The Sacramento library has a quiet charm. It's not flashy or crowded -- just a pleasant, peaceful…read moreplace where people come to read and learn.

On a day trip to Sacramento, I stopped by the library. Whenever I visit a city, I like to get a…read morelibrary card, and as a California resident, it's free. For me, getting library cards from different cities is educational and resourceful. Each library system has its own databases, digital resources, ebooks, research tools, and learning programs, which can be different from what I have access to in San Francisco. I like exploring those different resources--it's a great way to learn, discover new materials, and make the most of what public libraries offer. A library card can be a small souvenir from a trip, but also a very useful one.

Not bad for a small library in midtown Sac. My wife used to bring my kids here every once in awhile…read moreafter school because their school was kind of nearby. Finally, I get to check it out and see what it's like. My kids really liked it because it was like going to someone's house and yet there are books, what?! They love to read so they get all excited going to different libraries, and still do. But coming here maybe not as much anymore these days because now this library will feel small to them, kids grow up ya know. In any case, I'm a history buff so I liked reading about how this library was bequeathed to the Sac Library system but specifically with a focus on kids and teens so that's why you'd find that most of the library's space is devoted to children's books and some teens material, but the book collection for adults is pretty small, and that's intentional. So all the books are downstairs which makes sense because it's an old historic home and you don't want the books to come crashing down from their weight if you put them upstairs. Would that actually happen? Probably not, but it's possible. So it's a good thing there are only reading and sitting rooms upstairs. Those were pretty charming, makes you feel like you really walked into a time in the past when things were slower, and life was simpler, and people were kinder. It's quaint, that's for sure. All in all, it was not bad. I did think it kind of smelled a bit stuffy and needed the air cleared out a bit. Maybe there were too many people in there when I visited, but there's also a little courtyard to hang out at if you needed to get some fresh air. Parking is on street mostly and a few very limited spots on the side of the library iirc.

Adj: Cozy Updated…read morereview. It's been a few years since we've visited. It still looks like a pretty nice library and they've kept the facilities up with the increase in patrons. It was quite busy on this Saturday that we stopped by. It's a cozy library that feels quite relaxed given it's in a historic Victorian home donated to the Sacramento Public Library. All the books are on the first floor. There's a pretty big children's section given the overall size of the house. The adult section is actually on the smaller side in comparison. There's also a front area with information desk and then a kind of quick pick up and go books section. The backyard is darling with a small courtyard with floral and other plant life, so you can take your books and read them there and get some fresh air. Finally, on the first floor there's also a Friends of the Public library bookstore although it's pretty small compared to others and the selection limited. Upstairs are where all the meeting rooms of several sizes are. Total of 3 of them. They are all comfy and cozy. Overall, EK McClatchy continues to be a nice little neighborhood library in midtown.

This is a great library! Located in Mckinley Park, this library is 2 stories, and offers many books…read moreand media. They have DVDs you can check out for 3 weeks and video games. The games are for newer consoles (no vintage games). There is an aisle full of audio book CDs. They have many computers here. Up the stairs are more books. The aisles upstairs are narrow. There are a few chairs upstairs to sit in and read. The entrance to the library is on the left side of the building when you walk in (right next to the bathrooms). Outside, there is a bike rack and return bin.

Everything! A treasure, an oasis for a curious, sensible and…read moreenthusiastic mix of children, seniors and pleasant folk. Very, very well equipped and smartly staffed...on the edge of wonderful McKinley Park. It's bustling, alive and fun...as a library should be. Stop by and stay awhile.

Adj: Impressively Nice…read more This is one of the SPL library branches that I've never been to. I'm not sure why I've never gone inside considering I've driven past or been nearby at other places in this neighborhood dozens of times. I was surprisingly blown away when I walked in. It's really big and the windows close to the ceiling bring in a lot of natural light as if they're skylights. There's a lot of books here!. Rows and rows of book stacks in every category for both adults, children, and teens. One special feature that I've not seen anywhere else is the children's section that's almost its own room, it's totally sectioned off and really nice and cozy with lots of colorful seating in all kinds of shapes. It seems safer to have that special area for little ones. The rest of the children's section is big with lots of books. There's also a teens room, and many computers throughout the library. Several quiet study rooms are available to be reserved too and on the day I visited 2 of them were occupied so these rooms are definitely popular and useful. On the outside of the library but within the library building itself, there's a big Friends of the Library store that's a room unto itself so that's pretty special. Overall, this is an impressive and well kept library that is nicely designed and thoughtfully laid out for very effective and efficient use of the space.

I love this library! The building is quite large and there's a lot of parking in the parking lot…read more It is clean inside and outside which I love. It is open and spacious which is nice for browsing. I went here to get my Kings library card and I was participating in summer reading. I do suggest that you check out your local libraries because they have so much to offer. The learning is limitless and the kindness from the staff is memorable. I highly recommend you check out this library especially if you are in the North Natomas area.

