This is a fantastic neighborhood library. What I particularly like about this library system is the online access. You can order books, see what books are on the shelves and available, get access to E reader and audiobooks for free and so much more! read more

Cambrian Branch Library - Library - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

This is my main location since it is very close to our house. It is fairly large and it has most everything I need. I tend to use the children's section the most which is upstairs. The staff here are friendly and helpful. I love that they have a drive-thru so I can easily return books without even getting out of my car and for the times when they're not open. If you have a kindle or use audiobooks, make sure you download the Libby app which gets you access to the library's inventory of ebooks and audiobooks. With those, you don't even have to step into the library if you don't want (once you have your library card that is). Make sure you also sign up for emails from the library so you don't miss out of all of the wonderful free events and programs they offer--for kids, teens and adults. read more

This is a lovely library--not that big, but nice inside, and they have a big children's section upstairs. There are some toys that a little one can play with which is nice. I love that the library has story time once a week and fun events occasionally. I went to Cambrian branch with my 14 month old for a petting zoo event. The line was sooo long, and you only got to go in small groups and each group was able to spend just a few minutes actually petting the animals. I got to the library ten minutes before the event and then hung around in the children's section for too long. By the time we went outside to line up, a sizeable line had formed, and we waited around an hour to pet the animals. It is so nice that the library has such neat free events, but I would say definitely arrive early to those so you don't have to be stuck waiting for a long time or having to go home because the event is at capacity. read more

Cambrian Branch Library - Petting zoo event - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

So grateful that we live close by to this library! They have quiet rooms for which you can sign up in advance, located on the second floor, which is great. They are incredibly kid friendly as well! Second floor is awesome (kid's section). They have community toys and a play area. There are some parts of the play area that could be updated, but overall, love the idea of it. Great selection of books for kiddos too. Library is clean for the most part and librarians have been very friendly! read more

Cozy and quiet brach to get work done without too many distractions. Friendly staff. I wish they opened earlier on Mondays and Fridays.

This is a great little library. It's bright and cheerful and staff is super helpful. They have different activities during the week for adults and children. We visited their story time . The instructors are wonderful and pivot if the kids are not interested in stories. Lots of movement and play. Their children's book section is upstairs. in addition to books, they have some toys. It's a very busy place during the week for preschool children. read more

2 story library off Hillsdale love this one it's one that I go to for quiet time in the middle of the day. Nice study rooms, I feel like this place is very clean and organized and I've had few interactions with staff on updating my card. Sweet! I bring my own books and lp, stuff to keep myself entertained and just run the day away a la run return! I feel like I don't need to compromise privacy or space because the 2nd floor by the window and magazines editorials is nice and chill. Very quiet. TRUST :)p Really family forward for stay-at-home parents? early birds and what not, many public use computers and window space city day dreamer. People are respectful and couple of study rooms upstairs that are generous in space. Awesome! Enso forever. Drop off drive thru back of building, tinker password language translator. Book study room online. 2 parking lots no shade. By fire dpt. "One hand loves the other So much on me Let's unite tonight We shouldn't fight Embrace you tight Let's unite tonight Let's unite tonight We shouldn't fight Embrace you tight Let's... Unison" Bjork/Vespertine//2001\\ read more

This is a good library with some nice features for kids. It's very clean as well. The bathrooms are very old, and they don't have changing tables in the men's rooms. Come on San Jose, its 2023 - do we really expect solely women to change diapers? Anyway, the library needs a minor renovation to fix outdated decor and missing features that other libraries in San Jose have. The parking lot is also not very big, so at peak times it may be hard to find a spot. read more

We love coming here. My little one enjoys the Giraffe hunts in the kids section. Great selection of books we've found a lot of new favorites here. read more

Cambrian Branch Library - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

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wonderful library with helpful staff if you need them. if you know what you need, you can be peacefully left alone and checkout is simply automated, along with east book drop when you just have a few at a time! Love this branch with the big window as you go upstairs. library staff is so friendly. read more

Cambrian Branch Library - upstairs in the children's section - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

