Library services in Pasadena, Los Angeles, California... Since I had some time, I wanted to check out a public library and do some reading. Hastings Branch Pasadena Public Library had good reviews, so I drove over. The small parking lot was free, but the access was a bit challenging. The left turn into the driveway was kind of awkward. When I got to the front door, there was a sign that said they were currently closed for renovations. Shucks. I peeked in the windows and it looked like a pleasant environment. Even the grounds outside were welcoming! I'll return in a couple of months! read more

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Omg I am completely mortified. The library was full of homeless people and just a lot of weirdos. There was a lady in front of me cursing out loud at the desk I was sitting at. The ladies bathroom had a hole in the wall!!! And when I went outside to see wha room is next door it was the men's bathroom!!!!! I feel mortified and absolutely shocked. Libraries are supposed to be a place you can feel safe and take your kids. I would never bring anyone here. The librarians were just sitting there on their monitors. I felt so unsafe I immediately left and will not be going back. read more

Hastings Branch Pasadena Public Library - Women's bathroom!! - Libraries Near Me - Pasadena, California

Taking one star away from a full rating, as it was extremely tedious to sign up for a library card! I'm not sure if you can do it in-person, but I did it online on www.cityofpasadena.net/library But this was still a bit of a process. **Rating my experience with a toddler** This is our local library and I'm only familiar with the kids section. I would say that about 1/4 of the library is dedicated to kids, so a pretty good selection! There are reading areas, books are neatly organized by author, and I find the staff very friendly and helpful in finding books for us. You can also find books on their online catalog and place holds. When the book is available, they will send you an email and you have about a week to pick up the book. They also have story time in parks and frequent book sales. Plenty of guest parking. I never had to struggle finding a spot. The max number of books you can check out is 100, so we have a lot to go! read more

Hastings Branch Pasadena Public Library - Kids section - Libraries Near Me - Pasadena, California

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This is my favorite library! The staffs are always super nice and helpful. When my kids need help looking for books, they would always gladly help them locate the books they are looking for. They would greet me with a happy face even when I walked in a minute before closing to return some books. I took my kids there yesterday to sign up for the 2023 Summer Reading program and needless to say, the staffs were friendly and they explained to us how it works. While we were there, we stayed for the Bubble-Ology 101 program and it was Amazing!!! My kids enjoyed it so much! They learned a lot and it was fun. Just Wow!! read more

Hastings Branch Pasadena Public Library - Libraries Near Me - Pasadena, California

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If you're looking for a library with a small town feel in a larger city, then this branch of Pasadena's library system will do the job! Nestled in a corner lot lies one of my favorite spots of the city: a quiet home away from home. They have many programs going on throughout the week and have a decent selection of books. If you can't find what you're looking for, you can always have it ordered and sent to this branch from another branch in either Pasadena or Glendale, which is terribly convenient. This library also has a decent amount of study and work areas, a meeting room, and offers free wifi. I've worked on papers and short stories here and enjoy the environment the Hastings branch offers. read more

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Went to get my library card renewed. Pleasant customer service. I prefer to read e-books so I don't use the library a whole lot. If I ever started writing a book, this is where you'll find me. read more

Nice community library. It has about 10 computers available for Internet access. The library has a descent section of periodicals and magazines for a library of it's size. It's great that places like this are still going strong providing free access to information for the community. Great to know they have a mail in drop box for voting also. read more

The Video I Took That Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5NjDga175Y Every now and then, the staffs from this library will holds an event like today. Very warming. Parking here can be a challenge. The staffs are very helpful and friendly. Great people. read more

Very tiny library with very attentive staff. This is a good children's library! Parking is free.

Pasadena offers a great number of libraries that you may attend, Hastings Branch being one of them. Hastings branch it's a medium size branch in comparison to the rest of the libraries in Pasadena, it is also the second most visited library. This library has so much to offer, awesome staff, great programs, fast WIFI and good location. If they dont have a book, staff can order it for you and you will get a call or email whenever the materials are ready for you to pick them up. If you are looking for a quite place, plan ahead due to the programs that they offer. Check out their newsletter and bulleting board that helps you out to plan in advance. read more

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This is a great branch. Friendly staff and a cute space for the children area. If you can't find a book, just ask the front desk...they have always been helpful in locating the books and even getting the ones I wanted from other branches. There is plenty of parking and a nice grass area to enjoy some outdoor time too! read more

You can requests books online and do curbside pickup great options to keep my kids entertain with new books

Not the place to get some quiet work done. Surprisingly enough, it's the STAFF that is loudest . . . It's not the worst place to check out books, they appear to have a nice little collection of new fiction. But again, if you're looking to get some work done, head on over to the main branch off Walnut. If you just want a place to sort of just kick back and chill without having to buy a coffee or a cronut and don't really care about a quiet atmosphere, then they actually have some good chairs and tables. Misc: they have a meeting room. Bathroom is awkward. read more