My teen sis and I went to the library to get a book about LGBT+ community. A librarian Joe Hays…read morerefused to help us and walked away back in early April. He then made fun of us by speaking in a high voice and flapping his wrists because we are a part of the community. He's a fat white guy about 300lbs with short hair. I talked to the people at the front desk and they said there's nothing they can do because he has mental problems like autism or something. I talked to the manager John and he said he'll talk to Joe about it but nothing changes. When Joe sees us he just turns his back and walks away without being helpful to us at all. I sent e-mails complaining about it before but there's no change! If you support the LGBT+ community go to a different library and not this one. I don't want him fired we just want him to respect us instead of turning his back away and to use the pronouns we want. But yea, besides that it's a good library with books that are close by. Just make the library more LGBT+ supportive and it'll be best.

Adj: Friendly and Courteous Staff, plus Fun and Comprehensive…read more This library is not far from me, but I guess I've taken it for granted and not thought about it much and so I've not written about it? In any case, it continues to be a good one that we frequent often. It looks pretty good on the outside and has been kept up inside all these years. Tucked into the Pocket-Greenhaven neighborhood off of Gloria Dr and pretty close to Rush River Dr, Robbie Waters Library is a much loved and highly utilized resource in the community. My kids have been coming here for a few years now, except when Covid closed it, but even then we did order books for pick-up from here too. They've got a little bit of everything for everyone here. The kids section is colorful and there's a dome/"tower" like space where it's all painted/drawn up to look like some kind of fairytale story and kids LOVE to hang out there and read books. It could get a bit rowdy there, but it's tucked way into one corner of the library, as far away from the grown up area as possible. There are also kids' computers preloaded w/educational software (no internet access) for the littles and then there are a few computers you have to log into w/your account that can get on the internet. The children section is pretty big with a lot of books. They also have a good amount of DVDs and CDs for kids, those are good for car trips and road trips. Whatever books you can't find here, that are available at another branch can be ordered and then delivered here. TONS of people use that service and I've started doing that more, it's very convenient. There's also a seed library here, although varieties are limited. A new discovery to me is a (super) quiet reading room, no cell phones allowed (turn off or silent), very nice and natural light streams in here from a big picture window. Besides the bookstacks for grown ups, there's a lounging/comfy seating area, a cart with board games to borrow while you're there (not check out) and the Friends of the Library book sale is right outside of the official entrance of the library and they have a lot of really good books for cheap, guess they get good donations. Finally, I've learned that parking towards the back of the library can be useful sometimes when the attached high school is getting out and it's pandemonium. But limited spaces for the public there as most of it is for staff. There's even a permanent heavy-duty bike tire pump available for anyone to use, how cool is that. Overall, Robbie Waters Library continues to be a great asset to this community and is a much enjoyed library with good staff (I particularly like Barbara who is very friendly and the librarian Nathan holds fun story hours for kids b/c he plays the guitar), ample resources, and easy access.

Adj: Calm and Cool library…read more Another visit to the library. A nice way to spend an afternoon after outdoors activities. It's quieter here in the PM than in the AM as there's usually quite a gathering of babies and toddlers with their parents for storytime in the morning on Saturdays. It's very quiet on this lazy late spring/basically summer afternoon and it's quite relaxing here. Finding an enjoyable and a secluded corner of the library, one can then immerse themselves into the storyline and while the time away. Definitely recommend this activity to recharge, and for those who are looking for more interactions at the library there are plenty of scheduled events for learning, growing, and meeting others in the community. Spacious children's section tucked into one corner of the library, and then a smaller teen area (but no dedicated room), an adults work and reading section next to that, with plenty of book stacks organized neatly and logically all throughout the whole library. The community room is quite large and perfect for library events as well as available for reserving for your group's event (with guidelines, probably only for certain purposes and not just anyone's private parties). Right outside is the Cooledge Park so that's plenty convenient too should you want some outdoors recreation or just a walk before or after your library visit. Overall, an excellent library even though it's not that big, there's a coziness and friendly atmosphere here.

A nice library my kids have been coming to for many years since they were little. We used to come…read morehere a lot for storytime, just to meet other little friends, and of course to check out and read picture books and later chapter books. Kids read together kits and learning bags and kids DVDs are also plentiful. We don't come here as much anymore, but we enjoy checking out this library a few times a month. Quietly walking among the books you never know when a random short book might strike your fancy. Or perhaps a recent movie on DVD is available for you to take home to enjoy on your household big screen. There's also a Friends of the Library bookstore here that has a pretty good selection of books and other media for sale. Sometimes you can really find some gems and some items are brand new or like new. One thing though is that this location gets pretty loud after school from the middle school and high schoolers who come to hang out so if you're looking for a very quiet library, this is not it. Still, there's a little for everyone here, the collection is pretty big and they can also get you what you're looking for from another branch if there's a copy elsewhere. You just never know what you might find in here. Definitely come and check out this library if you've not been here before.