I like this location a lot, compared to my cozy Willow Glen location (I still love it though!) this is a one step up with multiple private rooms available ranging from classroom, teen room and even a cafe style where you can bring drinks in. Books selections are massive. Multiple seating. Helpful librarians. We frequent this as well for the events. My family and I recently did visit when the "Goodness Snakes" came. Wi-fi is reliable. read more

Awesome library! My son loves coming here and I think it's great that the children's section is separated & upstairs...makes me feel less stressed out in case he gets a little loud. Lots of places to sit and in our "post-pandemic" openings, its always so quiet and empty here now. They have a huge section of DVDs/Blu-Rays, and we usually let our little guy grab 1 or 2 children's movies on the way out too...this is awesome since today's kids will never understand the excitement of going to Blockbluster! Haha. My only complaint though is the parking lot...very oddly designed and very tight. So watch those turns while trying to park! read more

Great place for kids! Staff is friendly and helpful! Been there twice and will be a regular go to for me and my family!

We've been coming here for years and we love it so much. The library is such a wonderful and well resourced facility in our community.

Staff was very helpful! I needed to borrow a hotspot device and they made checking out a breeze.The place was very clean as well!

I've been studying here for the past few months and really like the vibe of this place. Quite small compared to other libraries but patrons and workers here are all very nice! There are two floors here: bottom is for books and check out and the top is the study area/children/teens/ computers. Pros: - Large parking lot with no time limit - 2 study rooms, one large dedicated quiet study - Sectioned out teen space - Lots of computers available - Rarely crowded on weekdays Cons: - chairs are slightly uncomfortable - some tables don't have available charge ports - children's area is right next to the adult section and can get loud if you plan on studying in that area. read more

Haven't been here for years until recently, not sure what happened to the place. Their shelves upstairs are almost entirely empty in many spots. The selection is extremely limited. If you're looking for a book on a specific topic you're not likely to find it. This place used to have way way more content. Where did it go? Why? read more

NOT A GOOD LIBRARY FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS. I came here yesterday hoping for some peace and quiet to study for SJSU finals and all I was greeted with was noise of kids. Even sitting in the area across from the kid section offered no peace as many kids piled up in the "study rooms" only to let their noise in and out as they opened and closed the door. Kids are cool, they are the future. But this library is definitely catered to families in the area. I'm sticking to MLK library at SJSU. read more

I love this library especially the children's area which is upstairs. They have touch screen computers, a dramatic play area and an area with manipulatives. When you go up the stairs there is a small section where there are thermal boards, funny mirrors and peg mazes. To use the computers you need to have a library card to log in and then you are allowed 30 minutes of screen time. The computers have games for the kids. The dramatic play area has a little shopping stand where you can ring up groceries and put them in baskets. There are also push vehicles and puppets. The library has both a self check out and returning items systems along with actual librarians. read more

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I wasn't expecting to come here, I kinda stumbled on this branch on my way back from Cambrian Bowl, but when I went through those sliding doors, I was like, am I in Heaven? Yes, I'm aware ^ was a run-on sentence. Anyway, this Cambrian Branch Library is divine. It has two floors. On the bottom floor you've got the lucky day books, CDs and dvd's. On the top floor, you've got the computers, study rooms, children's section, and audiobooks. I found a great selection of J-pop and promptly checked them all out. There's also a drive-thru book return. read more

Cambrian Branch Library - Storefront - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

I haven't been to a library since my MBA days. I was looking for a quiet place to get some private work done and this is the closest library to my house. The library is new, there are quiet study rooms upstairs with tables and chairs for you to use laptops with, and it also have sofas to do some reading. Free wifi, but for some reason, it didn't work for my phone, no biggie though. I came during weekday afternoon during school year, so there aren't many kids around, so the place was extremely quiet. read more

Cambrian Branch Library - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

This is a new library which I think is much nicer than the old library. Highlights include; Internet Cafe (no food, but has a Cafe theme with bar stools, etc...) A quiet Internet room, sealed off from the rest of the library Two glass quiet rooms upstairs, one for teens, and one for everybody else Plenty of power outlets on the tables, as well as the walls to plug in our wealth of electronic gadgets Free Wireless Internet Large kids area (2+ years seem to be the starting point) with lots of books, toys, and kids PC's Conference rooms I liked the new Library very much. read more

