First time at this library. This is a huge library with 3 floors. I forgot my library card number. The staff were nice and helpful in retrieving. Clean restrooms. Small little art gallery on first floor. Not sure if they have a parking lot but plenty of 2 hour street parking. read more

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The jewel in San Mateo County's library system. I have been going to this excellent library for nearly 20 years. It is my go-to library in SMC. This 3-story library is a student's dream. It is staffed by experienced and helpful people. It has so many books for reference or pleasure-reading. It has so many areas for group-study, quiet-study or some place to simply read or journal. It has media areas, a children's area where their are performances. It has a wonderful architecture. I simply love it there. I cannot recommend it highly enough. For your viewing pleasure. read more

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Beautiful library. Free underground parking and three floors of books. Children's play area, makers' space, meeting rooms and library book sales the first floor. Outdoor patio on the third floor. Cafe no longer operational, but the accompanying booths are there if you like to spread out. Airy and comfortable, and sparsely attended during the weekday afternoon. read more

Whoa this library is so big! Has its own parking lot underground and you can take the elevator up to the main ground level to get in to the building I can barely find music cd's these days at most libraries but they have a huge selection here. I was so delighted! Unbelievable. And so organized too! Many tables and chairs for everyone even an outdoor patio area if you're feeling like sitting outside for some air read more

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This library was huge. Truly wish something of this size and cleanliness was available where I live... That being said, I really enjoyed my time here. The study areas were plentiful, the rooms quiet, and the overall vibe was just immaculate. There are also plenty of books and other mediums to choose from. I only wish I had more time to browse because I could have spent way more time here! read more

I don't live in San Mateo so have not actually used the services of this library, but I will tell you, it is a gorgeous building with all sorts of features and services, including a cafe. My grandchildren were adamant that I see their library after being totally unimpressed with my branch of the Fresno County Library, which I think is a great facility, but not on par with this three-story structure with a parking garage underneath. The staff is very informed and very willing to provide help. There are so many places to read and study, or play, or meet. There is an art gallery, too, as well as outdoor areas and large windows overlooking the city. My grandchildren love this library and gave their grandparents the grand tour. You must check it out for yourself. read more

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I am a frequent visitor of the library, I took my children here often when they were young, and now I bring my grandchild. These days, however, I have been disappointed by my recent experiences in the children's section. The librarian in charge of the 10:15 and 11am storytimes on Tuesdays has made my visits to the library unpleasant. Her storytimes feel repetitive and uninspired; she relies on the same songs every time since last year, which quickly loses the kids' interest. More unfortunately, she doesn't create a warm or welcoming atmosphere. When I've tried to ask for help or recommendations, she's seemed resistant and not very approachable, which is discouraging in a space that should be nurturing for children and families. A library is such an important community resource, especially for kids, and I hope to see more creativity, engagement, and friendliness in those in charge of children's programming going forward. read more

This library is very well-organized and clean. The staff is also super friendly. We normally reserve books from website and pick them up, book return system is also amazing. Sometimes we use drive through late at night to drop the books and avoid day time crowds. Plenty of empty desks and power stations to bring your work on quiet afternoon. This place has quickly become our 3rd place outside of home and office. read more

San Mateo Public Library - Library - Libraries Near Me - San Mateo, California

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HUGE! Lots of free garage parking! Self Checkout! Private rooms to check out! Going to the Library always feels like such a safe haven space that not only encourages reading but also creativity, community, and inspires me to try harder in all aspects of my life. What do I want to learn and practice? I have ordered books online and then you get to pick them up- the call books are to the right on the first floor by the reception desk. Easy process! This is the main branch in San Mateo and they have lots of events and writing groups. I suggest you check out the calendar and see what interests you- check it out and get a new book. read more

San Mateo Public Library - Libraries Near Me - San Mateo, California

This library feels more like a zoo today. It's Sunday noon, and there's a Russian class going on led by someone who seems to have no regard for the environment. The people in the group are loud and act like they're at a flea market instead of a library. No courtesy whatsoever. To be clear, this group of parents (5-6) big mouths talking and laughing as if they were at the park. Walk outside and yap all you want..geez...no basis manners Library staff allows it is the worst part. read more

