The Avenue branch of the Ventura Public Library features an extensive children's section. Small,…read morecozy, tidy, charming. If you order a book, it can ship to this location. Bring your small ones to welcome them to the beauty of books and reading. You'll be glad you did!

The staff is great here! Very helpful! They can order anything for you that's in the Ventura…read moredistrict and ship it over. We also love the tutor option from 3-5. They have a quite room in the back to do homework at and there are tutors to help! It's small but has everything you need.

Bart's Books is a one of kind bookstore in Ojai. This spot is huge with shelves of books lined up…read moreindoors and outdoors. They also have a great diversity of book genres and sell both new and used books. Everything is neatly organized and prices are really fair and affordable too. If you are ever in the Ojai area, this place is one of the ones you do not one to miss out on! One of my favorite bookstores I have ever been to!

I am someone who constantly gives 5 star reviews. I will only give 1 star if a place is torturing…read moreanimals or gives me the worst possible experience possible (which thankfully is rare). I want to give 3 stars in good faith to Bart's Books but I couldn't help but to notice when my husband and I were approached and HOW we were approached. Let me explain: We walked in and headed towards the right back to take a look at books. Immediately, an employee (maybe the owner)? with a black cap on approached us and said in a stern voice, "Do you need any help?" When we both answered "No, thank you!" The employee/owner continued to stand there and followed up with, "Are you looking for anything in particular?" To which we both replied "No." Then we were left alone. What I noticed is I was the only Black person inside this entire shop and my husband is a POC, Indigenous. So it felt very off putting. Especially considering there was a man right next to us who wasn't asked a question! That same man turned around to look at this employee/owner when we were approached, then realized he wasn't the one being approached and turned back around to look at books. There was also another couple on our lefthand side/bookshelf over and this employee/owner walked right by them and didn't ask them the same line of questions. They were white AND they entered behind us. We weren't even in the shop for a solid minute before we were abruptly approached. I didn't even get to pick up the book I wanted to look at when we were approached. What adds to it: The employee/owner with the black cap on walked away as soon as we walked up the register to purchase. The other employee stayed put and was polite. Offered to bag my items for me and wished us a good day. Now, listen. I have gone through my fair share of racism, racial profiling, etc. And considering the world we are living in right now, moments like these feel more intense and hurtful. Moments like these NEED to be talked about. We live in a world that can be very cruel, dark and full of racism. With all that being said, I still want to hold on to hope. I hope that this was not the employee/owner's intentions. However, intent isn't the same as impact. Just because you don't "intend" for something to feel or be that way doesn't mean it isn't. This interaction left us both feeling uneasy, especially when we noticed it wasn't happening to anyone else. It almost made me leave, but I wanted to get books! I noticed someone left a review on here explaining something eerily similar to what we experienced and they too named the same employee/owner. To know my husband and I weren't the only ones to feel this way and to be treated this way is ALARMING. Again, I want to hold out hope. But this doesn't look great for Bart's Books. I was SO excited to come here all the way from Los Angeles, get some great books, have a great experience and support a small business. I at least left with two of the three. I can only hope this review can encourage them to do better, treat everyone equally and with kindness! On to notes about the space/business: - Very cute and charming - Peaceful - Organized - So cool to be "inside" and outdoor bookshop - They have a few rooms that do have AC/fans - Seating and reading nooks - They do not allow pets - They do not have a bathroom - They offer events with authors - They buy books - Fair pricing

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.

Good because of its location…read more Bad because of sign in/out of the bathroom with a key as well. With adults can't just go beyond a certain point of the 2nd floor (juvenile/young adult). By the way they actually kept the doors open because of still of COVID/-19. When they shouldn't have. I would just rather skip here for another library/book store to begin with.

Oh no. No, no, no, no, no…read more Okay, I DID get a lot done sitting there in that lone little chair at that tiny wooden table under the window. It was quiet.... But, oh, dear readers, 63 years is too damn long to wait to upgrade a library--a center of culture and education!--please. Oh please. Please, please, please, please, please.

I love this cute little library! The staff set up arts and craft activities for the children on…read moreoccasion like rock painting, and my daughter adores playing with the diverse range of toys they offer, including but not limited to their farmer's market station, the train, farm animals, astronaut and spaceship set, marine animals, and more! They had story time with singing in their back garden at one point, and my daughter thoroughly enjoyed attending it outdoors by the way!

A pleasant little library for those of us who love being surrounded by words and knowledge, this…read moresmall library connected with the Ventura County library system has a good selection of research books on local history, paperbacks, and small tables near a window for reading said books. Computers are available and there is a kids section well away from the adult section.

Explains J Krishnamurti well. A stunningly peaceful place. You'll like it if:…read more * You can put your phone down for more than an hour * Know the difference between Lao Tse and Douglass Addams. * Are interested in understanding the unintelligible before the intelligible. You won't like it if: * You must rage scroll at least once every 15min * Your parole office warned you to get your life together and start here * New ideas are maddening, and unlearning seems an odd idea. You can learn much here, but it requires absorption. A sponge only holds so much water until you need to squeeze it. Squeeze here.

On my second trip to Ojai, I made sure to make a stop here. After reading a bit about Krishnamurti…read moreand hearing him mentioned a couple of times this past year, we were lucky enough to visit this place which was his actual home now turned into a library for all to come and seek some knowledge/reflection of his philosophy. It contains a small library, a meditation room and a room which screens films at certain times. We are met by Michael who has great knowledge, wrote books and was one of the chefs to Krishnamurti at the school in London. In fact, we ended up buying the cookbook in which he is featured and was there to autograph for us and take a photo op too! On the grounds is a medicinal herb garden and a memorial like hall giving a timeline of Krishnamurti which was informative. Overall, I am left with curiosity to read more on Krishnamurti's philosophy. Thank you and would recommend this place!

It's a very nice, very clean, and very pretty library. Lots of parking, very secluded area but not…read moretoo far off from the main streets. Definitely a nice library to visit, with a very cheap bookstore.

Came on a Thursday morning with my grandchildren so they can attend the story time and songs at the…read morediscovery area for kids. After that we watched the puppet show in the audio visual room. My grandchildren have fun and we ate snacks at the coffee shop just outside the library. My grandchildren are excited to go back again. I highly recommend

Recently renovated- the library looks great! They have computers and printers you can use too. It's…read morea nice little library that has calm vibes and the books are taken care of and orderly. Always find something interesting to check out when I visit!

Several computers are available, and there are lots of tables and chairs with plenty of space. The…read morechildren's section is large. Their reference books are limited and old as are their non fiction selections. If you are looking for fiction, paperbacks, and dvds you will have better luck. Open hours are limited.

Really great spot. Clean, organized, and plenty of area for sitting and getting some work done…read more It's in a really convenient area, and was perfect for spending some time on the computer. I'm not much of a library guy in general, but was really impressed by this spot!

I really enjoyed visiting this library with my kids! There's a whole kids section downstairs, which…read moremakes it nice when my kids want to be excited while looking at books. I wasn't afraid of them being too loud for the other visitors. There were a bunch of other kids having a good time doing arts and crafts when we visited. A male librarian helped my son find the graphic novels and even recommended some which we ended up checking out. They have a wide selection of books and sitting areas for the kids. Everything was organized so well. I was very impressed.