This is the best library in SC Valley including MLK in downtown. I've been to many libraries in my life including the Library of Congress in DC (which I highly recommend!). Yes, MLK is larger, but its loud and not really meant for the general public as its overwhelmed by SJSU Students. The Cambrian Library is a small, intimate library serving the Willow Glen and Cambrian Areas. It is what all neighborhood libraries should be. They have a computer lab which has a good amount of systems and a small outside café with a few systems, a very good children's/teen section, story time, audio books, teen rooms, meeting rooms, etc. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, and I would say they are overall excellent. The return process could not be better with a 24 hour drive through! The hold system is good and the parking is easily accessible and typically available. The one improvement they could make is more four person tables outside the conference rooms. Sometimes its hard to find a place to sit, read, study, write, etc. This is a great place to spend some time, especially if you have children. read more

I am a connoisseur of libraries! I got my first library card when I was about six years old and have been a member of the Santa Clara County, Santa Clara City, and San Jose public library systems all my life. I recently moved into the area of the Cambrian branch of San Jose's system. This library is very neat and clean; the staff is helpful but sometimes a bit abrupt with questions. It is a kid-friendly library. This branch offers a decent mix of programs and classes. It isn't the biggest library and I actually don't like to browse the stacks here because they don't have that great of a selection on hand. Still, you can get materials sent promptly from any other SJ branch, which is nice. They have free wireless and plenty of studying areas for students. The SJ branches also offer adult reading contests in the summer (for those of us who used to love them when we were under 18!). I actually won a $25 gift card to Borders and a friend of mine won one for Orchard Supply this last summer. read more

This is a remodeled library on two floors, so it's a bit unlike most of the other libraries I've been to in San Jose. This makes it feel bigger than other libraries in San Jose. media and fiction are on the bottom with computer, periodicals, teen, and non-fiction up on top. I did not tour the entire library, but it felt like there was less seating/study rooms. Near the children's section was a cool-looking keyhole-shaped doorway. I actually wanted to go check it out but was embarrassed to try. The checkout machines are nice and new with touchscreens. Parking is split into two lots, which is a little inconvenient. Overall, a solid library, but any remodeled one is. Not worth a special trip, but if you are close by, be sure to visit. read more

I've been to many libraries during my lifetime and was impressed by this library! It is a very modern looking structure. When you enter there is large staircase to the left and an area to check out items to the right. There are distinct areas catered to different age groups/interests- children, teens, and quiet study rooms. There is a tech center with lots of computers for use on the second floor. They even have a teen room filled with the english translated manga! They also had a summer reading program going on. Overall a very nice library and a great place to study, use the computers, or bring your child for an event! read more

What a beautiful and peacefully quiet library. Their selection of new books is amazing. The staff is really helpful too. The second floor has a study rooms, a computer lab, study rooms, and other tables where you can sit and do research. The night time drop of is great too. read more

This was the fourth time we attended a kids' program in the community room, and it has been poorly organized each time. Today was the last straw. read more

this is my second wait seriously my third go to library. They have a huge movie selection not only for adults but for kids also. There tend to be a few creepers that hang out at this library. Their selection of cd's and books is ok seriously we just go to this one to rent movies. :) The parking lot is better than the Rose Garden but I think the Almaden branch has the best parking so far! read more

Love this library. It's beautiful inside, two floors and plenty of side rooms, and the online site makes it easy to order books from other branches. Easy parking outside and free wifi makes it a great place to while away a few hours. I tutor students there sometimes, can usually find a free table and the quiet atmosphere makes it a good fit. Wifi can be a bit finicky - before I got a new laptop, I could only get it to connect about 10% of the time, if I was lucky. There are plenty of computers there to use, though, as long as you have a library card. Would love some newer books, but the selections they have is pretty nice. I'll be coming back often. read more