One of the prettiest and quietest libraries I've ever been to. It's located right in the heart of San Mateo. You can easily find parking in the underground garage right underneath the library and either take the elevator or the stairs to street level. The library is clean and bright with high ceiling and spectacular floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to trees outside. Sometimes when you look out of the windows, you may forget that you're in the library but instead at Lake Tahoe or somewhere nice camping. Plenty of tables and study areas on the second and third floors . All tables came with light and outlets so you can plug in and charge your laptops/electronic devices. Free WiFi is stable and nice. If you're a fan of Japanese anime like me, check out the display on the third floor. That's where the restroom is as well :)! Overall, I'm impressed with this public library and definitely recommend if you need a clean, quiet and fully equipped place to study. read more

San Mateo Public Library - View from the 2nd floor study area - Libraries Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Such a nice library, the staff is always helpful. You can reserve a study room at their website but you need an online account in order to do that. The max reserve per day is only 2 hours and you need to check in with them when you arrive. read more

Nice environment and bigger library. Bigger than Cupertino or Milpitas library. Of course big than the one in Santa Clara. There's a underground parking garage. You can also park your car on the 3rd Avenue. read more

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Multiple floors, clean, plenty of underground parking, balcony, friendly staff. You can reserve rooms. For sure everything a Library can offer. Once of my favorite places to visit. read more

Very nice library. Beautiful interior. Parking is limited to 2 hours. I love libraries and librarians but some of the people at this branch are almost at a level 9 or 10 with their hostility. I went to the restroom and kept my stuff in a meeting room and got lectured because I didn't check in and 'we are not responsible for your stuff.' I thought I did check in. Also reserved a room and it showed I had it for an hour. Thanks to a glitch I got kicked out after 25 mins and in the middle of a meeting. I later saw I had it booked for the hour via email. Then one day after packing up my stuff at 8:02p and they could see I was leaving, I got lectured about overstaying my welcome. Not the friendliest staff. Other than this issue and the parking, it's a nice library. read more

Free parking in the garage below. I came here to use a study room. I got my work done and there are many study rooms here, more than other Peninsula libraries. This place is large but a little dated in design. All that matters is that there are plenty of places to study or work, either in a study room which you can reserve online or at a desk in the library. read more

They need to fix their window blinds. Great study area but it can be too hot if they don't lower the blinds around 3pm. Or unnecessarily dark if they've lowered the blinds but they're stuck. read more

Love this library. Very updated interior with super high ceilings and plenty of windows for natural sunlight. There are also a lot of private study rooms on the 3rd and 4th floors, and a coffee shop on the top level as well! They even have their own underground garage with ample parking, packing space was a little tight so be careful if you have a larger car. It's very clean and nice, wish I live a little closer so I can go more often. read more

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Plenty of parking. Only went up to the third floor, but plenty of seating and charging for studying / working. Wifi is good. Water bottle stations. Restrooms clean and spacious. read more

This is my favorite library to work in. I can't say much about the book collection or any of the other services since I only come here to study. There are lots of tables with outlets and private study/conference rooms on the second and third floors. If you forget to grab a cup of coffee before your study sesh, there is a cafe available on the third floor serving small pastries and hot/cold drinks at your convenience. It is more modern than most libraries in the Bay Area. The only issue I have with this library is the 2-hour limit for parking on the streets and in the garage (unlimited after 6pm). If you want to spend all day at the library, it's a bit inconvenient to have to move your car every two hours... If you are feeling a little hungry afterwards, there are so many food options downtown! read more

The gorgeous natural lighting is what makes this library so special. It truly doesn't feel like I have spent several hours indoors because of how lively and vibrant it feels. There is also plenty of seating with outlets so that has never been an issue. The free underground parking is a plus. Overall this library is a gem! read more

This rating is for the librarians and all the programs they do! I work in another library and have referred so many people to SMPL. Today I referred someone to SMPL for their tax help appointments. I'm glad they are still providing this service. Not many places are. The AARP tax aide help was always very popular and well-attended. What a valuable community service! read more

You can apply online for a library card here! My mother, although a long-time reader, had not been to the library for several years, devoted to her Kindle since the large font on such was easier on her eyes. But she wanted to try out the large print books, and this necessitated a library card. I went online to help her, and we were easily able to get her set up. The cool thing is the library website on-the-spot generates a temp library id you can use to immediately reserve a book online. Definitely worlds beyond the old days when you needed to haul in a utility bill to prove you lived at your address! read more

