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    Los Altos Public Library

    4.4 (78 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Los Altos Public Library Photos

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    Take home craft
    Tiffany C.

    This place is awesome. Lots of free fun all week long. The children's librarians are very nice and often help my daughter find books she likes based off of very little information.

    Elena A.

    Super cute library! I really enjoy the interior and there is ample space to study and do work. The wifi is pretty good and so easy to park! They also have an area called their quiet study area where it's just individual desks. The outlets situation is better in the normal study area but that area was quiet full when I went so I didn't get to go there. I also like that they're open until 9 PM! Great place to get some good studying or work done.

    View of the orchard (with library in the background) during the winter
    Ciera P.

    I've been going to Los Altos library since I was young, and continue to go to this day. I visit at least once a week to get my weekly book-haul. The staff and librarians here are incredibly friendly and I love the atmosphere that this library has. The children's section, located on the left side of the library is huge and gives children a great place to read. I especially love the teen room that allows people to collaborate on projects without worrying about being loud and bothering other visitors. If you're looking to read/work in an incredibly quiet space, I recommend the section in the way back of the adult section. I frequently take advantage of the inter-loan system which allows you to place holds on books that are available at the other library branches in the area. Books that are in transit come in quite quickly. Their website is also really well maintained and is a great resource to download e-books and audiobooks!

    Jess W.

    By far my favorite public library in South bay. Very neat, well organized, cozy space. They have part-time volunteers who come to host the snack stand, which includes donated goods like home-baked cookies, granola bars, cheese sticks, milk, candies, and more. It's a great idea to help support the local community and organization. Also, especially love the ambiance of this library, always very clean and aesthetically pleasant! So many roses you can see through the windows!

    $3 total!
    Danielle C.

    Nice library. I love libraries for their used book sales. This library even had some books for $0.25 each which is a steal. Their regular priced books were only $1-$3 as well. I got The Princess Bride for $1 which is great! There is also a small snack bar where you pay the box. The treats are very cheap. There is also a room you can rent out. The Bay Area Board Games group meets here regularly I believe.

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    Very nice library in downtown Los Altos with friendly staff.Lotsvof wonderful books and plenty of free parking

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Los Altos Public Library

    Do you have a kids area/space where smaller children (toddlers) can play?

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    Review Highlights - Los Altos Public Library

    I've been going to Los Altos library since I was young, and continue to go to this day.

    Mentioned in 12 reviews

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    Mountain View Public Library - Kids play area

    Mountain View Public Library

    4.4(264 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    It's "OK" so far…read more.. I have been spending my own time at the library every day, because it is the closest library to commute to. I have plenty of work and I appreciate the quiet environment. Sometimes the librarians are perfectly polite and don't say anything weird, like attempt to spread false rumors about a civilian who has every right to be at the library-- or worse, attempt to ADvertise HeR to strangers (a very clear hello!). Sometimes they are a bit creepy, and it makes me wonder what they REALLY do for work. I am REALLY trying not to make assumptions... but a woman has to watch out for her own safety. There are a few staff who seem to be more mindful and considerate of such. A charger for my mobile phone that I ordered will arrive soon, so there will be no need to interact with them on a daily basis (to borrow the library's). I usually don't pay much attention to others at the library, but I notice that there are students and adults working from their laptops or completing class work. I just do my best to be aware of my surroundings, so that I don't end up sitting near creeps and stalkers. The traffic is quite questionable at times, although much of it has died down (thankfully). It seems that some people walk around the library looking for SOMETHING or SOMETHING TO STARE AT. Such traffic are very uncomfortable to be around-- I thought this was a library, not a zoo or a MARKETPLACE. So I just find a quiet desk to sit at, and concentrate on my work. I have borrowed and read a few books from the library, too. They have a fairly standard selection of a stereotypical American library in 2025 (the YA section is downstairs, whereas ADULT sections are UPSTAIRS). I appreciate the books they carry in the Computer Science section, as I am becoming more Computer Science literate these days (learning how to code, researching and using Artificial Intelligence, etc.).

    A quiet two-story library tucked behind Mountain View City Hall, with a public park. It's more…read morebeautiful than East Bay libraries I've ever been in. No more mentally disturbed/homeless people on site. It's surprisingly busy on the weekends, especially back-to-school season. I love how they have a quiet area with a fireplace, cushy seats, and sunshine shining through the windows facing the park. No talking in this area. The children and teens' section is conveniently located downstairs, which is an ideal location since they tend to talk loudly. Study/meeting rooms are spacious upstairs, but must be reserved ahead of time. Also, the restrooms are clean on both floors. Love the sculpture near the entrance. I can't believe it took me ages to discover this library after walking around Downtown Mountain View for the past two years. There's a parking garage available on the side of the library including street parking. Nice to walk around after dining in nearby restaurants and worth coming back to chill and read.

    Photos
    Mountain View Public Library - Mountain View Library - pretty glass wall

    Mountain View Library - pretty glass wall

    Mountain View Public Library - Mountain View Library - pretty glass window to children's area

    Mountain View Library - pretty glass window to children's area

    Mountain View Public Library

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    City of Palo Alto - Mitchell Park Library - Nice and bright!

