Book-lovers' paradise! Books are well-organised, the catalog is well-maintained and the staff…read moremembers are very helpful. I always end up finding new books everytime I go. PS- their book sale is worth checking out, and so is their honor books section!

Take a sojourn to the land of literature! I am quite fond of libraries, and Goleta Valley is no…read moreexception! I don't just adore this community gem because I'm a bibliophile, but because of the variety of enrichment and resources it offers. Staff are consistently kind, knowledgeable and helpful. The usual books, periodicals, compact discs, dvd, etc. are available to check out. There are also books, dvds and cds for sale at bargain basement prices in the entryway. We always find something we can't say no to. There are so many programs for kids and adults, including the summer reading program, for which there are raffle prizes, art exhibits, informational events, literary events and much more. The access to digital resources is immense, including catalogs of digital movies, music and audiobooks a member can access at home or on the go through a mobile device. There is a parking lot, including disabled parking availability, and the building is accessible, which is important. We are so grateful for our local library!

I'm obsessed with this little used bookstore. I come every year on vacation and I find a stack of…read morebooks that had been on my list or authors that I love. They get great donations from readers that have the same taste as me! I love looking through the shelves and finding my treasures. It's run by volunteers, mainly sweet older retirees. They only do cash so make sure you have some on hand! Most books are $2.

All right. For folks that love a bargain, love to read, love to up cycle, and love to contribute to…read morea good cause AND find themselves in the town of Carpinteria... then by golly check out the Friends of the Library bookstore. The shop is part of the library with its own entrance. All the books look to be in good condition. The shop was clean and bright. The books were sitting pretty and neatly organized on the shelves. Prices were discounted. Check them out

This place never cease to exists. Since being a student to now, there is so much to offer for…read moreeveryone. And of course a tremendous resource for knowledge. I stopped in to visit the new exhibit showcasing local bee diversity. It was simple but so elegantly done. I'm always impressed with things here. Thank you Gauchos!

Yelp tells me it's National Library Week, so here's an updated version of my review of the UCSB…read moreLibrary, a truly wonderful resource. I wrote the original last year when we were still in the midst of a terrible drought. We got a lot of rain this last winter, but nothing like the storm I describe below. Back in the 90s I was a grad student at UCSB and had the privilege of doing research in this library. It's an outstanding resource and staffed with an incredibly knowledgeable and helpful staff. Five stars all damn day! Also back in the 90s here in Southern California we used to have wet winters. Hardly ever rains in these parts anymore. This story took place in 1994, in the middle of an absolutely epic rainstorm. The wind was so strong that huge decades-old eucalyptus trees were blown down all around campus. Roads running through the campus were blocked with these fallen behemoths. The rain was coming down in torrents. It was a full on El Nino type storm event. I had spent the morning doing research and left the Library a little after noon to walk to my apartment about a half mile away I was wearing my trusty REI raincoat. It has a huge hood that completely covers my head and has a bill that extends out to cover the top part of my face. With the hood on and bill pulled down you can keep your face dry but your forward vision is limited to the area just in front of your feet. I was on the path that led back to family student housing, with a backpack loaded with like 15 pounds of books I had just checked out. The wind was blowing so hard it made the rain look like it was falling sideways. I was walking into the wind as fast as I possibly could, staring at the ground and only peeking out from under my hood occasionally to make sure I wasn't about to run into anything. Since it was raining so hard, and had been for hours, the path was virtually deserted. Every time I peeked out from under my hood there wasn't anyone else on the path. I kept my head down and pushed on into the driving rain. Then the damnedest thing happened. I looked up and saw Professor Steven Hawking no more than five feet away, speeding directly toward me in his wheelchair. We were just seconds away from a head on collision. At the absolute last possible moment I jumped to the right, out of his way. He motored full speed right by me. Missed me by mere inches. It happened so fast there wasn't time to process the situation. I stood there in the pouring rain and watched him roll away. I couldn't move my feet. I was shaking with adrenaline. WTF????? I almost collided with Steven Frickin' Hawking. Now, you wouldn't know it from my profile, but I'm actually a pretty big guy. At the time I was 6'2" and weighed 220 pounds. I had a backpack with over 15 pounds of books on my back and I was walking at full speed. Steven Hawking was 5'6" and weighed about 137 pounds. And he had ALS. All the way home this loop played in my head: Oh my god, that was so close! Oh my god, if I would've hit him head on, I might have killed him . Oh my god, I almost killed Steven Hawking! In my mind's eye I could see the headlines, "World's Smartest Man killed by Village Idiot." When I got home I tried to sort it all out. I had so many questions. Like, first of all, what the hell was Steven Hawking doing in Santa Barbara? And what was he doing out in the middle of a torrential downpour with no attendants? I mean, wouldn't you assume he would have at least a caregiver or a gaggle of grad students around him pretty much all the time? Well, he didn't. He didn't even have a damn umbrella. He had to have been soaked. And then I started thinking about the moment I looked up to find him just five feet in front of me. He had to have seen me coming right at him for a long time before I noticed him, but when I looked up he was coming straight for me. The path was eight feet wide. He could have easily steered around me. But he didn't. He was coming straight at me. That was a startling realization. Immediately I pictured a different newspaper headline: "Village Idiot Survives Assassination Attempt by World's Smartest Man." Since I wrote the original review I found out what Professor Hawking was actually doing at UCSB. He had a close relationship with the UCSB Physics Department and was on campus as a guest of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. The Institute was launching a series of lectures to make Physics more accessible to the general public. Professor Hawking gave the inaugural lecture of the series at Campbell Hall. Mikey C says: Hey Hawking, I'm walking here!

