basic library near Geary and Divisadero..not very special..computers basic catalog..for all who like libraries...people live here? who lives here? matthew perry...the last time i checked matthew perry is not here in San Francisco..he's not your friend either read more

I don't live where I used to live, which was frustratingly equidistant from this branch and the Park Branch, so I'll take location location location almost wholly out of the Yelp-rating rubric for now. They did a really good job when they renovated it. I can't say I spent any time inside before the renovation, and I've spent probably four hours total inside this building ever, but it's everything a library branch near parks and schools should be. It's inviting and bright, and there always seem to be teenagers here, which is a really good sign even though they normally annoy me to no end. The collection is pretty good and well-targeted here. I've really enjoyed some of the short-story collections I checked out solely after perusing the shelves (rather than looking them up beforehand). And now that it's not an annoying too-far walk for me--as in it's now so far I would never dream of attempting to walk here from my apartment--I'll say that the location is pretty close to perfect. It's close to, but not at, the intersection of Geary and Divis. Close enough to walk easily, but far enough that it's not totally noisy inside, and its front door opens onto Scott Street, which is much less hectic than Divisadero or Geary. They seem to process book returns here way more slowly than at the Park Branch. Or maybe that was a COVID thing, although I know I noticed it long before 2020. Anyway, library fines are no more, so slowness in processing returns isn't as bad as it used to be. The parking lot is tiny and always full (when it's not under permaconstruction), but I've lucked out mightily finding metered spots right in front and on Post Street. Or just take the 24-Divisadero or 38-Geary. read more

This branch was still closed due to COVID on 6/7/21 though the slot for the book return was open. My books and DVD clattered into an echo-filled room, either to the floor or in a collection bin, hard to tell. When they'll be logged as "returned", who knows? But, given the SF Public Library was sending me more and more notices for overdue items even though the Main Library just reopened from the pandemic, I figured I'd better return them before receiving another hysterical email. Their last missive threatened to confiscate $147.50 for missing materials, "Friends of the SF Public Library" are no longer very friendly. read more

Love this library! It's well laid out, the staff are always helpful and nice. It's about 10 mins walk from my house so very convenient. I love the SFPL's intra-library service where you can request books from other branches and the book will come right to your local branch. Fabulous. I also appreciate how SFPL no longer charges fines for anyone and automatically renews books if no one is waiting for it. The only thing I'm kinda grouchy about is they closed the parking lot. I really liked having the lot to park in when I ran in to get a book or return things. read more

Hooray for the SF Public Library Western Addition. If I want to read a somewhat obscure book or watch an OLD video, chances are it is in the system and can be available for pick up. And now, one can Xerox for free within reasonable limits. Clueless, like me? Friendly help always available. It is important to me to be within reasonable walking distance of a good library. It is especially important during Covid. And SF always has a nice selection of e books for easy download on a number of formats. San Francisco Public Library makes my life more enjoyable. read more

Fantastic and well stocked, holds are always delivered quickly and everything is very clean and organized. Staff are super friendly. A very happy and safe space! read more

Just your friendly neighborhood library branch! Hey, the Western Addition branch has a little bit of whatever it is that you need - books, CDs, movies, magazines, and more! If they don't have it, then you can "request" it online (or have the friendly staff help you) and have it sent over there for you to pick up. How awesome is that? The renovation looks great. The interior is way more inviting and the patio area is a fine place to spend some time on a sunny day. read more

Western Addition Branch Library - The Patio - Libraries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I think this is a pretty decent library. Each SFPL location shines in one area or another. For instance, Marina has an unparalleled array of cookbooks. At Western Addition, there's an impressive selection from Asian writers in the fiction section. I'm always able to find an interesting book to read, and the tiny parking lot is really convenient for quick book and dvd returns. If you have a medical appointment at UCSF or Kaiser, this library is wonderful to stop by and pick up something to read in the waiting room! read more

Ok first let me say the library, in general, is fine. It hasn't changed too much since I was a kid. This review is for the 1045 toddler story time on Tuesdays. When you have kids ranging from 1-3 you are going to have kids with minimal attention spans. This teacher expects the kids to be sitting on their bottoms the entire time and for the room to be quiet. About 10 min in she started reading a boring story that loss the interest of the children after 3 pages. She got frustrated and said, " Forget it, I'll just stop reading". I was like really, is this your first time around toddlers. You need music, movement and more exciting and engaging stories. Maybe she was having a rough morning ‍ who knows. I usually go to the storytime at the Richmond library on 9th ave, which is so amazing; but went here with a friend instead. We will not be coming back here for storytime. read more