My three year old loves books but for some reason I always ended up going to the book store to purchase books. Then a few weeks ago I thought, hey we should go to the library where we can borrow books for FREE. Wow, this is the greatest idea I've had in awhile. After we walked in, I realized that my son has never been to a library and he was amazed at the fact that he could pick out so many books and DVD's and take them home. The library is his new love and he can't wait to go back again. I never visited the old library but I remember going to libraries when I was younger and they were always old, funny smelling, and dark. This library was nice and new and well lit and in the children section they have toys on the walls and plenty of space for reading with you child. Great place and since it is so close to home we will be here often! read more

My local library, what's there not to like (except for the awful parking). They have a great selection of books and movies while the staff is super amazing. read more

Great little local library. Clean yet small. You can order books you see online to be sent to this library for pickup. Some ebooks are available to read from your iPad (love!). Their selection seems to be a bit limited when browsing online, so best to go the order-in-from-another-library route. read more

One of the San Jose city libraries that I frequent the most, it's a nice location and cleaner than many other branches. I also like that it is a two-story building and you can see some good views of the neighborhood from the top. Parking on the other hand, can be challenging at times particularly when there is a special event happening. The only thing that sucks is the fact that they have to keep changing and/or reducing their hours due to budget cuts. read more

I recently got my membership card for this library and must say I am impressed. It is probably not as big as other libraries but it's adequate so far for my needs. The staff is extremely polite and helpful. read more

This place is small and more than a bit confusing. half the library is dedicated to the kids area, so bring your kids, but if you want general fiction go somewhere else. read more

Opened in 2006 as part of the San Jose Library system, this medium sized (28,000 square feet) branch is well-lighted and maintained, with clean restrooms and common areas. The thoughtful two-story design allows for special purpose rooms and alcoves for reading, computer stations, children's area, etc. Noise levels, especially in the morning hours, are generally very reasonable - such that I've never had to use the quiet study area - and adult patrons are generally considerate. Between 1:00 and 5:00, this branch can get very busy and middle school students and small children can be a bit noisy. Library staff members are helpful and friendly. At this time, library hours are essentially 10:00 am to 7:00 pm - Tuesday thru Thursday, shorter hours on Monday, Friday and Saturdays. Closed on Sundays. Free parking. Fairly comfortable seating abounds, with numerous 2 person study stations with power outlets. I'm job searching and, while I have high speed internet at home, I regularly work at a library to create a disciplined routine. Passable WiFi speeds: downloads and uploads at 3-5mb/s, depending on number of users. Overall, a very nice experience. read more

Love this library- love/ hate their drive through. Consistently the drive through does not scan my item and just says "item received" on many of the scanned returns- particularly DVD's, then proceeds to put inside building so I cant bring back myself.. They must wait days, if ever to check what those are, put it back on shelf and then continue to charge you late fee's as if it was never returned. They need someone to double checked those that scan as "item scanned" but does not register so that us parents utilizing the drive through return with a boat load of kids doesn't have to go in to make sure the library is doing the job of scanning before returning to shelf. Especially if it is after hours. And even then, many times the receipt print out doesn't print out so you have no proof of returned "item scanned" with out title. The convenience doesn't end up being very convenient. Please fix city of San Jose!! read more

Searching for something? Instead of visiting and going to a bookstore to purchase another book, I decided to head to a library. It's weird, but I have a thing for libraries. I love going to libraries to study, to read, to browse around the newest titles of all types of media, and books. Yeah, I know, I can do that at the bookstore too. Bookstores do get busy and there isn't as much room. If it wasn't for Netflix or Hulu, I probably will be going to the library quite often to borrow books and DVDs. The DVD selection is pretty large and is located on the first floor towards the back. I was surprised to see foreign films there too! As you enter, on the right is the CD selection and the left are the newest tiles on display, ready to be borrowed.. Go up the stairs, the children's area is upstairs...the kids have a doorway entrance of their own. How cute! I wonder if I can fit through...On the second floor, there's also a computer lab, study rooms, and other tables with chairs scattered all over between shelves of books. Look no further...knowledge is "pro-found". read more

We mostly use the children's section of the library. It's a great place for kids! The kids programs are professionally done. The children's librarians are very knowledgable and make recommendations right on the mark. My 3 year-old loves the kids computers that have useful games. read more