My grandma was a staunch St. Helena Library supporter even before the current building...but more…read moreimportantly she was a woman of remarkable interest. Not just an interesting character. Grandma was truly engaged in life and interested in the things around her. A college graduate and one-time newspaper reporter, grandma read voraciously and never owned a television, she preferred to walk places so she could really experience them and made friends wherever she went because she was truly *interested* in what people had to say. Her house was lined wall-to-wall with books, books and more books...and yet the SHPL enticed her with stories and knowledge to be discovered. If you go to the SHPL you will find yourself in a well-lit space, surrounded on three sides by vineyards. And if you curl up near a window and become absorbed in a book, you will find that time passes quickly. When you leave, take a moment to ponder what you've read, and appreciate that your life is now just a little bit richer. Grandma was right, the SHPL is a wonderful library. In addition to a collection of books larger than one would expect for a town this size, you'll also find the SHPL has: - a large room dedicated to children's material - another smaller room of picture books for young kids - an extensive selection of VHS format videos (which Peter's Video no longer carries)...and DVDs too - free wi-fi for your laptop...and a number of PC terminals for easy yelping - the Napa Valley Wine Library collection - movie nights - an art gallery wall - friendly, helpful librarians A five-star library experience and a nice way to spend a SH afternoon. Open daily.

One of the nicer public libraries in the Napa Valley, plus they have a special collection centered…read moreon wine. St. Helena calls itself the Napa Valley's Main Street, so this is appropriate. Not only can you research wine, but they have excellent internet access. If you don't have your own computer, this is the place to go. In addition, they have a neighboring Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, one of the largest collections outside Scotland. The only problematic aspect is the parking. You'll have to do some parallel parking, since the public lots are few.

In honor of Earth Day, I decided to visit this library. I've been meaning to do this for almost a…read moreyear. I've seen some libraries with some great library of things. Useful items that you usually you only use once or twice. Borrowing instead of buying makes so much sense. But this library things just blew me away with its extensive collection. Pickleball? Sewing machine? Weights for weightlifting? Cookie cutters? They got it. They have day passes for state parks, museums, theaters... You don't need your own fax machine or your own printer. If you're computing needs are light, just come to the library and use their computers. The fees are so much more reasonable than buying equipment that becomes obsolete in 3 to 5 years. This particular library seems to have a fairly large collection of physical books. Of course, I zoomed straight for the cookbook and the gardening books. They have a great selection of cookbooks. I have collected cookbooks in the past. I got up to 65 before I realized: my shelves were about to collapse. I was only using each cookbook at best 3 to 5 recipes. This is when you realize you have got to clean house and use the library instead. But don't limit yourself to the physical books, remember to check the electronic resources. As far as I know, you have access to many libraries in the California system. I have memberships to many of the towns and cities where I have resided, and they have never canceled my electronic memberships. So I have access to at least three major systems. And it's a good thing I have access to online resources because by the time I picked up all the Cook books I knew I had reached my physical limits and it was time to stop. I was sucked in by the gift shop. This particular section had even more outré books. I picked up a book for fountain pen collectors, and I was about to buy a classic book from Harold McGee when I realized it was available online. Thank goodness. This was a bit too much weightlifting for me. A friend of mine once suggested a wonderful gift. For anyone who's into books, go to the library and pick out a selection of books that you would recommend highly. Your friend gets to read some great books without dealing with the space requirements. And if they don't like it, it's easy to get rid of them. Happy earth day! Here's to enriching your life without cluttering it.

This library is an incredible community space that offers so much more than books. It is not always…read morecompletely quiet, but that is part of what makes it special. The library feels alive, welcoming and social, with people learning, collaborating and participating in events throughout the day. There's a wide range of resources available and the staff is amazing. Everyone I have interacted with has been kind, patient and eager to help. I am especially thankful to one staff member, whose name I will add when I remember it, who assisted me in the Memory Lab. With her help I was able to digitize 30 year old VHS tapes of my grandparents who have since passed away. The events, tools and services offered here are truly impressive and accessible to the public. From technology assistance to creative programs the library goes above and beyond to serve its community. I am incredibly grateful for the resources they provide and for the caring staff who make this library such a meaningful place.

