Their tool lending library is an under appreciated and invaluable resource. There's a wide selection of tools and the staff on hand is quite helpful. read more

I must have driven by this place so many times and on few occasions, borrowed from the tool library - but it wasn't until recently that I went in to the main part to discover how awesome of a library it is! They were hosting a taiko drummer over the weekend - the session was educational, fun, and engaging. A treat for our little one! Afterwards we explored their space for children's books and toys too! As a bonus it was also FREE Comicbook day! Looking forward to future events and visiting again soon read more

The coolest thing about the Temescal Branch Library is that adjacent to it is the Temescal Branch Tool Lending Library. I'm not really that handy w/ tools yet so cool that this place exists. Besides the Tool Lending Library next to it there is also an air pump to fill up your tires & some tools to work on your bike. The actual Temescal Branch Library is fairly small yet they have a good selection of items. For example they had three Iggy Pop albums on CD including classic early albums: the Idiot, Lust For Life, & a rare live album from San Francisco in the day. They had a good selection of vegan cookbooks & a Children's Library as well. As with any Oakland Branch library you can always request items from other branches to pick up here. The hours are a bit odd as are closed on Mon & Sun yet solid hours on other days. The hours for this branch are: Tues- 12:30pm to 8pm Wed & Thurs & Sat- 10am to 5:30pm Fri- 12pm to 5:30pm read more

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Manager was not welcoming when asked about study space. They do not have an area for study. I attempted to make do in the table area, but decided to leave once the was no working water fountain. read more

I'm a big fan of my neighborhood library - while the library itself is on the small side, you can order anything for pick-up here. This library also houses the Oakland Tool Lending Library. There's a great iPhone/iPad app called "Overdrive" which will allow you to sign into the Oakland Public Library system with your library card number and personal information so that you can check out e-books to your device! It's so incredibly cool! Support your local library! read more

Nice branch, but really old style in design and layout of the holdings, presumably constrained by crap budgets. Friendly and helpful staff. No working computers on a recent visit. Free but slow wifi. Clean bathroom in basement. Interesting, unused basement room (see photo). Parking not too bad for this area. read more

Temescal Branch Library - Unused basement room - Libraries Near Me - Oakland, California

Tool Lending Library review: This place is great. First, it's a great concept -- how many times do you have to buy a tool to use for something specific, and then it sits around forever because you never need it again? Never, if you use the tool-lending library! They publish a list of all their tools so that you can take it home and not wonder, gee, does the library have a ____? The staff is also helpful about the tools. I borrowed a drill, drill bits, and studfinder, and they gave me a scrap block of wood so I could practice drilling before I used it on my apartment wall. There was also a rule about how many tools I could take, I think because I was a new card-holder at the library at the time, and they bent the rule because my task required more tools than my limit. (I forget the details, this was several yrs ago.) I'm really happy that this resource is here, that anyone can use it, and that the staff are so nice and helpful. Note that when you walk in, you're in a small space, and there's a desk, and you have to walk up to the desk and say, uh, what do I do? But then they're nice and helpful. Note that the tool lending library is a separate building from the book library, on the same property but around the corner. read more

Just when I thought Temescal had nothing more to offer me besides a cute (cheapish) apartment, great restaurants, friendly neighbors, and the SUPERLONGS....I made my way over to our branch of the OPL. The branch may be small, but has surprisingly good collection of fiction I'm actually interested in reading. And DVDs. And keeps the kiddies corralled to the other side of the building, where they're not underfoot although I guess you can still hear their squeals of literary delight. The librarians were all very polite and helpful (looking for about 5 minutes for a book when I could only remember the three letters). And, most of all....there's the TOOL LENDING LIBRARY!!! I'm a handy sort of gal, but also don't really need my own socket wrench set or jackhammer to weigh me down and take up space. And, of course, it's free! I was sad to leave Berkeley because (among other things) I thought it would be the only place around with a free tool lending program...but Oakland is giving Bezerkeley a run for it's money - in more ways than I can name. read more

The old man that works there is very rude and talks to people any kind of way. He yells at people and he is not friendly towards children. The other staff are really nice(the ladies). So I give this place a 2 star. read more