It's been years since I have been here! My toddler is 3.5 and lovesssss to read. We have so many…read morebooks at home but finding a library to give her even more options and expand her imagination along with her love for books I'm all for. We spent quite some time finding the appropriate age Disney books for her. She really wanted Disney princess books and luckily we were able to find a couple of Frozen books, one Moana, and a few others Disney related. I love how we can get put on a waitlist if there are no books available there. Or they let you know on their online catalog where the book you're looking for is located, should you wish to drive there. The timeframe to borrow books are 3 weeks which I think is plenty! Despite not having come here for over 7+ years, the library is in great condition! Everything looks very organized, clean, and new. There are so many resources available as well, for all ages! Given the lapse in time my old library card needed to be renewed. Hamid assisted us and was wonderful to me and my daughter. He made the process extremely easy and quick. He also let her choose a free 3D printed figure from their bin! Highly recommend.

Adj: Still solid and Notably nice…read more Came by recently to pick up a book for my big kid. You can order books online from other libraries and they'll deliver them as holds for pick up. Super convenient and helpful way to get harder to find books without having to drive to a far away branch. The library still looks very good, nicely maintained, quiet and relaxing for reading and studying here. The kids section can get loud, but it's set all the way to the very back of the library and that contains the sounds. There are quiet study rooms up front towards the entrance that you can reserve for totally quiet studying or working. I noticed there's new EV chargers available now in the parking lot. The charging isn't free, but reasonably priced like $0.20 a kwh or so. Very affordable and making it paid makes it so that people don't just park and plug in their cars for hours and hog the chargers (there's a upcharge/penalty if you keep it plugged in beyond a certain number of hours or when it's no longer charging). I prefer this over when the chargers (at other branches) were free to charge and people just hogged them for hours or even days. Anyways, this library looks good and it's still a nice location to visit and check out books, study, relax and read, or just to hang out quietly. I also check out the Friends of the Library bookstore when I come by and see what kinds of new books are on sale. Sometimes the books are even brand new and I'm giftable condition. Overall, I'm glad to see this library is still kept up and in good shape for everyone to enjoy.

I've been hesitant to study for my exam at a library, since sometimes libraries can be a bit noisy,…read moreso I decided to give this place a try. First thing I noticed that it is very clean, including the bathrooms! It is also very quiet, which is an excellent environment to study in, even without headphones! There are some instance where people decide to talk fairly loud, but that can be ignored if you have headphones in. Each cubicle has their own outlets, so you don't have to worry about your MacBook/laptop battery dying. They also offer free wifi here! I did not have any trouble finding parking, thank God. There are several 2 hour guest parking, which is convenient and FREE! I'm definitely a fan of this library and I'll be utilizing it whenever I'm in the area.

Finding a library that's open on the weekends is tough in Sacramento and EG. Fortunately, this…read morelibrary is open on the weekends. I prefer this library because of its hours, in addition to it being quiet and clean. The only pitfall would be that you have to pay for parking if you intend on staying longer than two hours. The two hour parking is closer to the building, but if you're going to stay longer park in Lot 18 and pay $6 for an all day parking pass. DO NOT park in the parking structure, there's an hourly rate there. For $6, you can come and go as you please. It can get costly if you're going to study everyday, but think of it as an investment towards your future. Tip: The ticket booth is towards the back of the lot. I suggest driving to the booth, have your license plate readily at hand, pay for your ticket, and find a parking spot. Oh yeah, I didn't see any private rooms if you have a meeting of some sort.

Picked up book I borrowed from Berkeley library. Took time to check out the craft section. Found…read moresome interesting books. I forgot to check out their seed library. Most of the library branches carry plant seeds which we can have, for free! This branch also has a great selection of tools, both crafting and gardening which are available on free loan. Helpful, pleasant staff. Easy parking. ..

I don't recommend this location to any student or parent with small children. I went in to study…read morefor an important test in the spring time. There were homeless people speaking at an inappropriate volume, security constantly reminding the homeless that were sleeping that there is no sleeping allowed. Another man was up at the reception/help desk basically speaking at an almost yelling volume and not one librarian asked him to lower his voice. Another homeless man that turned a desktop into his personal home computer being disruptive with his own behavior. 8 years ago this was a lovely library. Sad to see it in such a state.

I lived in Natomas for a huge chunk of my life so I am very familiar with this library. It is big,…read morespacious and always clean and organized. They have a nice Kid's Area with lots of room for activities! My daughter loves coming here to not only pick out books, but to also play with the toys. They also provide computers for use as well as headphones. You can even check out comic books and video games here! All of the staff is very friendly and knowledgeable as well. I love that they have a massive amazing wooden playground and they even have a smaller playground behind the library. Great walking area around the whole complex as well! There is a building next door that even hosts dance classes and what not. My daughter has attended classes there and she has even had soccer practice on the fields behind the library. It's overall a great library and there is always something to do and entertain my daughter when we visit. I also love the convenience of their website and the emails they send out letting me know when our books are due back or when a book I want to check out is ready for pick up!

A very nice little library in South Natomas. The children's area is nice and spacious with a big…read morerug and a toy marketplace. They also do story time and kid led play time on different days of the week! It's a great resource and I love the diversity of the books on the shelves!