San Mateo Public Library - View upon entrance - Libraries Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Great place to study! Large children's section. Friendly staff! New genealogy collection with folks on hand a few hours a week to assist you with your research. read more

One of the best libraries in the entire Bay Area! The facility itself is nice and updated. The library is always fresh and clean. Sometimes I come here to study or utilize the business recourse center. The also have study rooms that can be booked with a library card. The also host tons of cool events. I could easily spend hours here happily. read more

This is a beautiful public library in San Mateo. This library feels really modern and has a lot of materials here. I love the Friends of the Library Book Sale in the front. Their selection was quite impressive, and I even picked up a new One Piece manga book (in Japanese) for $1! There is an impressive selection of English manga upstairs, for all you manga fans. There are tons of computers for use, and tons of self check out machines. We also crashed some kids' recital downstairs. The Oak Room is rented out apparently, and includes events like kid recitals. read more

San Mateo Public Library - Libraries Near Me - San Mateo, California

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As a bookworm and a San Mateo native, from seeing this place being constructed as a kid, this is one of my happy places! Great architecture that encourages learning and boatload of resources at anyone's disposal; getting a job, tutoring, learning English, even getting a passport ‍. (P.S. I don't recommend the overpriced food on the third floor. Feed your brain instead or sumthin idk) read more

Absolutely loved this library! Went there on a Sunday noon to get some work done. The garage is closed when the library is closed so make sure to move your car out before they close (there's no 2 hour limit for parking on weekends). It has ample spaces to work or read. It's clean, quiet and bright! The restrooms are well maintained and the wifi is decent. They even have small group conference rooms that can be reserved up to 2 hours. There are plenty of coffee shops and restaurants within walkable distance. Next time, I'll try the coffee shop inside the library. read more

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This is a great library! There is plenty of space, large windows, lots of tables with plugs, free parking, and there is even a snack bar on the third floor. I do miss going to this library, sitting in a comfy chair by a window, and quietly reading a magazine. During COVID times, there is drive-through book pick-up by appointment and book return during regular hours. read more

ONE STAR for their children's area staff. Over the past year I've witnessed numerous accounts of the staff be unreasonably rude and unkind to mothers with small children. The last instance was this past week when I was introducing myself to a new group of mothers and then an older staff member (didn't get her name) came up and told us to keep our children quiet because others are reading. Afterward, the mothers and I bonded over the fact that we've all dealt with this women being mean to us in the past. Tip; don't be even a minute late to story time r you'll be kicked out. read more

Don't plan on donating any Music CDs or DVDs to the San Mateo Public Library. Because there is one librarian by the name of Carla, and she is the one who rejects each and every Music CD and DVD Donation that donors like me planned to donate, so that way not only me but everybody within the community could enjoy checking out so many different Music CDs and DVDs. I mean, I remember back in 2006, when I started to Donate New Music CD and DVD that the San Mateo Public Library needs, Tom who was supervising Audio Visual at that time, he accepted them and added them to the collection, and I was truly appreciated with this. And then, when Addie came to the library, she too accepted CDs and DVDs as well and added them to the collection, and I was also appreciated with the way both Tom & Addie used to manage with both the CDs and DVDs that were ordered and donated. And now, I just don't understand why Carla decides to reject CDs and DVDs that donors donate, and that made me so angry that I have had just about enough of these rejections. Could it be that she told me that other libraries like Burlingame, Menlo Park, San Bruno, and South City don't circulate, that she chose not to add any donation to the San Mateo Public Library? That does not sound right to me. I mean, there has to be a way to figure out why they started to reject donations, I mean never in my 13 years as a donor and my 25 years of discovering many different libraries, have I experienced extreme rejections like this. So, I decided to stop going to the San Mateo Public Library, indefinitely, because of Carla. read more

My favorite library along the peninsula! I love this place. Great wifi, beautiful interior, and great safe free parking for library go-ers. Came here to avoid traffic and get some work done on a weekday, and loved that the public library is literally right across the street from the beginnings of downtown SM! I love that the parking garage directly connects to the library, so it's safe and easy to access. Wifi is super strong, and there are tons of outlets and seating arrangements. I enjoy the airy, lofty and bright welcoming areas of the library. People are mostly quiet here, with the occasional shriek-y child and misbehaving tot...but it's all great. It's a gorgeous library, and totally beats Redwood City or San Carlos. read more