I've been here a few times looking for specific study materials. Everyone here is always so very helpful and friendly. I like the fact that if this library doesn't have what you need, they'll look for it at one of their other libraries for you and you can have it sent here and you can come back to pick it up. I've had to do that before and it was so much better than having to drive out of my way. It's a smaller library with it's own private parking lot. Very peaceful and the staff is always very very helpful! read more

Small and intimate ~ I Love It! The staff here are nice and friendly, and pretty much leave you alone, regardless, if you just come here to checkout books, hang out for a bit or just to come work on your laptop. I love coming here to work on my laptop because the place is so small and quaint, and that there's only a few handful of people here, and so from time to time, it's not so crowded, which I absolutely love! Best of all, I don't have to fight for table space since it's pretty spacious, and as long as you have a Wi Fi card or Wifi in your computer, you're pretty much set. This place is my special little retreat....love it here! :) read more

This is a great local library. I've come here on multiple occasions to study with my college classmates. It can get kind of busy sometimes as it isn't too big, but if you get there at the right time, it's usually not a problem getting a table to study together with a group of people. The staff is pretty cool about being lenient with talking as long as noise is maintained within library levels. read more

This library has 2 parking lots, one to each side of the entrance, so you should never be without a spot. Some of the spots are shaded during the day as well, which is nice if you can secure one. The WIFI is decently fast. I'll get a speedtest next time I'm there. When you walk in, to the right there are 3 very wide tables accommodating about 10 people each, with outlets for each person underneath the table (very convenient). To the left are round tables, also with outlets, as well as the chair and magazine section. This is one of those wide-space libraries with no separation between rooms, so kids in the children section may be loud at times. Computer section has about 10 desktops with widescreen monitors. The bathroom is a bit awkward to get to. You have to walk through the meeting room to get there, and if there's a meeting going on you feel awkward walking through a room full of people just so you can take a whiz or wash your hands. Speaking of the (men's) bathroom, it's quite cramped. One urinal, one toilet, one sink, in a triangle. The bathroom is really only big enough for one person to be in there at a time. read more

It's small, but very quite before 3pm (on Sunday). Good for work, study or simply just to relax and read. Wifi is free and fast compared to some other libraries that I've been too. -1 star after 3pm (on sunday) there's too many toddlers and it can get pretty loud, so bring headset and u should be fine. read more

The library is small and as expected has a limited selection, it has a children's reading area and is neat and well organized. We used to love spending time here as a family. What brings this review from a 4 star to a 2 is really one-person in the staff. The staff is nice and friendly, but there is one lady who doesn't seem to like little kids with energy, even though their noise level is lower than adults who decided to have a conversation in the middle of the library. My suggestion is for them to remove the toddler level (picture books) section so that families with toddlers don't get lured in just to be kicked out because their toddler was "giggling" a little too loud. read more

It's a pretty small library compared to the Pasadena Central Library, but the location is convenient (about 3 long blocks from the Sierra Madre Villa Metro Station) and parking is available in their own lot. I usually come here after work once in a while now that they extended their hours to close at 9PM most weekdays. Oddly, the books on hold can be found along the bookshelf at the front entrance for self-picking. This location is not preferable to sit, read, or study because the layout of the shelves, tables, and computers are in one large central room. Go to the central library if you want a more intimate library setting. However, unlike the central library, they have a self-check-out computer. read more

A small, pleasant branch library with an accommodating staff and a nice butterfly garden. There are two small parking lots on site, and ample street nearby. The collection, the space, and programs are definitely aimed at children. Adult materials are limited, and uninspiring. But, if the library system has what you want you can reserve it, and a mechanical voice will call you when your materials are ready for pickup. Not much table or desk space. Not a bad place to work on weekday mornings, and to check out the ongoing book sale. . If you want the pleasure of roaming diverse stacks for eclectic materials, I advise going to the Pasadena main library. If you're looking for recreational reading, something for children, or videos for yourself or your family this might be a good place to stop. A great feature is their battery recycling drop. That may sound like a small thing, but I haven't found another convenient place to drop batteries for recycling. read more

Small and fabulous, quiet and serene. Easy parking, friendly staff, good book selection. It fills up around 3 PM so plan ahead.

