Live Oak Library is my go-to library when I want to study or get work done outside of home. There's a small private parking lot in the back of the library. The look and feel of the library is very modern and clean. Inside is quiet - I barely heard anyone make sounds. I came on a Friday afternoon and most tables were occupied by folks studying or working. I prefer working on the tables facing the windows, as it's spacious and has easy access to charging outlets. There's also a few meeting rooms. The book selection is vast for both the adult and kids section. Lastly, I can tell the staff here is diligent. I saw the librarians organized books and folks in the front desks doing book check-outs. Overall, this is a fantastic library and I'll definitely be back. read more

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Very clean, modern, and small library. They have their own small parking lot in the back. The tables and furniture all look clean and new. There's a small sectioned off children's center for kids to explore and read. And a separate area for adults that need to study or work. There are plenty of computers and study tables to get work done. I think the biggest table I saw was a table of 4, in case anyone wants to come here with a study group. The AC is nice and it's a great place to relax with a book or get some work done. read more

LA County Library - Live Oak Library - Books - Libraries Near Me - Arcadia, California

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I love this library but unfortunately if you don't find parking, the street parking is very inconvenient. Storytime is on Tuesdays--the same day they sweep the east side of Welland, which is the nearest street to park if you don't find a space in the parking lot. I was ticketed and there is only ONE street cleaning sign so it's very easily missed! If not for parking, this would be a 5-star rating. read more

Pros: clean library and staff. Cons: on the smaller side of libraries This library is the total opposite of what I think a public library is. When I think of a public library I expected disheveled people hogging the computers, graffiti in restrooms that require maintenance, and grumpy overworked and understaffed employees. Instead this is a fresh new look with its modern architecture. Friendly and warm staff. And immaculate restrooms. I think it's great that you have obtain permission to use the restroom. Without them buzzing you in, you won't have access. It's definitely a smaller location with only 14 parking spaces. But it has a really cozy feel to it. What's more is that the library had a promotion for kids. My 4 year old was greeted by Erica (the Children's librarian) and gifted him a library goody bag for kindergarten preparedness. She also assisted in enforcing time limits on the public kids computer because my son wanted to play games. Overall great first of many experiences. read more

LA County Library - Live Oak Library - Kids area - Libraries Near Me - Arcadia, California

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This library was such an amazing little gift during the pandemic because I was able to put all the books I wanted on hold and they had contactless pickup. Now, the library is completely re opened and I've been inside a few times! It's super tiny (compared to the Arcadia Public Library), but honestly has everything you'll ever need. The county selection of books is so great- they have almost everything I've ever wanted to read- and they'll ship it to the closest LA County library location to you too. read more

I was able to take my class here for our first "walking field trip" since Covid hit in 2020. We had a wonderful time and the children's librarian, Erika, was fantastic! I think she might have been just as excited to have a group of kids as we were to be there! The library itself is small, but clean and functional. Several students were able to get library cards in the short time we were there (Yay!), some checked out books, and others put books on hold. I look forward to continuing our walking field trips in the upcoming school years. Only negative is the parking lot is quite small and a bit difficult to access. I can foresee that being a problem for some patrons. read more

I hate to rate public resources/ services lowly, but some just need more attention/ improvement. If you are trying to find a place to study, this place is super small. It is definitely smaller on average compared to the city libraries / LA city library that I typically frequent. With the small amount of space, it is just logical to say there are fewer book choices; you will have more luck either at other libraries or online. I am not sure if county libraries have less funding than others and if you're a library patron connoisseur (lol), you will surely know the difference between county and city libraries. If you're not too picky with the amount of available books/ or reading space, I would check this out. It is definitely one of the neighborhood libraries where it is nice to just graze over books for an afternoon and also be within short walking distance to-- one I wished I had nearby when I was a child! read more

It's true! I'm writing an updated review to confirm that the library will relocate to Live Oak & Santa Anita by late spring 2020! It's definitely a better location but it's in a fork of a busy street. Construction has been underway so hopefully as time goes on we'll know more. I'm excited and looking forward to next year! read more

nice ，clean，maybe Less car space? So few people? my kid like it, he is looking for books and reading books.

