Checked out Bernal Heights branch library Sat 10/18/25. They have 2 floors, bathrooms on bottom floor separate men and women's. Women's had 2 stalls, 1 sink. Children's area on bottom floor. Drinking fountains too. Nice library with new books. Star gazing exhibit,they have chess days, crochet days, coloring activity, etc. read more

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I recently went to the Bernal Heights Branch Library. Upon reaching the library I admired the colorful murals on the outside of the building. This is a small library yet staff here is very friendly. They have a good selection of items on what is on hand. I especially like how the DVD films were curated with various themes and staff recommendations. As with all libraries in the SFPL system you can request items from other branches and pick them up here if this is your local branch. The library is quiet and lots of tabes and chairs for reading which is welcome for studying or getting a project done. read more

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This library is so organized. You step in and you see "Lucky Books". I guess it is the popular books. There's recommendations everywhere. Recommended books from staff, dvd's, and audio books. A container with strips of paper and put your hand in and draw a piece paper with a recommended book. The librarian is to the right of the entrance, as well as the self check out machine. Go downstairs to the children's section and out the door to children's playground with benches and picnic table. Just a lovely place. read more

Fantastic service, very helpful, friendly and patient. Opened up a new library card and they informed me of new online and e-book services as well as walked me through the printing services... I also forgot my ID card and the next day they helped me to find it. Love the SFPL system but Bernal Heights Branch Library is just special read more

The small quaint Bernal library is a gem. A place to escape to peace, quiet, space, and thought. Plenty of seats at studious tables, at least until more people discover it. No hip coffee shop music and commotion - it's more NPR than CNN. Haven't really met the staff so I can't comment yet. The one near-fatal flaw that keeps people from coming are the completely incomprehensible unpredictable opening and closing times, which I'm sure reflect some odd budgeting algorithm that makes sense to a City Hall bureaucrat but can only be deciphered by a savant. But it keeps the crowds down so the rest of us benefit. read more

My first time at this library and I loooove it! Kind of small, but it's pretty empty at 6pm on a Tuesday. Came here just to study and to pick up a book that I need for class. They have outlets around every lamp on the long tables on the middle of the room but the lighting is reallllly dim. Wasn't hard at all to find parking! read more

Bernal Heights Branch Library - I love my library card:) they give you a small one for your key ring too! - Libraries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Love Libraries period. This branch is so well maintained with interesting details preserved and cared for. I like to come here and work when I need just a little diversion from being at home. read more

Bernal Heights Branch Library - Libraries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Tucked away on a charming street in Bernal Heights you will find the Bernal Heights Branch Library. It's a small library not unlike many other branches in SF. It's clean, organized and the people were friendly enough. They had the book I was looking for and their catalogue seemed to be up to date. Too many times I've journeyed across the city for a specific book only to discover it's been checked out or missing. Bernal Heights didn't disappoint. The hours at this branch are a little odd however. They didn't open till 1:00pm the day I went. read more

Bernal Heights Branch Library - Inside the newly remodeled Bernal Heights Branch Library. - Libraries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Nice spot for a library and a good way for anyone to educate themselves outside the classroom. Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center is right across the street from here. I'll definitely make a stop here to borrow or find a book to read when I'm in this area! Edit from 04/15/2014: The staff member who helped with my checkout was very friendly. It's not too busy when I came in. Clean, spacious facility and a nice spot for a library. read more

They remodeled it so everything is updated They have a teen area Check out area Childrens room A laptop and i pad kiosk It is usually quiet Lots of moms come here with their kids read more

Bernal Heights Branch Library - This is the magazine section - Libraries Near Me - San Francisco, California

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2006: Bucky joins yelp to the acclaim of his peers and the cheers of readers everywhere. Promptly he reviews bars and all around cool spots where only cool people such as himself hang out. 2010: Bucky reviews a newly renovated library that has a playground out back where you have to have a kid in order to swing from the monkeybars. Yea for no pederasts!! Here's the dope. A cool 6 mil of your tax dollars just brought my neighborhood biblioteca up to snuff. Lots of room to sit. Lots of room to read. Lots of room. Period. I dug the new kid's area where readings throughout the week are going down. On my last visit, I kicked it like the badass I am in the screening room while local indie filmmakers screened their shorts. Way to bring it all together Bernal Heights Outdoor Cinema & Bernal Heights Public Library! Post haste and in summation, I step out of my paradigm and salute you, the taxpayer! I got more stories than JD's got Salinger... read more