It's open! Finally the Western Addition Library awakens from a long overdue hibernation and renovation. It is SO much cleaner, with better lighting, lots of computers and even a new lovely outdoor seating area. There is a designated section for just Japanese books, another for Russian books. Then there's the old trusty stuff in English. The transit here is so easy - the 38 Geary going West drops you off right at the library! Worth visiting! I heart my neighborhood public library! read more

This place is organized and clean. It's relatively quiet, so it's a good spot for studying. Wifi speed and coverage are both excellent. However, there are some down sides. Seats are limited. A lot of times you will noticed the adult area is packed however the teenager table and the kids tables are empty. I hope they can set up more tables for the adults. Ventilation is bad. Everytime it gets packed here, I feel sleepy. I guess it's because the lack of oxygen. This has a huge impact on my productivity. It would be nice if they can let more fresh air in. If you can stand the noise, I would suggest you to go study at starbucks. read more

I so appreciate this Library ! Each interaction I have had with Naima over the years has been helpful in terms of keeping program event information available to the community. She is knowledgeable and friendly. Mauro assists in researching resources from other branches and together it feels the team curates the Library well for children and adults, keeping a peaceful place to learn in Japantown/ Fillmore Western Addition. read more

I wandered in here on my way to the gym and was surprised to see that they are open on Wednesdays till 9:00pm! The young lady at the info desk was super sweet and helpful and showed me how to get a library card on their computer so we wouldn't waste paper =) very clean, and pretty small but so nice to have a library so close to home. no matter where i'm at, i always feel at home with a roomful of mustyish books. they have some great classic novels but selection does seem smaller since they're a baby branch. this will be a great escape for me when i need a break from my BF! i checked out a book for the first time in years! just thinking about the plastic covered novel makes me so happy =) read more

I have a personal connection with the Western Addition branch. It has been a safe, welcoming space for me since I moved to SF 10 years ago and where I can always bring my daughter. The librarians are helpful, kind, and representative of the neighborhood. I checked out books here that influenced my life. Resources at this library helped me find a job. The children's events and adult educational events here nurture a sense of community. I love the layout and peaceful, positive vibe. I am so grateful to live close by. My family and I are moving to another neighborhood but I plan to return to this branch, probably not two times a week as has been my norm, but hopefully still regularly. Thank you, Naima Dean and all the staff at the Western Addition branch. It's been real:) read more

I like this library a lot, it's usually worth the walk for me to come from Japantown a couple blocks down Geary over here. Also easily accessible by the 38 line. Plus there's parking, for those you of (un)lucky enough to have a car in the city. It's a small little location, so if you're just browsing for books, you'll have a much better go of it by visiting the Main Library at Civic Center. But the Western Addition shines in the Russian and Japanese materials that it provides. Apparently it's the largest collection of those materials in the SFPL system. I also indulge in the CD and DVD selection they have here, I've grabbed much Japanese music and many Japanese movies from here. The price can't be beat. Free! I didn't visit this library before its recent renovation, but it looks nice and spiffy to me! It's a quiet little place (it's a library, duh) but not a bad area to spend a lazy Sunday reading. read more

So sad if this is the local library for children. A sterile unimaginative space. Appears little or no thought was given to visually enticing preschool children into the joys of books. Looks like children's carpets are well overdue for vacuum or shampoo. Glad this was not my childhood experience. This is actually the worst example of a children's library I've seen, and I've seen plenty. I'd suggest looking elsewhere because a great library has so much potential to influence a child's development. read more

I love this library. A huge section of the adult books are in Japanese or Russian or marked as books of particular relevance to African American readers. It's one of the few places in the gentrifying neighborhood where it seems like communities mix on even ground. It's easy to request holds of books and have them delivered here. Librarians are kind, welcoming and again, representative of the neighborhood. read more

I like this branch. Its cozy and small and safe. I like the DVDs. I rented a couple and items came speedily. They are generous with the internet time. And the staff are mainly pretty passable. I have printed out job and school stuff here. I appreciate your existance library. read more

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Since their re-opening in February, I've meant to come in and check them out and I've finally gotten around to it. It's really a small, bare bones operation, with tons of Russian and Japanese (I'm guessing?) books. Like, TONS. Yay for them for catering to our diverse cultures in this neck of the woods. The space is light, bright, and airy, and the staff was super nice and helpful - assisting me with getting a library card even though I thoughtlessly came in without any proof of my address (it's a temp/restricted card, but I was still able to pick up a book for my upcoming vacation). It looks like I may still need to trek to another branch to get a huge selection or some of the more obscure volumes I'm looking for, but I'm thrilled to have this branch within walking distance. Yay! read more

