Recently obtained my new library card! GGBL has a lot of events during the summer for the kids and…read moresome for adults. All the staff was extremely helpful and imformative.

I bring the kiddos here to participate in their weekly activities while I read a book…read more The staff (even security) are friendly and helpful. The library has a bunch of FREE resources for the community. Check em out!

I unequivocally recommend this business. I wish I would have heard about it 10 years ago. The tools…read moreare good quality and there is a good variety available. The staff is efficient.

Such a great amenity for oakland residents! Definitely such a nice option to check out tools for…read moreany house projects- big or small! Only street parking- metered and non a little bit around the place. They also offer free classes- I went to a plumbing class lead by a wonderful plumber who happened to have her own local plumbing business. Super informative and helpful! Do pay attention to the signs- I was dumb and tried to go in while there is a 2 person max inside due to the size of the space. Very helpful employees too!

Hours are not accurately stated on line. If u r not open on a holiday SAY SO.If u print on line…read morethat "HOURS MaY BE AFFECTED BY a holiday" then have the hours in an outgoing phone message or on line. U r a library. U r in the the info business. Dont be lazy and non communicative. We looked everywhere on line on 5/26/25 for your accurate hours.

Great theological school for religious enthusiasts. My current partner go we s here and is…read moreenthralled with the experience he is receiving.

The staff are hostile both in-person and on the phone, and they appear to be committing some kind…read moreof organized identity fraud. One day, I got a notification from the Berkeley Library system saying I had a $100+ overdue bill for a saw that I had not rented. When I called them to inform them of the error, they became defensive and told me to to go away and that they'd fix it.

The Tool Lending Library is adjacent to the Berkeley South Branch Public Library. If you are a…read moreBerkeley resident over the age of 18 or own property in Berkeley you can check out up to 10 tools at a time. Tools may be borrowed for 3 or 7 days, depending on the item. There aren't just hammers here yet if you are in need of one there is about 30 different kinds you can borrow. There are 2,500 tools for home & garden projects in the TLL collection. Besides the tools you will find knowledgeable & friendly staff on how to get your project done. For reference there is a sizable collection of how-to-books, DVDs on construction projects, gardening, plumbing, & much more to get your weekend project completed. It is a great concept to lend tools as opposed to having to buy them along w/ storing them. I am not much of a handy man yet like the concept. I feel more libraries should offer this service for environmental & economical reasons. Late Fines: $1 to $18 per day , depending on the tool's value. Another lesser known gem of the TLL is that next to it is a bicycle pump to fill your tires w/ some air or some bicycle tools if you are good w/ the mechanics of bikes.

Located after the main drag, which makes parking easier and they do have parking in the back offers…read morewhat most libraries do and then some. It has an interesting history. It used to be a hospital back in the day, so it's space was planned out perfectly. The city and people of Albany are able to use the rooms within there to do a lot of different activities not just as a library, but as a service to the community itself. The last time I went in for one of these, not looking for a book was when we had the Medicare. Meeting where they explained how Medicare works and all the different parts of it to anybody who's headed to that age that needs to be educated on how it works. People hung onto every word of it right there. They usually side rooms for wonderful things like that it's very informative. The library itself isn't huge like some public libraries in big cities, but it offers everything that everyone would need for a small community surrounding it. And I like the people that work there they're very courteous and helpful. It's always clean and there's plenty of space and I see all the tables are occupied by kids students and adults all working side-by-side together going through their books writing their papers all the different activities that are found in the library. It's a very modern design of a building and it offers so much to anybody that comes in there. Check their schedule of events there might be something for you.

Great staff, interesting collection. They have been very helpful in finding interesting series on…read moreDVDs for adults. Hopefully they will add to their collection.