Love this little library since they did they the remodel! The staff is great and they have such a cute little area for the kids :)

This is a small library with lots of books, especially children's books, and not a lot of place for studying and what not. Most patrons stay there for no more than 1 hour. I am glad this little community library is near El Monte, El Monte apparently has no public library, just the Rio Hondo Community College one which I have never been. I went there to study, the people there are nice enough, it's quiet enough for studying. The restroom is small and not too dirty (just little...). I think I will come back in the future when I don't feel like driving too far to the larger and more crowded libraries. read more

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This is a little library off of Live Oak Ave and 10th with parking in the rear alley. When I first walked in, I was a little surprised at how small it was, but keep in mind that they are a part of the LA county libraries so they can transfer books from any of the other LA county libraries. So technically, their inventory and selection is wider than any of the other libraries that are close by. There's a couple of tables scattered around the area and it's pretty quiet since there isn't too many people that go in. The workers are all SUPER friendly and once time I accidently walked out with a book without checking it out and the alarm sounded, but they didn't give me a hard time and just reminded me that I had to check it out AND return it. I knew that... Lol. Definitely search their catalogue online and visit this library! They're open on Mondays, unlike some of the other county libraries in the area. read more

I love this library. As part of the L.A. County system, it has access to so many books and CDs and DVDs, and once you have a card you can go online, find what you want, order it, and be emailed when the item arrives at Live Oak Library. Then you go check it out, and all for free! There are tables and chairs and some cushy seats in the itty bitty "teen" section, but they're close together because the library is so small. So this isn't an ideal place for studying-- and yet I often see a lot of people at the tables, so I guess they disagree with me. :) read more

This place is so cool! I just moved to LA and I go to college and I needed a place to get some assignments done close to home. I got my library card super fast and easy, just bring an ID and proof of your address like a utility bill and your good to go. The staff seemed really friendly and super helpful. There's a parking lot in the back, computers to use and free wifi with outlets if you decide to bring your own. There's only a few tables because it's a really small library so sharing is caring. I really liked their DVD selection. I was pleasantly surprised with how many "new" movies they had. They also had some older ones you can't find on netflix or at redbox that I forgot I've even wanted to see so that is really awesome. Oh and it's all free! This is my new favorite place to get some home work done or to borrow a movie! read more

I've been going to this library ever since I was a little kid. This place has a smaller variety of books, but it makes up the lack of variety with the events they plan. They have a lot of child activities and weekly teenage activities and the DVD collection is pretty extensive. Their is little room to study; however, not many people go to the library anyway so one is bound to find an open table or chair to study at. The staff is pretty nice and they will order any book that you want to read and they will call you when it's ready. read more

This small neighborhood library has a wonderful librarian staff, very helpful, seemingly very public service oriented. But oh the building-it is awful. Why doesn't the County of LA build a new one when it is so obviously needed. The place is falling apart, and no matter what the staff tries to do to make it as attractiveand as useable as possible, the building itself is so old, crumby, and dilapidated it only makes it more obvious how inadequate it is to fill the needs of the community it serves. Particularly liked the librarian in charge though--I think her name is Dinah or something like that. Really helpful and kind. So for the staff, 5 stars. But for the actual library--is there a minus 5 rating? read more

This is a tiny library with all the functions that any library can have. Even though it might look small, it can actually let you access a huge collection of books, DVDs, CDs,...etc. through inter-library loan service. All you need to do is to put a hold on the book you want, the library system will notify you via e-mail once it arrives at the library you designate as the "pick-up" library. The staff is friendly and professional. Even though it is a tiny library, it still tries its best to provide all kinds of family activities, such as toddlers story time, early reader story time, arts and crafts, teen game time, teen advisory time. We are very lucky to have this library around. read more