Pros: + self checkout machines make quick work of getting in n' out. + website is easy to navigate and perform a lot of admin functions (reserve, renew, search, update email, etc.) + great selection of electronic material (ebooks, audiobooks) available 24/7 online + they use email reminders for reserved material arrival and books that are due. + huge selection of DVDs and foreign movies. Most of it now plays...perhaps they're removing the scratched items. + cozy atmosphere. pretty easy to find things due to its small size. + free wifi and a/c Cons: + small location + no quiet study options + can get loud due to poor sound isolation and small size read more

Great library. I've been using this library since i was in middle school which is 19 years now. Friendly librarians and very helpful. Its not as crowded as other libraries I've been to. Walking distance from my house, what more can I say? read more

We attended story time with Miss Lauren for over 3 years at the Campbell library. Her energy and enthusiasm was what brought us to this library every Wednesday. It's 30 minutes of reading, singing, dancing, puppets, felt board games, scarf play, shakey-egg fun! We recently moved and will greatly miss story time and Miss Lauren! read more

I like this place. It's quiet and it has a quiet room where you can plug in your laptop and do your thing. Did i mention it was quiet? Not as big as Martin Luther King library but no riff raff a-holes here either so that's an even trade off in my book. The ventilation in the restroom is bad. It smelt like donkey ass when i was last in there..i nearly puked and i'm used to smellin' crap on the job. I'm just nitpicking though..kinda dumb for me to complain about a public restroom that some dude took a giant fudge mountain dump in.. that's the only negative thing i can say about the place. It works fine for me and i'll continue to go there. ps- that crapper really did smell like crap. I mean wtf was that guy eating? It smelt like putrid mickey d's puked up, refried and ingested again. Maybe the guy had a cork in his butt for a week or something. Damn..i've been having nightmares about that smell. toxic man..toxic i tell ya. okay i'll stop now. read more

I just plain love everything about my library...... it supports my book addiction and saves me $$. The staff is always there to help ..... With so many changes in Campbell it is the one place that is constant and comfy...... don't have to dress up to go there......!! read more

Hooray for story time! We have tried just about every baby story time out there. And the Campbell library wins for us. Parking is easy. The community room is big. There can be a lot of babies and parents at story times. Nothing worse then feeling crowded. The parents are friendly and talkative. Always nice to meet other Moms. Some are regulars. Others are drop ins like me. I like to walk to downtown Campbell after and get a snack for baby and coffee for me! read more

This place is loud, no quiet area. Very small and smells bad.

This used to be a decent library that was easy to get to, however, I live on the wrong side of the street in San Jose, and San Jose is no longer considered part of Santa Clara County according to this library. So they now want to charge around $80 a year to use the library. So now I have to drive miles further to get to the nearest San Jose library. If you live in San Jose, skip this place. read more

It seems weird to yelp review a library but I love this place! It has two floors with a ton of books, DVDs and magazines. They even have Blu-Ray and video games which my boyfriend loves. Its never noisy too so if you need to study there are tables on both floors. Plus they have these check out machines that are super easy and fast to use. read more

Very nice library! Nice staff and really fun activities for young children. We are having fun with read for the win program. Thanks library staff! read more