I visited the healdsburg Library today just to make a lot of copies. These days nothing is as…read moresimple as it once was. The technology of electronic devices makes everything ten times more complicated . I used a very nice young Librarian who had to guide me through some challenging situations. Even she didn't understand why certain ways were not working. In the end we got through it. Eight dollars later everything was done. I ended up getting a new library card. This venture took both women at the help desk to get a ton of copies made. It did cost less at the library than through UPS. That can get costly. The Library staff was extremely professional and patient with me and my friend who are very technologically challenged.

I've had library cards for Sunnyvale, San Jose, San Francisco, and San Diego. Healdsburg has…read morealways been the best experience! Easy parking, quiet library with the perks of book sales, art shows and special exhibits to be seen when I walk in. The staff there are also cheery and helpful. The Healdsburg library is a small library with a big selection. When I want something, I just order it online and if it's in any of the Sonoma County libraries, it will show up in a few days in Healdsburg. They send me email when the item is available. The Healdsburg library also has a "Wine Library" where one can read books on all aspects of the wine vocation. There are many old books on the subject. The children's section is right by the book check out desk. I like seeing the children reading books or having a book read to them - and it's right by the checkout desk so they are being watched over all the time by patrons and library staff. The children always seemed well behaved; quietly talking or fidgeting in their chairs as they enjoy their books. Some big city libraries are creepy with people sleeping in chairs, learing around corners or aimlessly walking around. I've never seen anything like that in Healdsburg. I like that the library is close to Casa Del Mole so I can have lunch and purchase groceries if I need them when I visit the library. Did I mention the staff are helpful and friendly? They always greet me as if they are glad to see me... and I think they are!

We really love this library; it's our favorite one in town. The resources, the wonderful staff, and…read moreespecially the fantastic kids' section are all amazing. However, we do have some concerns that make our visits a bit challenging. Parking is consistently a hassle, and we've noticed an increasing presence of homeless individuals both around and directly in front of the library, which can be uncomfortable. This became particularly troubling recently when a homeless individual on a bike nearly hit my 6-year-old daughter and then attempted to kick her. While we understand the library can't control what happens outside its doors, and we often see security personnel, it's disheartening that these issues persist. My children have even started referring to it as 'the homeless library,' which is sad given how much we value what it offers. We genuinely hope to see some improvements in the future, as we truly enjoy coming here.

Decided to take a trip downtown this morning to check out the local library. The staff was friendly…read moreand helpful in showing me around for my first time visiting. The library is quite large with a wide selection materials and several different study areas. The main drawbacks were the parking and overall cleanliness. There is no dedicated parking lot so most people will need to find paid street parking or use a paid parking garage. I also noticed that some areas felt unclean, with strong odors in certain parts of the library and an unkept bathroom. There were also many homeless individuals sheltering inside or gathered outside, which may make some visitors uncomfortable.

A calm and useful oasis in a lovely town!…read more I have visited there several times over the last few weeks and the whole campus of various public offices, services, and facilities in which the library exists is terrific. Post office is right across the driveway, too. The library itself is cozy and calming, carpeted and clean, with a nice kids section and plenty of stuff for non-kids, like well-maintained computers and a newspaper reading area with tables and chairs that is connected to the main area. There were users of the Napa County library system picking up books that had arrived there from other local and distant libraries, which is so useful! The people that work there have been unfailingly helpful and welcoming, assisting me with printing as well as a flash drive loan that was clutch for me at a moment when it was really needed, and for that I thank them here as well as me being appreciative in the moment. Lots of easy parking behind the facility, also, and the location is a nice springboard to walk around welcoming Yountville in conjunction with a library visit if you are so inclined. I did not get any sense that visitors who are unfamiliar with the library are treated any differently than obvious long-time users, other than staff knowing and using the names of people who often come there, and that made me feel valued and "part of the scene," not just a tolerated intruder or something. The staff sets a professional and welcoming tone in this small corner of the world, and I get the sense from my visits, which will remain part of my pattern, that they like where they work and genuinely want to be of service to the public. BRAVO, YOUNTVILLE LIBRARY!

