Checked out Bernal Heights branch library Sat 10/18/25. They have 2 floors, bathrooms on bottom…read morefloor 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.

I recently went to the Bernal Heights Branch Library. Upon reaching the library I admired the…read morecolorful 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.

Quiet and clean. Many parents bring their babies and kids…read morehere, so don't complain of the noise from the little ones.

Super nice neighborhood library especially if you have kids! Story times on Tuesdays and Thursdays…read moreare amazing, plus other kids activities every two weeks. My daughter can't help it but comes inside even when we heading to the playground. There're also a few games and a nice little play area for kids inside which is our common place to be on a rainy day.

This library is a gem in the Sunset neighborhood. A lovely place to peruse and borrow books, and…read moreis especially great for kids in the community. The selection of books is really nice, and ordering books into the branch is easy. The summer reading challenge for kids has also been a fun annual activity. The library staff are wonderful and understanding even when we forget to bring our library card. The place itself is small but warm, welcoming and safe. The playground outside is also a great way for kids to enjoy their day. Highly recommend!

The Ortega Library sits right between a middle school, an elementary school, and a big community…read morepark so calling it "busy with kids" is an understatement. I'm here often to pick up large stacks of books, and let me just say- the SFPL app is game changing for me as a busy teacher. I follow a bunch of librarian/teacher influencers, and the moment they rave about a new title, I'm on the app placing my hold. Picking up books is fast and painless. Everything is always ready in one spot in alphabetical order- scan your library card, stack your books on the check out pad, and the machine takes care of the rest. Get a receipt printed or emailed. Now, is it a little chaotic being surrounded by middle schoolers using all the computers? Sure. But honestly, I'm glad they have a safe, supervised place to hang out. And let's talk about the real bonus: the Mister Softee and Magic Frosty trucks often parked out front. Free books plus ice cream? That's an unbeatable combo. Overall, Ortega Library is a gem. busy, messy, joyful, and incredibly useful. They do a ton of community events also. Your library card also gets you free museum perks, which I still need to explore but love knowing exist.

The exterior is a beauty of architecture. There's lots of…read moreoutdoor light streaming in the big windows. Comfy leather seats, large tables with lamps to get work done. Parents: a children's room in the back keeps your kids safely surrounded with appropriate reading material. The librarians are very helpful and are quick to questions or dilemmas. This branch is in the nicest neighborhood. Grass in the front and back make the Presidio library a dog haven too!

This library is so cute. I just walked in because I love checking out libraries. It's amazing how…read morethey're able to fit so much in such a small space. It's a single floor with the back area being the children's playroom. There's a single gender, neutral bathroom. Staff is very friendly.

Really nice big library with lots of seating on all levels. The lobby level has a Pete's coffee in…read moreit with lots of seating if you prefer to do some reading and studying in an area where you can eat/drink. The first few floors of the library aren't too quiet, which I prefer, but the 4th level and higher are quiet study areas. There are also plenty of electrical outlets, but they are scattered throughout along the walls and floor (not built into the tables like what more modern libraries have.) I'm not a SFSU student, but was able to come here with no issues to get some work and studying done. There is very limited paid parking around the area and the free street parking is impossible to find, but if your mobile and capable enough you can park unlimited for free at the mall up the street and walk over (it was about a 15 minute walk.) There are also several muni and bus stops in the area, so public transportation is probably more ideal. I like getting my steps in, so I parked at the mall and walked over. There is free guest wifi in the library for non-students. You just need to sign up for it with your name and email address, and the system emails you a one time password to use. The wifi is surprisingly slow, considering that this is on a college campus and I'm sure there are many students that rely on needing good internet speeds for their courses and studies.

Back in the day, this library was just like any other municipal library. After the renovations,…read morethis place is way more inviting for the student who need a quiet place to study or form groups for meetings and presentations. Similar to that of an office. After the renovations, this place feels more like a miniature IT campus similar to that of Apple or google. And the library gets super busy especially during midterms and finals. Surprisingly there's a Help Desk where you can get a loaner laptop, you have basic computer questions. Basically this is a good place to start for your studying needs.

Wonderfully kind and accommodating, clean restroom, no scary people wandering around…read more I needed to conduct a meeting over Zoom. They happily let me use the one "study room", but it's only got a side table, not an actual desk. Really uncomfortable. Parking kind of sucks. The streets are choked with other people competing for space.

I've been coming to this library since I was a kid and now that I have kids of my own, I'm excited…read moreto make new memories by bringing them to experience the library. The layout is still the same but everything has been redecorated over the years so everything feels very clean and modern. And while there is plenty of technology that has been put in, there are still plenty of books to choose from too. I love going to the Children's section and having the kids pick out what they want to read for that week.

I emailed the library from DC asking if I could get an interlibrary loan. Ms. D. Lewis wrote back…read morepromptly saying (A) no, we can't loan those materials but (B) I've copied and attached the relevant pages for you. :) Wonderful service. Thanks!

It's situations like this that highlight the unsatisfactory way that Yelp allows users to rate…read moreplaces. If I were rating the Library itself, it would be 5-stars all the way. It's a tremendous resource for genealogy buffs. Not only is the physical collection extremely broad and in-depth, but if you don't have a laptop/tablet/smart phone with you, the free computer stations allow you to consult on-line sources. And they have a free scanner/copier/printer that allows you to print out sources (or save the scans to a thumb drive) rather than having to check out an entire book. The Library's open hours are a bit limited, but I understand the limitations they have to work within. The space is quiet (except for staffers -- see below), clean, comfortable, spacious and well-appointed. The bathrooms are exceptional! There's a Peet's Coffee just an elevator ride away. Like I said -- it's a wonderful resource! ...and then there's the staff. I'd give them an aggregate rating of just 2 stars. A couple of the staff are nice and helpful. Angelica (?) is unfailingly considerate. But three of the other staffers (one white woman and two Asian women) are unhelpful, lazy, often noisy, and sometimes bordering on the rude. I find it hard to believe that they would still have jobs if they worked in a service industry in the private sector. If the Library could find a way to re-train them (or replace them), the Sutro would get full marks.

I love that this library exists! Who knew. I am a law librarian, so I know there are all kinds of…read morespecial libraries out there, but had not thought much about a horticultural library. It's amazing - and way too easy to miss, as you walk in to the SF Botanical Garden's 9th Ave. entrance. There are materials about the SFBG, its buildings and plants, Golden Gate Park, and even a children's section. I have not needed to do any actual research there, but I love looking at old botanical illustrations and there are plenty here! If you're a teacher in SF, you can get a library card and check out books here(!) - print and ebooks. Also Garden members can get a library card but I figure more of them know about it than SF teachers...who might not even know it exists!

This horticultural library is tucked away next to the entry to the botanical gardens. It is…read moredefinitely worth a stop. I was here for an artists recption for a photo exhibit. The images were black & white photos taken in the gardens . Thr images were stunning. .Thelibrary is small and some of the aisles were blocked off with chairs so that people wouldn't wander off too far from the main event of the day.