The only library in Fremont where you can register for an Alameda County library card to access all…read moreAlameda County libraries and online resources. So cute, they offer a mini library card you can hang on your keychain. It's big, with two floors, and includes clean restrooms, meeting rooms for community events, a plant seed library, study rooms, a children's section, printers and computers, and a makerspace for 3D printing (must sign a waiver beforehand). Sometimes a book sale. It's not that fancy, with no cafe inside like other libraries have in the rich area.
Most of the books are outdated from the 2010s; only a few novels are updated to the past few years. I wish they offered more up-to-date design books on topics like User Experience Design and AI, which I read as a refresher in multimedia design. You can borrow up to six books for over two weeks, and they automatically renew the next return date. I prefer to read three per month to be considerate. Scanning several books at the kiosk is easier and faster than a checkout line.
They do have great access to free online resources such as audiobooks, music streaming, Hoopla Digital (Netflix dupe), and full access to magazines and newspapers without subscriptions. You can also use your library card to get free passes to certain museums and galleries across the Bay Area on Discover & Go. Sometimes they might have National Park passes to Yosemite, which you have to check with the library first around May. Plus, they offer free seminars like resume writing from Ohlone College, filing taxes, and family activities for kids. There's even a glasses donation box courtesy of the Lions Club International.
Lots of parking in front with easy access to Lake Elizabeth, pickleball courts, and the Fremont Police Department. I also love that they provide a library locker near Irvington Community Park and Warm Spring Community Center, where you can pick up books that you reserved online with your library account, which is so convenient to walk to from home. You can drop your books in the return box next to the lockers. I don't have to drive to the main library to avoid silly children and encounter homeless people lying near the return box.