I was in the area and the door was open so decided to stop by. The library is small and it does…read morehave a kids corner. There was also a section where you can rent video games and I had never seen that. There was also a board with papers ms that offer free classes so that was pretty cool.

St. Helena's former Carnegie Library is no fancy Carnegie Hall. It hosts local events. It doesn't…read morehave its own parking lot, so one can parallel park along the street or in public lots. It's a small Carnegie Library, albeit no longer used as a library (it's been a community center since 1978-1979). For the most part, it holds community events&classes. Back in the day, it hosted Red Tara Tibetan Buddhist meditation classes. It's a small, meditative oasis. It got a seismic retrofit before the August 2014 quake (the nearby Presbyterian church has a steeple that still looks off-center) It's a rarity in that it's one of the few Carnegie Libraries in Spanish Colonial style- https://noehill.com/napa/nat1979000509.asp How to seismically retrofit (and historically restore) an old Carnegie Library- http://www.zfa.com/carnegie-library-gets-a-well-hidden-retrofit/ It's a beautiful, storied building, standing majestic since 1908.

Not sure what is going on with Solano county libraries right now ( possible computer hack…read more5/13/2024) but they all have a shut down computer system. Thank goodness for another close county library in American Canyon. Even though its quite small its cozy and very clean. The staff is super nice and helpful...I forgot that I liked this place and Im glad I made the extra 10 min drive over. Ciao for now

My first visit was last week. It was a wonderful experience. There is a young man who works there…read more I didn't get his name, but I believe he wears his hair pulled back in a ponytail. This young man is so polite so helpful and it made my visit a great success. Fast-forward two days ago, I returned. I had very important documents that needed to be uploaded and very time sensitive. On this day, the employee that was working was deep into a conversation with her coworker. She acted bothered by me asking a question. I am old. I am 55 years old. I am not from today's generation. I am not computer savvy and I need help. Actually I needed a lot of help because I needed to know how to work the printer, attach photos etc. She proceeded to give me two-three word instructions and acted upset because she had to get back to her conversation. I am 55 years old. I am not savvy when it comes to computers. I also understand this is not a computer class. There were three clerks on duty at the time. I don't know. I just feel that if the roles were reverse, I would want to help somebody and feel great that I was able to do so. I felt embarrassed by this. My documents are not yet finished It's a beautiful atmosphere i. I just wish she would have made me feel comfortable

Cool library. Lots of computers for individual use. Plenty of tables with wooden chairs and surge…read moreprotectors for charging. It can be a bit loud with chatter, cell phone usage, tutoring, etc. If you can focus on what you're working on with audible distractions it's a great place to go for reading, projects, etc. Otherwise bring ear plugs. There are also comfy cushioned chairs for sitting. There is an information desk in the middle of the room for assistance and suggestions. The bathroom is clean and well stocked. Plenty of parking and restaurants nearby if you need to go eat.

This is a really nice library right in the heart of downtown. Make sure you stop by of course to…read moreget some knowledge and also check out whatever else they have to offer. You have games, cookware, and other things like gardening utensils to use as well.

From the outside the building is kind boring. To sit outside on a nice sunshiny day after being at…read morethe library it needs a lot of benches and some tables. However, there is a lot of parking. If you want shady parking, park over at the old bank.

My favorite county library! Location has plenty of free parking, beautiful grounds (I encourage you…read moreto walk around), and building itself is well maintained. The inside of the library is beautiful with high ceilings and lots of natural light. You'll find plenty of space to sit, there are single chairs available, as well as, desks with electrical outlets - your choice of street or garden view. There's a children and teen section too, as well as, charging stations through out the library. Bathrooms are kept very clean. You have access to free wi-fi, printing services, bookstore, computer access, etc... COVID Precautions: following county mandates - staff wears mask and guests are also now required to wear mask too. Desks and areas to sit are spaced out for social distancing. Hand sanitizer available for guests throughout library.