Great place to study!…read more There are 3 floors but I get my steps in by walking up to the 3rd floor to sit down at one of the tables to get work done. I like this area because it is actually quiet and there are outlets right on the table. The wi fi is easy to access and is not slow. There are available study rooms to reserve. I would not suggest reserving one if you are looking for a quiet space (in case it does get loud in the main area) because the walls are thin and you can hear others speaking in the rooms next to you. I'd say that it is good to reserve for a group study session or if you need a whiteboard with the necessary dry erase markers. The location is really good because it's within walking distance to coffee shops and restaurants in case you need to grab a coffee before starting to study or need to take a break and get something to eat. There is plenty of parking in the parking garage!

Such a beautiful library! I can't believe that this is my own hometown and I had only gotten to…read morecheck out the library recently. After spending some time in downtown, my friend and I wanted to stop by the library to check out the new Zocalo pocket cafe (we're big fans of the San Leandro location). Unfortunately we got there when it was closed, but that gave us a reason to explore the library itself! It's so spacious with 3 levels of books, work rooms, and more. Libraries truly are such a wonderful resources. Along with the books to borrow, Hayward library also has a bookshop, a makers studio, a teen center, a community resource center, a seed library, a library of things, and much much more. There's so many places to sit - whether you're wanting to work with a large group or just need a computer space for yourself. The staff here was super helpful when we asked for directions on where to find things and when we asked about how the makers studio worked. Did you know you can reserve time in their makers studio to use machines like a sewing machine, a cricut, a large document printer, and even a laser cutter? Now you know. Anyways, now I know all the great resources here and I'm excited to come by whenever I want to work from somewhere else for a bit. Big plus that the parking garage is so spacious so you'll never have to struggle with parking while visiting.

Needing a safe public space to meet up with a stringed musical instrument seller, this library fit…read morethe bill! It was midway between cities, offered plenty of parking and a warm place in the "Friends of the Library" Bookstore for me to quietly evaluate a potential purchase. The staff was gracious in allowing us to do so at one of the tables. Beforehand as we waited for the seller to arrive, I saw a healthy buzz of activity with people arriving, returning books and using the library, many with littles in tow. As an avid reader, it felt good to see this. From my brief peek into the high ceiling main room, the library looked very comfortable. There's a small playground west of the library, but at the time of this review, was fenced off. Perhaps undergoing a refresh. Overall, a library with a pleasant vibe.

Cute, quiet, large area for small children to learn and play…read more Very nice parents and librarians. The parking lot is so small with very small spaces. We cannot wait to come back!

the Weekes Branch Library is next to the community park. it has limited hours and limited…read moreresources. only full day is Tuesday. other days have just a few hours or it's closed. tech center, children's book, teen area, and the DVD movie sections are notable destinations here. the newspaper & periodical section is sparse.

It's smaller than the hayward library and average library. The staffs there are very friendly!read more

I think libraries don't get enough credit, and the San Leandro Library is definitely a good example…read moreof that!!! My daughter has been going here for what seems like forever. Through middle school, high school and even college. She's an avid reader so she loves this place!! She's also the reason I've been here multiple times, and yes, I do have a library card. Getting a library card is quick, easy, and free. Just fill out your info on the computers they have set up and they will give you a card. This place is large and spacious, plenty of places to sit and read, tables to work or study, and computers are available for use also. There is gift shop and cafe here along with conference rooms and very clean restrooms. There is also a second story here, like I said, very spacious!! So don't sleep on the San Leandro Public Library, if you do get a chance to go here, you will be pleasantly surprised!!

I honestly love this library. I come here to do get some work done with friends all the time. I am…read morevery appreciative of the space and the books!! I love being surrounded by books, and this library def had a great selection of everything. I was able to find a lot of books easily through their online search or even just in person (you just need to know how they organize it by author etc etc). Also, their parking lot is great. It has a lot of spaces. I would definitely recommend this library if you're wanting to take your family here or if you're just looking for a quiet place to work!

Came by quick and easy print also Fredricka very nice and polite. Thanks will be back for more…read moreprinting

Very disappointed in the library's choice to host a drag queen story program. I want my library to…read moreremain a neutral, family-friendly space without pushing any political or social agendas on kids. This is not appropriate for such a young age group.

