This medium-sized library is tucked away near a Marriot Courtyard. It's usually quiet enough (save…read morefor a few Teams calls ringing the front desk) to get work done, especially during non-peak times. There's not a ton of seating, about half seems to be reserved for kids, but they do have quiet solo study rooms for reservation if you really need one. Only about half the tables seem to have outlets, this library would get a full 5-stars from me if they could somehow get more (and a water bottle refil station)!

I went to the library with my 3 year old and returned the books from a different library. We were…read morethere for almost an hour then my daughter wanted to check out more books for the week. And when I go to check out, the machine says that I have damage fees. When I go to the attendant in the front, I said the machine isn't letting me check out. She didn't even fully acknowledge me and said , "yeah you damaged the books" accusing me of something I didn't do. The couple ripped pages that the books had were already there when I checked them out. How was I supposed to know that the books I checked out didn't have the damage noted in the system. If they can see my account. Out of all the times I've rented, I've never once damaged any property. But the review is solely based on the attendant who was cold, dismissive, and accusatory towards me. As much as I really like the kids librarian that usually stays in the kids section, unfortunately I won't be back to this library.

I visited this library for the first time yesterday, and I was impressed at this facility. Parking…read moreis free (at least for two hours) if you park at the lot that is connected to the library. You can either walk around or cut through the path to get to the main entrance. The bottom floor is mostly kids media as well as DVDs, and when I went the library itself was pretty quiet, so that was a pleasant surprise. The construction of the building was nice to look at as well, with a lot of glass and stainless steel, and there were also a ton of art features, such as the hanging jellyfish when you walk up the stairs to the second floor. There are rentable study rooms, but also a good amount of tables and chairs, and most of the tables had their own outlets to use as well, making this a great place to study. I took up a spot at a table that faced the ocean, and it was just so calm and serene. I would come again, as it wasn't too busy from 1-3 PM.

This was my first time ever stopping here, and boy was I impressed for a public facility! For those…read moreof you who are ever in the area and need to print out a few forms or documents, you can't beat this library. Your first 10 printouts are free. And while my home public library in Culver City is up to the task and gets the job done, the environment here is on another level all together. Perhaps it has something to do with looking out on the mighty Pacific right? Lol Leslie and Ann were super helpful immediately upon entry as my guest and I had never been here before. In addition to their great customer service, the cleanliness of the facility also stands out. Would highly recommend to anyone.

Super quiet, super clean, and super organized. Unlike all of the other surrounding LA libraries,…read morethis one has comfy big chairs, many seated desks with outlets, and a long lounge sofa corner. There are computers you can use too, and the restroom is locked, so you have to ask one of the staff to unlock it for you. Parking is 2 hours all around, and they have a security guard out front. A really great, safe and clean library.

This is absolutely my favorite library. It's so clean and quiet. There's no parking lot, but there…read moreis plenty of street parking. Some are limited by two hours but if you keep driving you'll find spots you can park at all day. Note: there is no water fountain to refill your water bottle, so be prepared for that. I believe you can bring in a drink just based on what I've seen, so I always bring an energy drink with me. Just be mindful and clean up after yourself. I would definitely recommend this library! just make sure to check their hours since they vary

The library recently added a way to get into the library before their usual opening on Monday thru…read moreThursday at 11 am. If you're in good standing with the library, you can apply to enter between 9 am to 11 am. The back entrance near the parking lot has a new device which scans your library card and requests your password. I'm told that there will not be staff to assist, but it's a convenient new service which will allow us to pick up holds and to use self checkout before they formally open. This is a useful new service!

Wonderful neighborhood Library; facility always clean, personnel professional, pleasant, and a…read morediverse collection of materials.

This place really needs more credit as it is trying to strike the perfect balance between being a…read morepublic place in Gardena Crenshaw area and providing a safe and educational place for kids and youths. Granted, I have only been here post renovation as much of the equipment seems close to new to me, but it speaks volumes as it is in stark contrast to the other library in Gardena (Mayme Dear). There is NO foul smell whatsoever and there is NO interference from the unhoused visitors. In fact, they hold babies and toddler story times here, along with age-appropriate accompanying toys, and there has never been an issue. The librarians here are caring and want a connection with visitors. They are quick to chat and help with any library-related needs. They are kind in their dealings with everyone. By that I mean my loud young kids have been shushed by librarians before at other branches but never here. Not that they're allowed to be disruptive here but again, just handled with gentleness and care. The kids librarian Irene is the best as well as the tall gentleman with glasses who appears to be the manager. And yes, there is a security guard always present and vigilant. Side note: there is an excellent taco truck just outside and also a to-go legit French bakery down the block (Frogs Bakery-morning hours) that supplies all your fancy coffee places with quality baked croissants and muffins that you would expect more in Irvine than Gardena.