First time here tonight to look for a book that Burlingame did not have. I had a man yell at me to go to the other side of the library if I was not on his team? I was extremely confused on what he meant but he continued to yell at me while I was walking meanwhile I was just looking for a book doing nothing wrong??? I felt extremely uncomfortable and will probably stick with my small Burlingame library. The staff that were helping me find the book were extremely friendly and helpful. The library itself is beautiful just not a fan of being yelled at by a random man for no reason ... read more

Did not realize how nice this library is. It does not even feel like a library when you enter because of how beautiful they designed it. Definitely my go-to place to study from now on! read more

San Mateo Public Library - Libraries Near Me - San Mateo, California

I've lived in quite a few cities in my life and am a big library user no matter where I am. The San Mateo public library is amazing! They have a massive and varied collection. They have lots of copies of popular books, and a deep collection of books with diverse representation. Books come in quickly after you request them. I really appreciate their auto- renew system. And this may be a bit of an obscure note, but some libraries' collections have a musty smell to the books, even ones that are quite new. I've never understood why, but it's a common issue. The San Mateo books are odorless, thank goodness. read more

The library itself is pretty nice, but the staff lately has been pretty rude. We had reserved a room (and had not realized that we were staying more than our reserved time) so a staff member came in to kick us out, but they could've been more polite. Also when we were trying to reserve a room, another staff member was being very impatient with us. read more

This is some impressive main library, in every measurable way. It opened in 2006 and cost over $30 million . . . but, it looks and feels like $50 million to me. I used to study at the old main library during my high school years, and I thought that library was pretty special too. They had some exceptional research librarians here then. With the advent of the Internet and all the computerization of books and information accessible 24x7 on any computing device, some might think libraries and physical books are unnecessary. In my humble opinion, there will never be a substitute for the tactility, sound of paper pages, smell of print, and the pleasure of real, true to life, paperback and hardcover books. I should know. I am a published author and novelist . . . in addition to being a former I.T. senior software engineer forever. The San Mateo Public Library is truly a magnificent structure, architecturally, interior design wise, and functionally. This is a form-to-function space in so many lovely ways. I have researched using their free WiFi in literally every nook and cranny in the place. And, I have edited my first novel there and now writing my second one sometimes there too. It amazes me what a city and community can do when we come together for a common purpose---like building something so grand as the San Mateo Public Library. Review 0173 Feel. read more

San Mateo Public Library - My favorite spot to write is on the third-floor outdoor terrace, which is connected to the cafe. I usually have it all to myself. :-) - Libraries Near Me - San Mateo, California

Beautifully renovated library... I remember what a cute library this was back in the days of hardcopy Encyclopedias (can't you smell it?!). There are plenty of places to sit on all floors -- from couches, desks, individual rooms for groups, and quiet rooms. Great for studying or doing work. Other pros: * Staff are helpful. * Bathrooms are clean and have numerous stall. * Street and garage parking available. * Walking distance to public transit and downtown SM. * Plenty of events and donation opportunities. read more

When in the hell are they going to fix the drive thru book return? It has been busted since November! And if you drive over to the Primrose branch in Burlingame the book drop is on the passenger side of the car!!! Ugh! Why?? read more

San Mateo Public Library - Libraries Near Me - San Mateo, California

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While Jiro Dreams of Sushi, I fished out this while going through the Japanese language books JAPANESE FISH BIBLE ,-- , _ __ _\. - - -'-. \ '. -" / / O \ /_ .'- ._ \ \ v/ ` " - -( / " ` It's not just one fish two fish red fish blue fish anymore. Doctor Seuss was wrong. Silvery fish White fleshed fish FATTY fish Monster fish Fugly (but tasty) fish Devil fish Red fish Big eye fish (soooo tasty) and more The book even lists dates when certain fish are in season! And wow, at least 4 to 6 kinds of bonito and at least four types of horse mackeral (aji)? Who could have thunk? Yeah knowledge is power, but dis chit is making me want some sakana/J-fish now. read more

San Mateo Public Library - Libraries Near Me - San Mateo, California