From the exterior, it's hard to tell that the branch has been renovated. There's a new ramp, and a new bookdrop, but beyond that, it's same-o same-o. What gives it the old branch feel is the artwork/mural that's on the outside wall. It's a bit worn and cracked, and I'm guessing that they haven't touched the exterior because of possible historical reasons (do we paint over it, or do we touch it up? etc) The inside is very very nice. I love how the older libraries are being retrofitted to bring out their former beauty. Gone are fluorescent light tubes encased in rectangular steel boxes. In are the new "globe" style lights that give the place a homey atmosphere. I love how West Portal branch turned out, and after seeing Anza (with it's boxy fluorescent fixtures) I think Bernal turned out great. Can't wait to see how Anza looks when it gets remodeled. Four Stars. Nice adult area, thin on magazines (naturally) but it will begin to fill out in the coming months as new magazines arrive, and the childrens room is quite nice. -1 Star because I feel like the adult room could have more power outlets available at the reading tables. Perhaps they plan to modify the tables at a later date to install power outlets. Those are heavily used at all of the renovated branches, so I was surprised to see they are not as abundant here. The children's room seems to have plenty of outlets but I'm sure adults have a more pressing need. Then again, I do not know how many people use power outlets at this branch, so perhaps docking the star is a bit harsh. Final words: Libraries are a cheap (free) source of knowledge and entertainment. Movies, music, books, magazines... There's soo much all for the taking. Especially when the economy is in a slump, skip the movies, come down the library and go home with 10 DVD's instead! read more

SF has great libraries and this is one of the nicer ones. Big tables for work, fairly quiet, spots to read, lot's of sunlight and nice people. There's a playground out back and a rec center adjacent. Like all libraries, you can put items on hold and have them delivered to your local branch. Pretty much everything you'd want out of a library. read more

Quiet. Friendly staff. Limited selection. I stopped in here to kill some time before heading to an event nearby. This place is beautiful! From what I understand, it has been remodeled very recently. It looks brand new. They carry a lot of dvd's, but unfortunately not a whole lot of books, although most of the books look very new as well. They are also mostly hardcovers, the paperback selection is pretty small. There is also plenty of computers set up. Downstairs, there is a very clean bathroom, a community room, and a dedicated children's section. I was helped out with renewing my library card by a very friendly lady at the front desk (apparently when I got my card, they expired after only two years, and now its four). If I lived nearby and needed a quiet place to study or do some research, this would be perfect. read more

They really did a good job with the renovation. As others have said, the historic design is well-preserved, but everything's been upgraded. There's a beautiful wide new staircase that leads downstairs where the front desk used to be. It's a children's wonderland down there now, with the books, the access to the very popular (but not renovated in this generation) playground out back, and often special events in the smaller-than-before conference room. For adults, there's certainly enough to browse, but one of the great things about the library system is that you can find books you want online and have them brought to your local branch. Love the self-checkout kiosks. What a great upgrade to the neighborhood! read more

Beautiful Library! Small but charming and nice for teens as they have a lot of summer programs to offer to the youth population. My daughter and I were staying in Glen Park, just a few blocks from here and came in to do some of her online coursework on their computer. The librarian at the front desk was very friendly and welcoming and helped us get our first SF library card for my teenage daughter. We will definitely be back when in the area. read more

Bernal Heights Branch Library - Libraries Near Me - San Francisco, California

Simply awesome library. Super like. Plenty of street parking. The library is very clean and friendly staff. Super like! read more

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Tons of new Feature Film DVDS!!!!!! Nice and clean facility and helpful staff members. They've also turned the lower level into the children's section! The magazine section also seemed plentiful. Still very resourceful yet cozy! read more

This is the most adorable little library which makes us proud to live in Bernal. Great kids section and plenty of areas for kids and adults to curl up and read. Get your card today! read more

