So happy to live near a wonderful library with access to a ton of books and toddler friendly activities! Exterior is beautiful and modern, inside was welcoming with friendly staff, versatile reading resources and rooms, and a weekly Saturday family storytime hour. Brought my toddler to the Saturday storytime and it was a very popular event. There were many families in attendance and Miss Katie was very engaging and fun with songs, dances, and storytelling with the littles. We perused the library and there was a rocket ship playroom and troves of books for kids. There are also a few outdoor areas for eating, reading, breaks. No food or drinks are allowed inside. Will definitely return for the toddler friendly events. Also, get a library card and get access to the Discover and Go free museum opportunities. You can also borrow ebooks and audiobooks via the Libby app. read more

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Nice little library - about the same size as most of the CCC county libraries. Overall selection isn't great if you're looking for something specific but still a nice library - best to order something and have it sent here (off the website). The Pinole library is going down for a year - so this will be the library I will be getting books sent to. read more

A quaint library as part of the Contra Costa County Library System. We visited there on a Saturday mid morning. There were plenty of patrons already inside. The place is spacious and separated into various sections including Children's and an International Language ones. The later has books written in Spanish, Chinese and Filipino. Relatively unique from my experience was the free book section that one can get donated books for free. There were many activity announcements. The Plant a seed Read one was quite unique in that student can sign up for reading during the summer months and enters a drawing for prizes upon fulfilling the requirements. The place also has a center outdoor garden like space that one can relax there. Overall, it's a nice place to visit. read more

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I've been bringing my daughter to the Hercules Library since before she started kindergarten, and it's been a beloved part of our lives ever since. The children's area was a favorite of ours for years--so thoughtfully designed, fun, and welcoming. Even though my daughter has now outgrown it, it's still my favorite part of the library. There's just something special about the energy and care that goes into creating a space where kids feel inspired to read and explore. We've always looked forward to the Summer Reading Program. It's a fantastic way to keep kids engaged during the summer months, and the chance to win some pretty cool prizes makes it even more exciting. One year, they were giving away a Meta Oculus! The programs are well-organized, fun, and clearly built with the community in mind. I also appreciate that the library accepts book donations--it's a simple but powerful way to give back and keep the love of reading going. Highly recommend the Hercules Library to families, book lovers, and anyone looking for a warm, community-centered place to learn and grow. read more

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The Hercules Library is so beautiful! As you can see from my reviews, spending more time at parks and libraries now that I'm a mom is where my time is gravitating towards. But quite frankly, this library truly blew me away in all the positive ways. Tucked away in Hercules, we arrived to the Hercules Library during their Saturday morning story time sessions with the Oaktown Jazz Ensemble. I love that they have themed story time sessions for kiddos, this specific one incorporating music with story. There was such a beautiful crowd that came out for this one, and it was so fun to see the kiddos being able to move and groove in a safe space and place. Another story time session I noticed was with inclusion of the Ruth Bancroft Garden in the East Bay. How fun! Story mixed with planting something unique for the kiddos..another great idea. Looking forward to continuing to weave these weekend morning story time sessions over time. They also have a beautiful children's section filled with space/planet themed play and super cool/interactive toys. I think the room is shaped literally as a cone/spaceship which makes for really great conversation and really just overall beauty. Very much kiddo approved. Spacious, clean, attentive and friendly staff, and a parking lot outside. Will definitely be back soon. Thank you for your thoughtful ideas for kiddos to explore their imagination! read more

The library is clean, well staffed and organized like a library should be. The only problem with this library is the noise level. Library users playing on their cell phones and laptops. Heard about those ear plugs in your ear playing sound thingies? And the headphones with your volume turned too high doesn't do the trick kids. Library users conversing loudly with staff members. Staff please set a whispering example? Electronic equipment like printers and phone systems whirring and ringing and coins rustling. Maybe put them in a separate area away from reading customers? I suggest you bring earplugs if you want to enjoy the library and it's reading materials in a more quiet environment until the shortcomings are taken care of . Aside from those listed above I enjoy the library. read more

Hercules Library - Open till ten pm yea! - Libraries Near Me - Hercules, California

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Hercules Library is doing a good job on having events for the children. I have attend these events and it is good. The staff that work at the library are marvelous! They do a good job on making sure you get helped. When I need help they are willing to help me out. The parking can be packed. You are allowed to park where City Hall is at if you are willing to walk further. There have been time I had to park far and had to walk including during the evening time. Check out Hercules Library read more