Great atmosphere! Would totally recommend for people who want a place to study or sit back, relax…read moreand read a book. It has a wide array of books for every type of reader. Not to mention their teens and children's areas that are perfect for all age groups. The library especially is spacious and virtually meant for young children who want to roam around. Also for all the comic book lovers and enthusiasts, this library provides an enormous collection of comics with the likes of Garfield and Spider-Man from Marvel. What if you want to just borrow a movie to watch? Well, this library has a gigantic section full of movies! With fan-favorites such as the Tatanic and The Mask of Zorro to Batman Begins and Mary Poppins, this place has it all! All in all, it was a good visit and I enjoyed hanging out and relaxing with a book in one of the comfortable lounging chairs and also walking around to see what all this library has to offer. Check out my pictures to see how this library covers everybody for most everything you'd look for in a library, nice!

Adj: Fancier library that's Family-friendly and Fun…read more Continuing on our quest to visit as many libraries as we can when taking little trips throughout CA (or anywhere), let's visit the Newark Library! Located not far from the border of Newark and Fremont, just southwest of 880 & Hwy 84, this library is centrally located for those living in this part of South Bay. It's right next to the City Hall and Police HQ of Newark, so it's one of several important civic buildings in the little city. The building itself looked impressive and quite new. I forgot to look at when it was built, but according to the City of Newark's website, "On August 8, 2019, the City of Newark held the groundbreaking and dedication ceremony for the new Civic Center Plaza, home to the David W. Smith City Hall, the Alan L. Nagy Library, and a new Police Station." It was then built and dedicated in May 2022. So the library is only about 4 years old even though two other libraries preceded this new one. We came on a Sunday afternoon and was glad that we've discovered another library that's open on Sundays! First, we checked out the downstairs which is consists of the lobby area with friends of the library books on sale (all the time it seems), several bathrooms, an information desk with librarians on duty, and the children's section towards the back. Then we went upstairs and checked out the rest of the library. At the upper landing, there's some hang out lounge and reading chairs that swivel, then there's the teen room on one side behind the glass doors and the Curiosity Shop opposite the teen place. Then there's a whole floor on book stacks for adults and against one side of this floor are floor to ceiling windows with a long row of narrow tables and chairs for reading and working on. They were fully occupied so apparently lots of locals like to read and work here on a Sunday afternoon. On the other side of the second floor is a little toddler/younger kids play area that looks to be very calm and chill, but colorful with lots of padded seating and furniture for littles. I didn't go into this area since I don't have tiny tots anymore, but it sure looked like a great place for little ones to crawl around and play in a safe and separated space. Overall, this is another example of a nicely built and thoughtfully designed library in the bay area that's architecturally impressive and aesthetically pleasing, with so much to offer the community, encouraging educational endeavors and championing literacy and the love of learning through reading for the youngest to the most experienced amongst us.

Adj: Oldie but Okie Dokie…read more The Union City Library is one of the older library branches in the Alameda library system. It's nestled in a pretty quiet neighborhood and it's surrounded by a lot of greeneries and trees. It seems pretty popular on the afternoon when we stopped by for a visit. The building itself is at least several decades old and its age shows, but still ok. It's just one big room basically on the first floor, it's kind of wide open, the children's section is tucked away a bit on the left side as you enter and then the adults stacks occupy basically the rest of the space. The kids area is actually pretty cute. There's colorful tables and chairs as well as a painted story time area. It's warm and welcoming for little ones, but as a whole the kids section is pretty small. On the second floor, there's a small loft space that's dedicated to teens. Only teens are allowed to hang out and spend extended time there after school on weekdays, but anyone can go up there and browse. They have some games and snacks for teens and it's a cool space. However this branch is centrally located and gets utilized a lot from what I can observe, so it's still a perfectly functional and fully enjoyed library. They try to make the best use of the space, but it can't compare to the newer libraries in the Alameda County library system that have so much more square footage and some are even multi-story and just aesthetically and architecturally pleasing to the eye, and designed so well inside to be able to really cater to the needs of different patrons from young kids to the elderly. One really nice feature at Union City library though it's that all throughout the building, a ton of natural light is streaming in from windows all over the library, so it's a really warm and comfortable environment. Overall, the Union City library is definitely an older and smaller library in the AC library system, it's not bad, but there's many more far bigger and more extensive libraries that I prefer to visit.