I love this library! The library workers are kind, knowledgeable, and approachable…read more I had my books sent here and held here as my library is getting remodeled. The books were here and easy to find. I appreciated the help, the cleanliness and the air conditioning. My daughter has been going here to study as it is quiet and peaceful. I recommend this library.

Nice and helpful staff. Clean and comfortable places to sit. Outside seating is available. Great…read moreperks.

Amazing library, such a wonderful place and I'm loving the new add ons after their renovations.read more

Love how low key and quiet this library is. They have a great selection of kids books in both…read moreenglish and spanish. They also offer a lot of great reads and book club books. This library has a kids corner with puzzles and computer for activities which is great for little ones. They also offer a self check out area which is awesome and user friendly.

Beautiful and relaxing place to visit. I first learned about comparative religion here as a kid,…read moreand it blew my mind! I love the gardens, the library, and walking here from the Ojai Meadows Preserve. Be ready to be quiet and contemplative when you're here.

This review is based on my trip there in November 2011…read more Wonderful esoteric and spiritual bookshop! It sits within the compound and grounds of the Theosophical Research Society, surrounded by gardens and fountains. I went in expecting nothing by Theosophical related books from Charles Leadbeater, Helena Blavatsky and Alice Bailey. Boy, was I wrong. They had tons of books and titles represent all faiths and traditions, from hokey New Age books on gems and angels to serious tomes on Tibetan Buddhism and Sufiism and everything in between, including some hard-to-find and out of print titles. I was very impressed and will definitely come back if I'm in the area again.

JMC proved beyond exemplary and knowledgeable. He patiently reviewed our issue, and provided…read morereasonable solutions to move forward. This visit was surprisingly informative and productive. We are grateful for the services and assistance provided by this outstanding associate. Your office is fortunate to have such a talented, considerate and supportive individual working with the general public. The help he provides to the lost by guiding them and navigating the nuances and intricacies of SS - is priceless. Thank you.

I owe them everything,I was living out of a minivan in the los padres and my benefits from where I…read moremoved from were cut a few days before Christmas and I hadn't obtained stable housing yet I had 238 dollars They didn't judge me being dirty or rough when I went in the security guard gave me water and calmed me down The worker took my info and in 15 minutes I had California benefits and was a legitimate California resident Since then I have gotten several slumlords busted ,saved some children from abuse,got my section 8 back somewhere else I have good credit money in the bank ,all my bills are auto pay a month in advance I'd still be homeless if it weren't for them and I love Santa Barbara in general Any negative reviews will be something you find in any ssa office anywhere they don't dictate any of it and there job is very stressful and I'm sure they are over case loaded like any other office Thank you for not judging me. You saved my life I don't care what anyone else says. They probably don't keep up with updates or understand procedure or the amount of changes on a regular basis even before trump and should be thankful even when things are rough or get messed up that they have any benefits at all. It's not a thing everywhere and California doesn't have the highest pay but it does have the best and most benefits and people tend to be knowledgeable about the job and at least try which is far more than I can say for personal experience in other states Also. there was almost no one in there there were empty seats short wait time you don't have to empty pockets or go through metal detector,most were older,not loud no babies Best ssa office I've been to aside my pleasant experience If you have issues just try and stay calm and get the right information. It may take a while , it's like that every where you go Thank you Santa Barbara ssa. If they were absorbing I'd had moved there with section 8 I love Santa Barbara. ,thousand trailsrv not so much. They don't deserve to be in that location If any park rangers see this ,thank you for being so kind I miss you guys and fixed my life,someone killed the cat though Everyone please be safe there To the ssa. Go take a long deserved coffee break. Who ever the main boss is it has been years since I was there. They still deserve some doled out PTO just because they put in the effort and you can Best ssa ever

I like walking down State Street when in Santa Barbara. They block a large portion to vehicle…read moretraffic which is nice for pedestrians. State Street has just about any cuisine you may be looking for. They also have lots of cute shops. This is a nice place to spend the day.

Love the Old Town Santa Barbara! With its Spanish architecture and nice Mediterranean vibe! It's a…read moreperfect mix between a smaller town with a relaxed vibe and a place that has many activities to offer: lots of museums, shopping activities, a great restaurant theme, various street fairs and festivals, check out their calendar when you plan a visit! Perfect place for a day trip or a nice weekend getaway from LA! The beach is close, lots of new breweries and spots great for wine tasting! Things changed here as well over the years, some not for the best, but I always enjoy walking the streets of Old Town, discovering new places, feeling far away, yet close enough. Santa Barbara is always a great idea, lots of fun things to do and the charm of the Old Town is hard to beat!