I love my county library. It's small and comfy and I love it. I only wish for more hours.read more

It's a very nice library! Lots of natural sunlight with the big windows and lots of seating with…read moreplugs as well. They have a few parking spots right outside for 2 hours but right down the street is a neighborhood where you can parallel park and just walk over! There's no time limit for the neighborhood parking. They have pretty views outside the window with lots of trees and a huge green lawn. Outside the windows there are a lot of spider webs and dead bugs in the corners

I don't know if El Segundo Public Library is an old library, one that has been remodeled, or a…read morelittle of both. If not from the area, or this particular suburb of Los Angeles, it's hard to tell. I've only known about this library in recent years. For a lot of So Cal people, or even West Side people, El Segundo isn't a place to which they typically go. They might skirt its northern boundary along Imperial Highway, which divides the small city from the LAX airport property. They may skirt its beach side via Vista del Mar en route to the trendier South Bay beach cities. And they might skirt it more quickly going north-south along either Sepulveda Blvd. or the San Diego Freeway. Realistically, it's a quiet town with a well maintained and quaint downtown, a few old school eateries, and their own small civic center, which includes this library. The El Segundo Library is a very good library. It's fairly roomy, with tall ceilings, good lighting, and a lot of windows. The library appears to be one level upon entering, but there is also a lower level, which accounts for some of that roominess. The library staff is polite and reference librarians are friendly and helpful in a relaxed way. There are some larger reading rooms, private rooms, individual study tables, some comfortable upholstered seating, and large tables where people can park themselves. The collection appears to be large and there are many computers. I found this library because, while at nearby Clutter's Park, I needed to charge my phone, use a desktop computer, and do some personal organizing. It's not that far south of Clutter's Park, which sits on the hilltop arterial of Imperial Highway and overlooks LAX. Parking at the El Segundo Library is easy to find, either in various lots or on the streets. One just needs to heed the parking signs. Speaking of Clutter's Park, the El Segundo Library is the perfect complement to it in the sense that you can do two nerdy things, one after the other. Clearly, I jest, since plane spotting and acquiring knowledge are more fun and educational than they are nerdy.

Huge library almost like the one in El Segundo. Lots of old books and old magazines. They may have…read moresold some of the old magazines, but everything is up to date here in all. Just nice novels and all of the History. Place is pretty clean, and they have tight security here. I see little bit of homeless here, but not so much in this library. The staff are professionals too. So, I recommend in coming down to Redondo Beach library

I had several negative experiences and awkward interactions with staff at this library so I don't…read morebring my child here anymore. It's unfortunate because it has a great kids area with a nice play space and lots of books and DVDs available. We attended an event hosted at the library where we could meet seeing eye dogs in training. My child absolutely loves dogs and we were looking forward to meeting them. It was a 1 hour event and the organizers and trainers took the first 50 minutes talking about themselves and their program leaving no more than 10 minutes at the end for everyone to meet the dogs and some of them left right after the presentation. I don't know if you've ever tried to keep an excited child away from something cute and cuddly, but it is no easy feat. I felt like a monster for trying to redirect her away from the dogs during the unnecessarily long "presentation." This was poorly organized and those trainers were very self-absorbed. How could they not know that people only came to meet the dogs, not hear them talk the whole time. The library staff are very awkward and fit the unfortunate and typical stereotype of librarians who are quite possibly mole people.

Stopped by to print some papers and handle some business, but they were closed when I got there…read more Even though they couldn't help me directly, Rita was super helpful and still took the time to provide me with resources and recommendations on where else I could go. That's the kind of customer service that sticks with you. I originally got my library card here and honestly, interactions like this are why I love coming back. Great staff that actually cares about helping people out, even when it's not convenient for them. Would definitely recommend this location.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

I've been to this library a handful of times now and have tried to make it work. I'm studying for a…read morelicensing exam and figured I could study there on Mondays since the Culver City library is closed. However, I have noticed that most visitors, who appear to be transient, spend their time either sleeping there or setting up their belongings, which can range from several bags to small carts, and then leave to hang out in front of the building or in the parking lot with others who are getting high. I understand that the library is small, so space is limited. Unfortunately, this creates a challenging environment for those of us who are trying to focus on our studies. The noise and disruption from people coming and going, coupled with the lack of available seating, make it difficult. Additionally, I have noticed that some of the vistors sometimes smell of alcohol or marijuana, and some appear to be tweaking out, which further detracts from the study atmosphere. My hope is that changes can be made for the safety of all visitors, especially children, as it may be confusing or scary for them to see such behavior. As an adult, I am aware of what is happening, but children may not understand. It would be beneficial if the library could implement some policies to ensure that the space is more conducive to studying, such as designated quiet areas or time limits on how long belongings can be left unattended. This way, everyone can enjoy the library as a resource without compromising its primary purpose as a place for study and learning.