One of my local libraries that I love to visit as it's architecture is reminiscent of an old estate…read morelibrary with dark wood, comfy chairs and even a fireplace. I do wish the kids section was larger with more space for little ones to nestle in, but all good. I love the lucky day shelf. They have usually newer books, 4-6 different ones, that are in high demand and available without being on the waitlist. If you get lucky you get lucky. I have found some gems that way that I don't know if I'd normally find. They have the usual dvds and wide array of books and magazines. They host a ton of events here mostly catered to tweens, teens, seniors and adults from chess club to movie night, poetry circle and more. The staff is nice. Street parking only and it's limited, but I can usually get here on foot which is a bonus. Overall, a nice, clean, old-timey library.

I'm at the library trying to read peacefully but I hear someone playing videos on their device --…read more What kind of rude patron would do this at a library? Oh it's an employee! The security guard!! Real professional!!!!

Tiny branch library, but it's the one in walking distance. If I can't find an ebook of something,…read moreI'll have the physical book sent to this branch, and it usually shows up for pickup within 1-2 days. Returns are super easy with all the book drops outside. The main library does a better job of curating adult books (new releases, hot titles) so I rarely come out of the Piedmont library with something I didn't already expect to pick up, but these little branch libraries aren't exactly sized for extended browsing.

The Piedmont library is not just one of the smallest libraries in the Oakland Public library system…read moreI've seen, but one of the smallest libraries I have ever been in period. For it's size though it is a quality over quantity. There is a smart collection of magazines, books, DVDs, CDs, & graphic novels. Patrons here have access to the entire Oakland library online & all the libraries in CA through the Link Plus interlibrary loan system to pick up items on their hold shelf. There are two computers for internet. There is also a printer for print jobs or Xerox copies. Staff here is friendly. Kudos for the great selection of magazines including Lonely Planet for travel, Lucky Peach for foodies, & MOJO which is probably the best music magazine out there. Magazines is where the Piedmont Ave Branch Library seems to shine brightest. Piedmont Ave Branch Library is a short walk from Timeless Coffee which is a fully vegan coffeehouse serving heavenly hot drinks, desserts, & brunch. Check them out! The hours of the Piedmont Ave Branch Library are: Sun- Closed Mon- Closed Tues- 12:30pm to 8pm Wed- 10am to 5:30pm Thurs- 10am to 5:30pm Fri- 12pm to 5:30pm Sat- 10am to 5:30pm

Very rare special collection for visitors and history students nationwide ..Oakland main library is…read morenear lake Merritt ..special magazines never seen ...nice archives to show..basic library in the bay with more to see..teen center and lounge and chargers ...nice view ..very nice visit to Oakland main library ..wouldn't have known ..tour libraries in the bay ...back then 1970-1990 ...rare california books ...positive community

Oakland History Room at the Main Library…read morehttp://www.oaklandlibrary.org/Seasonal/Sections/oakhr.html I LOVE Maps. All maps but especially old maps, you know the kind that come in huge books... I also LOVE Oakland. So this means I hella LOVE the Oakland History Room because it's filled with, you got it... Old Huge Map Books of Oakland! So a nerd like me can spend HOURS here looking stuff up. Some friends and I own Victorians here in Oakland and I was determined to see the original maps from when they were first built all in the 1800s. I overshot the year on my block at first but got to see the map of when Veniza Garden took up most of it. Then I saw the map when my home, the Cates-Downing house appeared and later the building where La Borinquena (my family's restaurant) exists now. It was a little more complicated to find my friend's house since I had to go back to when the Fruitvale district had not yet been annexed to Oakland and was still called Fruitvale, CA. His house was literally in the middle of a fruit orchard and was the main house for years. It also explained why there were so many windows both for natural light and to oversee the fields. The woman helping me find all this information was sweet, kind and incredibly PATIENT! There are also tons of books, photographs and enough maps to wallpaper for days. Go with lots of time on your hands and be respectful of the artifacts you may or may not be allowed to handle. Oh, the smell of old books can be intoxicating in a giddy, nerdy way or smell musty and not so good otherwise. Also note that the hours are strange everyday they are open. To my fellow Oakland history nerds who also like libraries... Go Forth. Research. Be Happy.