I love to read. I have some valuable plastic in my pocketbook, but by far my Library Card is the only one I brag about and use most often. I am happy the library was given a much needed face-lift in the recent past. I love that it's a nice walk from my home. Saves me a bundle when it comes to dvd's, cd's and the latest book I want to get lost in. The only complaints I have are the short hours and the lack of order and silence which are necessary are synonymous with a library. The staff is very helpful, that is a rarity these days. Reading is FUN-damental, as the old PSA's once said. read more

It's great having a library so close to my place and being able to order books and pick them up here. The renovation is much better than what it used to be, but homeless people are slowly making their way back and occasionally smelling up the place. It has that green look/feel to it and is open 7 days a week, with somewhat odd hours. The dvd selection never seems to have anything I want, but if you know Japanese or Russian, this is the place for you! read more

Small nice library. Always seems full but great mix of folks. Helpful staff. Nice patio so you can sit outside and read.

This library has super fast internet! And some nice sunny spots to sit outside.

I love love love the Public Library. The Western Addition location is definitely a smaller branch, but provides a nice quiet respite from a busy city. Their mission statement pretty much says it all, "The San Francisco Public Library system is dedicated to free and equal access to information, knowledge, independent learning, and the joys of reading for our diverse community." True to Bay Area fashion, they've adopted and embraced technology, bringing the public library from mustiness and irrelevancy into the 21st century. What I love: *free! unfettered access to knowledge! *3M self checkout stations *the ability to place holds and have them sent to your home branch online *their website allows you to pay those pesky fines with a credit card *email reminders that your book requests have arrived and are awaiting your smiling face *friendly email reminders that your books are due soon, to avoid more of the aforementioned fines *title request forms to suggest that books, music, audiobooks, film, digital resources or other media be added to the collection *friendly librarians and staff *the one city one book program *the musty, disorganized but fabulous book sale sponsored by the friends of the sf public library each year at fort mason *strong collection of media in various languages *diverse events for all ages, from "toddler tales and playtime" to "planting a victory garden" to "email class in japanese" *unrivaled people watching at the main branch thanks, sf public library for allowing me to embrace my inner bookworm through technology. wielding my library card makes me feel like a superhero of learning. love love love read more

I first visited the Western Addition Branch for an Imbibe event, not too long after it had reopened after remodeling. Since then I've attended numerous events and borrowed books and media here. The staff is helpful and friendly. The programming is excellent and offers something for everyone. And the branch has always been clean. It is not my neighborhood branch, but I'm glad to travel here. read more

Really like this library. It's been revamped. Looks good in and out. Huge selection of asian books! Helpful and friendly staff. Separate kids section. They have a policy that adults unaccompanied by a child cannot sit and read in the kids section. I like this! This one even has a small parking lot. read more

This is one of the smaller branches of the SF Public Library system, but by far one of the cleanest (including the bathrooms). There are often quite a few patrons sitting around reading or using a computer, but I've never been unable to find a spot for myself. Very few homeless people frequent this library, especially in comparison to the Main Branch. A couple of times there have been some noisy kids, but this does not seem too commonplace. Lots of Japanese literature, magazines, music, and movies. The signs are all in English, Russian, and Japanese, which is a refreshing switch from the usual English, Chinese, and Spanish that you see throughout much of the City. read more

Quick, helpful, and efficient. Just what I like. No nonsense or small talk. Although I wish they were open for more hours the building is well kept, and the staff are always to the point and quickly help me with all my library needs. :) #HappyCustomer read more

just around the corner from work for me, so super convenient! open late monday nights. it took them less than 48 hours to get a bunch of books i ordered to this branch. it's clean, well-lit, and has nice functional self-service machines. i love libraries :). read more

I really appreciate this branch. The layout is great and truly one of the last branch that still maintains a quiet environment. The most important thing is the staff here are really very efficient, very helpful, and they do care in helping their patrons (specifically, Maynor Solares and the lady staff who helped a patron who was having difficulty using the printer). read more

first time at this branch. went in to pick up 2 pairs of eclipse glasses that all of the libraries are providing. I wanted a pair for myself and a pair for my husband. I had to take a cab there. The woman at the counter refused to give me a pair for my husband! only one per person!! I explained he was working and tried to reason with her. She was quite anal about the entire paper glasses situation. I would understand if I were asking for 5 or 6 pairs. but since I am a senior and made a special trip out there I don't see why she felt that by giving me another pair would somehow undermine her authority as "keeper of the glasses" this Young lady needs to read up on some self help books while she is guarding the paper glasses that really don't belong to her in the first place. Small people with too little authority at their boring jobs need to be in charge of the grounds maybe. This poor woman needs some fresh air to clear her head. read more