    City of Palo Alto - Mitchell Park Library

    4.0(43 reviews)
    2.9 mi

    The Palo Alto public library system stands as a triumph of communal values of learning and…read moreeducation. The Mitchell Park Library shines as the crown jewel of this system with its great location, beautiful space, and vibrant social activities. The library teems with a large audience of older people coming for focused & quiet study and families with their hyperactive kids. The Library epitomizes what all libraries strives for - being a lively community center where reading is actually fun. The Mitchell Park Library offers convenient access to incredible books and media without cost. The layout of the shelves of books there is intuitive so I can find books with my eyes closed. The Library is also outfitted with self-checkout machines that make getting books convenient and fast which is great for times when I'm making a quick library run in my chocolate-stained pajamas and shirts in the middle of a Saturday at home just want to get my books in a hurry without being judged. Then the Library is gorgeous. It is situated just off Middlefield and right next to the beautiful Mitchell Park where you can find plenty of benches and elementary school kids playing soccer and larping with toy swords & shields. I can spend hours there reading in the couches or studying at any of the abundance of desks. The Library admits plenty of light through its large windows that resemble a clerestory of a church. The walls and carpet are decorated with bright colors and clean carpeting. The Library isn't without its downsides. Often times there seems to be so many families and noisy kids there my introverted self feels anxious sharing rooms with them in my safe space of a quiet library. At times it feels like the hive-mind of tech workers and the Bay Area monoculture can make the same books perpetually unavailable. Looking for a book on managing software projects. The book is unavailable and has 20 holds from programmers in the area. Want to check out books on having kids? So does every yuppie couple in town so those books are perpetually checked out. But there seem to be plenty of books on parenting available. It's hard to believe that such a great library like this one exists outside a university setting.

    A really nice and beautiful place for learning through reading. This two-story building houses a…read morelovely library in the City of Palo Alto. It's opened many hours during the week including Sundays till 6PM! We were just visiting this area, and decided to stop by. It's got a welcoming sidewalk area w/several metal owl sculptures/statues greeting you as you approach the entrance. I believe that those are technically for protecting pedestrians, and others who are sitting on the benches on that sidewalk area, and for the safety of the patrons of the cafe who are eating on the patio, but those metal owls are pretty darn cute if you ask me. =) To the right side is Ada's Cafe which is a non-profit set up to employ adults with disabilities to empower them with employment, give them training, and help them become self-sufficient. What a wonderful cause! However, they were not open on the Sunday we visited. They also have a lot information posters and events posted on their window for the public. The first floor of the library houses the info desk, restrooms, a permanent Friends of the Library store, a teens area/room, and Kids Place which is a really bright and colorful children's book section. There's lots of computers, a story-time and hangout area for kids w/their parents, and of course, lots of books! There's also a special art piece on the ceiling of Kids Place, I had to take a picture of it as it's so bright and cheerful. It can get kind of noisy here and the set up does not lend the Kids Place to be separate enough to prevent sounds from traveling to other sections. The second floor has the grown up section w/many book shelves, and tons of other resources like newspapers, magazines, DVDs, etc. There's also several classrooms and meeting/study rooms. We needed some assistance from the librarian/library assistant on the 2nd floor and she was very friendly and kind. The gentleman on the 1st floor also provided some assistance and he was polite. Parking can be a bit challenging, since it's next to a park so it's shared parking, but on this day we were able to find parking quickly as we came later, about an hour and a half before closing. Overall, this is a nice library, and we're glad to have discovered this little gem while just touring the area.

    Photos
    City of Palo Alto - Mitchell Park Library - What a nice children's section.

    What a nice children's section.

    City of Palo Alto - Mitchell Park Library - Tons of books and lots of seating in the teens area too.

    Tons of books and lots of seating in the teens area too.

    City of Palo Alto - Mitchell Park Library - A beautiful art work on the ceiling of the children's area.

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    A beautiful art work on the ceiling of the children's area.

    Saratoga Library

    Saratoga Library

    4.2(118 reviews)
    9.4 mi

    Visited Saratoga library for their story time arranged by my son's baby group. It was my first time…read moregoing in to the library, although I've passed by it a handful of times. The inside of the library was so neat and clean. There was a lot of natural lighting too, which made the library seem more inviting. The kid's section of the library has a large selection of books. There is a play structure with a slide, a "bonfire" area, and a play corner for new walkers. There are even a few reading books by the window. My son had a great time walking around, exploring, and reading some books. When it was time for storytime, the librarian walked my son and his baby group to a private room. It's nice knowing that they offer this service aside from the regular weekly storytime. They have a parking lot, which was about 90% full by the time I left around noon. I went on a weekday.

    My go to library. It sucks that they close earlier around 6pm on most days, but it's still an…read moreexcellent, world-class library. I love how quiet and clean the Saratoga Library is. I've gotten a good amount of work and reading done in this library. I also love how close it is to Highway 85, so I can quickly stop by to return items or pick up reserved items when I'm in a hurry. The Saratoga, Cupertino, and Morgan Hill Libraries have all redefined the standard I expect libraries to have now. MLK Library in DTSJ is trash compared to these three IMO. The sheer number of books, blu-rays, and video games each library has is insane. You're missing out if you don't sign up for a Santa Clara County Library card!

    Photos
    Saratoga Library - Entering from their parking lot

    Entering from their parking lot

    Saratoga Library
    Saratoga Library

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    Los Altos Public Library - libraries - Updated May 2026

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