I love my Temescal Branch! It is big enough to have a good selection, but not so huge that it feels impersonal. The librarians are friendly and helpful. There is a great storytime for toddlers and preschoolers on Wednesday mornings. I like going on Tuesdays when it's open late, checking out a few books and a couple of movies, and heading home with some La Calaca Loca (fantastic fish burritos across the street). The building itself is lovely, and there is also a tool lending library around the back. New releases are available in the hot picks section, and you can, of course, use the Oakland Public Library website to request any book you want throughout the system. A wonderful neighborhood gem. I feel very lucky to have it so nearby. read more

Not a very large branch, but gets the job done. Picked up some travel books here over the weekend. They have some lovely older books and newer ones as well. The librarians were friendly and the whole experience was great. The Tool Lending Library is around the back and in the basement - great place to pick up all the tools for your house and projects that you don't have the funds to buy. read more

I've always found this building charming, the librarians helpful, and the selection quite good for a small library. And then I discovered the basement room 'round back where you can borrow clamps and pry bars to your heart's content, and I fell in love. The Tool Lending Library keeps its own, mostly weekend hours, and has an extensive selection of useful items that you don;t have the space or money to own. They do not, however, have parking or an electric stapler. read more

Who doesn't like libraries? This is the closest of three Oakland libraries that I visit on a regular basis--Piedmont and Rockridge being the other two--and what it lacks in resources it makes up for with charm and character. Is it me or has the collection expanded more this year? Plus, for a centenarian they still look good! read more

It's one of the rare Carnegie libraries left around and the building is beautiful! There's something nostalgic about coming to a library where you still have walk up to the librarian to check out your books. I know that the hours are limited and some of the CDs I've borrowed in the past didn't play, but hey public libraries are always low on budget. They still seem to have the newest fiction, and their wait for holds is typically lesser than the BPL. I love seeing the dad's after school tutoring their young kids, and the cute boys in flannel that peruse the stacks. Okay yea I said it... Who can't love a library that is free to everyone ever?! read more

This is the very best little library I have ever come across. Feel very lucky if you can visit. My two year old grandson looks for Miss Michele every time he walks through the door. The music program they have started is awesome. Can't tell you how much I love this library! read more

Temescal Branch Library - Libraries Near Me - Oakland, California

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The lending library is the best. Not only do they have cool tools but they also have toe books to help you ocmplete any task. The people who staff the joint are the best. They take the time to explain what is the best tool for the job. If you clean the tools before you return them (gardening tools) then you make their day. They can also use tremendous amounts of discression if you have fines to pay but retuen the tools in a nice clean condition. the place can be a mad house on Friday's at Noon by generally it is easy to walk up & get great service. Check out there opening times as they are a bit weird. read more

I love the public library but this branch makes me sad. the kids movies are never in alphabetical order and often the wrong DVD is in the case. On more than one occasion the librarians have failed to ask parents and children to lower their voices and the drop off basket is SUPER small. This branch needs a new head librarian to whip it into shape. read more

not a huge selection of books (thank you Amazon), but they have a really nice kids section. A good way to get the little ones interested in reading read more

I think its absolutely great that Oakland has a library full of tools that you can rent for free! All you gotta do is be a resident :) saves a lot of Money, you just got to take the chance that the tool you need is available, which we havent really had to wait for any of them. We get new tools 1-3xs a week. This is an awesome thing Oakland's got going on especially if you want to build or fix things at your home. We just bought a house and the tool library has been a blessing!! read more

These guys try so hard to make sure that you are being helped that it is almost embarrasing to not have more needs.

Libraries need money, not yelp reviews. But either way this particular branch holds a special place in my memories, as we took school trips there when I was very young, and there was something serious and important and larger than life about the endeavor so it taught me to take reading seriously and to fall in love with books. read more

Wow. Brought my 2 m/o and toddler her for an afternoon & everybody was so friendly, helpful and just generally jovial. Great play area for the kids with lots of room and light, and BOOKS! Loved it and thank you to the staff. read more

All of the Oakland branch libraries are just amazing. They have incredible staff, friendly, knowledgeable and go the extra mile to help you. You can go online and request DVD's, books and more. They will be delivered to your local branch. They have the latest DVDs. I am a big fan of the library, always have been and I am very happy that my property tax dollars go to help the library system. read more

5 stars for the concept; 3 stars for the tool selection; one star for the unhelpful, unforthcoming staff