I've been on a library card hunt and yesterday, I was in Gardena and saw that this was an L.A…read more County library! My cousin and I stopped in around 5 pm and asked the lady at the front desk if we could apply for a library card and she directed us to the library counter. My cousin had a passport card and not a California ID and let the clerk at the desk know. She checked with her higher up and he approved her application with the passport card. The clerk's name was Marie and she said to give her about 10 minutes to prepare our cards and add us to the system. The library is one story, clean, organized, no weird smells and quiet. To use the restroom, you have to ask the person at the front desk to unlock it for you and they do that from their desk at the push of a button. We returned to the desk to pick up our library cards and Marie went through the packet and let us know their policy and made us aware of the free apps we have access to thanks to the library card. One new app I learned about was Freegal, a free music app, similar to having Apple Music. It's not as extensive, but it has a lot of the major artists in their catalog. Another service I learned the library offers is you're able to print 10 pages a day, for free, at this location which comes in handy for me. Overall we had a great experience getting a library card from here and I'll be back to visit again! Thank you Marie!!

Review #864 2025-036…read more The Gardena Mayme Dear Library is located in the Civic Center part of Gardena, & the L.A. County Library (one of the largest U.S. library systems). This 14K+ sq. ft. library offers a children's & teens' space, meeting room (50-person capacity), photocopier, printers (10 free pages/day), unlimited Wi-Fi access, computers, even laptop (Chromebook LTE) loaners for a 6-week check-out! Chromebook LTE Check-Out: Any adult library card in good standing can check out a laptop for 6 weeks during regular service hours, & must be returned in person during service hours at the owning library. NO BOOKDROP RETURN ALLOWED! Most libraries have eliminated late fees, so there's no late fee for turning in the laptop late; however, the laptop will become disabled once the loan period has ended. If it has sustained damages, the borrower is responsible & will be charged damage fees. The following programs are included: Adobe Acrobat Reader; DocuSign; Google: Calendar, Docs, Drive; Skype; WordPress; Internet. We mostly used the Torrance libraries, but have expanded our network for the summer reading programs & events. And Gardena Mayme Dear Library has an awesome 2025 line-up: Bubblemania! (my youngest is too old at 9 but still enjoys bubbles), Duct Tape Wallet (had a conflict & wasn't able to attend), The Arty Loon Show (this was so funny & fun!), Georgia O'Keefe Watercolor (my teen is here painting as I type), Super Science Super Show (my 9 YO is super looking forward to this), Wonders of Wildlife (can't wait to see what live animals they're going to show). The library is open, airy (great for those hot summer days) with lots of natural light. There's plenty of individual cubicle spaces for privacy as well as tables for shared work. It's relatively quiet except when there are LOs (toddlers & pre-elementary kids) so you'll hear some random chatter & squeals. I read some of the other patrons complaining about the noise level (assuming it's during the weekdays after school). I would never allow my kids to run amok, & would leave if they can't sit still or keep quiet because I feel our presence is disturbing the peace. The children's behavior/attitude is a reflection of the parent (a bad one if they don't keep them in check at a public place); this is not a playground & if you need one, there's 2 nearby: Mas Fukai Park & George H. Freeman Park. Service was friendly & helpful (read below); I saw at least 4 librarians/staff at the customer service station & shelving books. We came Saturday afternoon & there's still plenty of workspace & seats available. H was here for the 2:00 PM: Georgia O'Keefe Watercolor event while I assisted locating her Honor English reading assignments. I flagged down a librarian passing the catalog computer & asked for directions for the books; she did one better & escorted me to the row of books. =) I still know my Dewey Decimal System, & informed her I can locate the book(s) I need on my own. It was a relaxing way to spend the weekend after a rough morning. Thanks Gardena Mayme Dear Library for this fun, creative outlet so my teen can separate herself from the screen.