This location is a hidden gem. Courteous Staff members. Big…read moreplay area for kids. And many events for kids that are not super crowded unlike other locations. I wish they had some focus study spaces too

I most definitely recommend the library to everyone! There's so many perks, events and learning…read moreopportunities + the Discover & Go perks (Google it or ask your librarian!). Get yourself a library card to check out books, magazines, DVDs & I'm not sure exactly of what else. Some libraries offer check out of tools (if not the Manor branch, the Main library does! ie. stuff for camping trips). You can also rent out private study rooms for a certain amount of time. You can use their computers (forgot how long the time goes up to) & I also love that they allow free computer printing up to 20 pages. Make sure to keep track of your return date for items checked out. They have self check out machines- super easy, and have the clerks available to help you out if need be. Enjoy!

I appreciate the hours; came in on a Friday when the main library(which I love) was closed :-( This…read morelibrary is open Monday through Friday and closes on the weekend. Study tables and chairs line the windows and there are also comfy looking chairs set up for alternate study positions. Children library is toward the back and there are also a couple of tables and computers back there. I like that study rooms can be reserved as well. As far as noise ummmm...it's loud in here. Not the occasional door opening or chair scraping on the floor. There's a constant orchestra of noise which may be ok for some but as for me, I prefer library silence to study. I understand that this library is one big shared space for adults and kids and actually didn't mind noise from the kids. It was all the other distractions, including another patron that was FaceTiming on speaker. Really sis? I'll come if I have no other choice but if you need a quiet space to study I would not recommend, or maybe bring noise cancelling headphones. Will give a 4 because I want to support local libraries.

Daughter earned two associate degree and joined different the groups that helped her with her…read moresuccess here. Not always easy but if you're a persistent person you will get your needs met ,from education to assistance with financial aid tutoring and all services that they have to offer. Even if it doesn't seem like you're on the right path they have counseling services so please utilize them if one counselor is not for you meet with another one and just keep working at it to become a well-rounded graduate and or transfer student good luck.

Went to Chabot for my son's AAU games and didn't see the 8x11 sign that said Head in Parking Only…read more The guy who is head of parking was rude when he approached me to tell me I couldn't back in when parking. I honestly said I didn't see the signs, and with an attitude he said there are 10 signs. Where I parked, none of the signs were near me. The nearest sign was about 25-30 yards away. My kids and I also walked to the main gym where they played their games before, and once again I was met by the head of parking. He aggressively told my boys they shouldn't be opening random doors looking for their games. I asked him, did I miss the signs again because this is where they played last time. He said no and said the games were in a different building. I said, to help everyone, signs would be helpful, this way he wouldn't be irritated telling other parents to look for the other gym. We walked over to building 2900 like he told us too, and he yelled at me, my sons and other parents from across the swimming pool, telling us we were using the wrong door. It could have helped if he told us where to go. The door we tried opening was directly under the 2900 sign. I yelled back at him saying we are at building 2900 like he instructed. He replied back we needed to walk around the building. When we finally found the entrance it was 2940. I found this gentleman, very rude and aggressive with his approach. I am not sure if this is how Chabot wants to be represented to people in the community visiting. if any staff member is reading this, the gentleman I am talking about is a large heavy set African American who identifies himself as the head of parking and he drives a gray Infiniti SUV. Even if he is not part of Chabot College, simply being on campus and introducing himself as someone in an authority position makes it seem he works for the college.

My daughter recently graduated from Cal State University East Bay, and she recommended 4 stars!!…read more She did 4 years here and graduated cum laude, so I think she got the most out of this school!! Getting to and from here was very convenient for her, taking Bart and the shuttle taking you up the hill and back. The graduation ceremony was great, good weather, easy parking, and we got here early to get some good seats. My experience here during her graduation and throughout the years have been very good!!!

The shuttle has ended services to the University. We now have to rely on the AC transit bus. The…read morebus only picks up once an hour, and that is if they are on time. If I had known this before I applied, I would have done an online school. One day, it took my 5-hour round trip commute to the Bay Area (510) with waiting for bus transfers, riding bart and bus, and getting to and from home. Previously, the commute with the Shuttle was wonderful, the best experience. Shuttle every 15 minutes, it seemed like. If you're like me and don't drive, consider attending another school. In my personal opinion and experience. Although the staff and transit people at school have given 100% effort in correcting issues, AC Transit isn't the best service. Half the time, I pay for a LYFT to take me to and from Hayward Bart to campus. Which averages $10 one way. Please consider this when applying.