This library has GREAT story time. We've come by a couple times Wednesday mornings and we really enjoy the children's story time. The reader is very friendly and great with kids. He introduces all the little ones before the story and plays songs in between books. At the end there is a fun art project related to the story that was read. read more

I feel like the quality of Los Angeles Public Library has drastically declined in recent years so I stopped going to all of their libraries last year. All their locations have loud ambiance and ruckus in all directions. It's disgusting! However, I found this spot not too far from my work and I can easily say that this is now my new favorite independent library. I love his place and will not go anywhere else. read more

Today James and I came to our first Preschool Story Time held every Wednesday at 10:45am at this branch, parking was easy and they have a good size children area with toys and board games appropriate for his age. The gentleman who does the story time was super nice and he began by introducing the new children by name. Throughout the stories he plays songs and does interactive activities. James was a little hesitant but after a few minutes he was having a great time with the other children. I definitely recommend this place. read more

This location is convenient for me because it's on my way to my weekly Trader Joe's run. They aren't the smallest library outpost, but it's still a far cry from the main branch. This location is generally busy and I've found the tables taken a lot. I really like that you can check out the magazines from this branch. read more

I only went here to print something out. The librarian was very helpful in granting me a guest log-in and assistance with the printer. Save some time and remember to bring your email password. read more

Being a big novel reader, I borrow books from this library all the time. If you set up an online account at http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/library/, you can "request" specific books for pick up at the library of your choosing (in my case, this is the closest Pasadena branch to my home). It's very convenient and they send you an email when the book is there and ready for you. They also have a drop box outside, if you go to return books and they're closed. Enjoy this free resource people - reading is good for the soul! read more

There's also an ongoing book sale that goes on here where you can find some pretty good books at great prices (50 cents for hardcover, 25 cents for paperback). It's really a big plus if sometimes you forget to return your books on time; you can buy the books on sale instead and support the library! read more

Definitely lacks the selection and size of the main library, but it holds many fond memories as a kid. They have a story time every Monday at 7 for kids that's followed by an art project (at least it used to when I went as a kid). It's a great place to take kids since it's small enough to let them wander around without losing them. read more

Some say intimate, I say small, dare I say eclectic? As a library for just your usual casual needs of passing time, bringing in the lil kids for story time, or even just a quick dash to the restroom. This is the place to go. It reminds me of a library that still has a sense of that childhood nostalgia, odd smells included. It's really cute, really. As a library for intense studying, big textbooks with small little words type of studying, wifi for your mac as you try to type out that 87232 page essay due in 3 hours, this is probably not the best place to be. The library looks like it really needs a tech renovation, along with a restroom renovation (totally walked in here and banged my elbow along the tight spaces) But all of these little things really comes with the appeal. I would come back here when I once again have the time to ENJOY reading and talk to local crazies sleeping on the couches. read more

Parking was good. Centrally located. Quiet. The workers were polite and helpful. A little dated interior though.

This was our first time to the Pajama Story Time. It was so much more than I expected. Even though my son is a little young, he had such a great time. He loved the stories, the movies and coloring with his father. We will certainly be back again! read more

This is a nice library but its very small and doesn't have a big selection of books.

From the book collections to the wonderful service to the ultra high speed Wi-Fi I always love this library, but minutes ago something happened and definitely made me love much more. The Hastings Branch is a perfect library. The environment is amazing and I always find everything i need. Today I was here using the Wi-Fi with my laptop computer and also recharging my phone and decided to go outside to smoke. I feel so safe here that for a second i did somethign really stui. I simply forgot everything on the desk. My laptop bag with my wallet, my laptop, my smartphone and even a power bank. Everything could have been stolen but the library staff noticed my mistake and ran the extra mile. THey put all my belongings in the bag and stored in a safe place. The branch manager, Mrs. Walker, is a wonderful and blessed woman. I've seen her several times before and she always had that "extra dose of elegance" when interacting to people. Like an angel, she said "don't worry, your things are safe. We noticed you may have forgotten and we took care of your things for you." How not to love a place with this high level staff? The librarians are also fantastic. Every time I ask for some help with a reference, they all do their best to help me finding what i'm looking for, they really try to get involved in the subject i'm researching so they can understand better my needs and suggest the best references. One of the librarians I like a lot is Mr. Banton. Once I was looking for an specific topic about industrial design and he spent almost 10 minutes looking for more information on the system. 30 minutes later he came to me with a complete list of books that were precious for my research. Without him and the other librarians, I wouldn't have learned so much without that help because Google will never be able to substitute good books and good librarians. Thank you so much, Hastings Branch! read more

This is my favorite branch in the Pasadena Public Library system. They have excellent staff, great space and a super selection of books, magazines and kids stuff. It's worth getting a library card and stopping by. read more

Although the "library" is clean and I can usually find a space at a table...the librarians AND most of the parents/kids think the library is a book store. Screaming, raised voices, etc...is the norm and makes it very difficult to study. read more