For it's size, I really like this branch. When you're there you can tell it's very community oriented. Lots of family and kids inside. It's small, but you should be able to find an open computer for internet if that's what you need. Obviously not as many literary choices as the bigger branches, but I'm sure there are plenty of good ones. The staff was very friendly too! read more

am i really reviewing the library? yes! because it is awesome! i guess i've grown up with underfunded, poorly lit, kinda run down libraries. but the bernal heights branch is how i imagined a library should be. it's clearly been renovated. and now there are lovely leather chairs, teal no less! lovely lighting! cozy and yet plenty of places to sit! this little library is full of magazines, dvds, cds, and of course, books. ah, books. but the ceiling is the most beautiful part of this library. seriously, why do people prefer to read on a little hand held screen when you can have the pleasure of reading a book in a lovely library? and you can even take that book home! i worry for libraries! i had a young friend (really he wasn't that young, early 20's. old enuf to know about a library in my opinion!) who saw me with a stack of books and cds from the library. he asked where i got them, i told him, the library. he said, they let you have them for free? i kid you not. go get some books for free. read more

It's a nice reading/writing space--a quiet little neighborhood branch with a charming old interior and a reasonably wide layout given its small size. Unlike some other dinky branches, like Anza out west, it doesn't have many (only one, I believe) places to plug in your lap top, which created a problem for me during my visit. read more

Very poor experience. Library management was bureaucratic and petty about reserving meeting room space. Valerie had made up her mind about not allowing our group to meet, offering as many objections as she could think of off the top of her head. Every time our group agreed 100% on compromising, but ultimately we were not welcome, and that was made very clear. Sad that a community space is run as one person's fiefdom. read more

It's really nice to have a library back in the neighborhood, the book collection is a little limited. I pretty much only use the Bernal branch as a conduit for Link+ and other book holds since there is so little on the shelves in any category. The children's section seems really nice, though I'm not sure I can see why there are sooo many copies of Harry Potter when you could steer an inquiring mind to a better book by making them wait for the popular books. read more

I love this San Francisco Public library cozy branch. It could not be more welcoming and homie. It is a great spot also to bring your kids and friends and read all together. Service is also impeccable! Older lady in the kid's section downstairs has always been helpful and very pleasant. I love walking here on late afternoons and do homework or spend time reading :) read more

We are HUGE fans of the children's library here. Valerie and Jamie in particular are so encouraging and ready with recommendations for new books to explore. Kudos. read more

This is one of my most favorite libraries in the City. It is family friendly, has a beautiful mural, and a lively playground for toddlers and youth. Story times are priceless. Support this Library and others across the City! read more

What a great library! So grateful to have this in the neighborhood. There is a great variety of books available on various subjects, lots of movies available for check out, and some good music too. The building is quite beatiful inside, a real civic treasure. They even have a Jazz Quartet that performs once a month down in the basement. Too bad there aren't longer hours, but the politicos need to spend the money elsewhere I suppose. read more

I love having them around. It's a smaller branch, but what's great is that you can request a book from any of the SF PLs and pick it up at your local branch. One complaint with this branch is that I've sprinted up the hill home from work before, only to get the door shut in my face at 5:58 when they close at 6 and I was just hoping to run in and out really quickly. That was frustrating. Other than that, it's great and I'm a fan of their new mural. read more

Open hours are a joke. Opening at 1pm on W, F, Sat and closed Sun- are you kidding? A few staff members are rude as well. This branch is not living up its potential, nor the expectations of tax payers. SFPL -please trim this staff, weed out rude and unhelpful members, open up budget for sensible hours instead (e.g., F, Sat 10am open to start). read more

Lazy librarians did not want to take new books as donations gave me some goodwill drop off point. So I went to west portal library very nice were very happy to take books. Gals working in cortland library just did not want to do extra work lazy young gals that were working January 5 2016 around 2 pm visit read more

I love this library its literally right down the street from my grandma's and there is a park in the back, super awesome and my dog was with me and they didn't say anything since most library's are strick, the guy there helpped me get a library card for my son and I and it was just great and super helpful read more

Great renovation! Great weather! Not so close to downtown, but close to Emmy's. Friendly staff.

Nice spot for a library. Really quite, staff are helpful. Just a good all round job guys.