I initially gave a higher reviewed but since I've visited a lot more recent it's time for a refresher! I was approached by the Manager Alison Peters about being in the "teen zone room" a few weeks ago where I usually tend to go because it's quiet in the late morning and only frequented by the disabled adults plus I wear a mask so it's overall less people. She walked up to me told me NO FOOD or DRINKS because I had a tumbler sitting then asked me to leave by 2pm before the teens arrived on 1 particular day. Actually, teens aren't out of middle school until 235pm and HS is 335pm. And they still have to make it all the way down to the library from the school. Also, the note of the outside of the Teen Zone doesn't specify time and maybe it should so Allison doesn't make anymore guests uncomfortable. She did tell me that I was more than welcome to sit someplace else in the library after 2pm. Now today when I walked in she asked me if I needed a room to use for an hour, well she knows I'm here for a few hours not 1. Also I rarely come but once a week and I'm even now more uncomfortable! So I went into the teen zone room just to get this photo and went to another area of the library to appease her. While I was in the area I see a guy drinking a McDonald's cup and smoking/vaping!! Wow! She missed that somehow but continues to walk past!! read more

Hercules Library - Teen zone room - Libraries Near Me - Hercules, California

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The staff are so helpful and resourceful. The library is beautiful and peaceful. There are private rooms to study in. And a great kids space. read more

Libraries are such a gift and this library truly exemplifies this sentiment. Hercules Library is clean and is such an inviting space for everyone. There's great natural lighting in the building and there's even a little outdoor space in the middle of the library. The staff here are incredibly helpful. Whether you're looking to get some work done or simply peruse through the collection of books, this is the perfect spot! There's plenty of parking available and they host a variety of events, making it a wonderful way to stay connected with the community. Highly recommend visiting! read more

I've literally been going to the library weekly to get books and I love coming here. Firstly, the library has a good selection of Fiction books, and new releases at that. I remember going to the library when I was younger and there weren't that many books from the same year on the shelves, but recently the library has been keeping up quite well. A fun addition that this location has done this year is having brown bag freebies in the Teen Book section. In October, the brown bag included a mini pumpkin to decorate. In November, it was a DIY tea kit. And for December it is a DIY Filipino Parol (paper star) kit. It's very thoughtful to provide these free crafts for people to take home. The library is always clean and orderly and it never gets too loud. Albeit, I do tend to go after work or before the schools let out, so the patrons are typically college students and seniors. There are a ton of desktops available for use if you have a library card and printers in the main part of the library and children section. Though I haven't had the need to print at the library for years. Recently I tried printing something, and although I signed in with my library card and password, it required a PIN number as well, which I wasn't sure of as I don't recall setting up a PIN number. During the peak of COVID when the library was closed to the public, they offered a free printing service and book pick-up service. I've only been to two other CCC libraries (San Ramon and Pinole) and the Hercules library is truly the best. There is a large communal sitting space, lots of desktops, lots of windows for natural light to come in, and the outdoor sky view seating area. read more

Hercules Library - Brown Bag freebies located in the Teen Book section - Libraries Near Me - Hercules, California

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Excellent library you can fax make copies rent a room for no charge for up to an hour to take care of personal business very friendly. Excellent customer service the best library in the Bay Area that I've been to convenient clean. We've been able to get in and out and take care of our business Quickly and efficiently every time very pleased with this location Hercules has the best libra around read more

Great library on the newer side! Lots of fictional and non fictional titles to chose form ! Great audiobooks as well for your pleasure ! Highly recommend coming here for the children's and adult events! Study room are big and well ventilated! During feel stuffy which is my pet peeve with libraries ! Come by and enjoy ! read more

Although this is not our local library, my daughter and I have turned Hercules into our home library. Parking is abundant, there are plenty of surrounding parks to venture before or following our visit and the community offers a peace of mind regarding security and safety. My daughter and I would visit weekly for story time preCovid. Even though story time is no longer feasible at the moment, we return for our holds and to browse the collection for new books and old favorites. The overall collection is quite expansive and pretty inclusive. Since we spend majority of our time in the children's section, I love how the stacks are perfect height for little browsers. My little one takes pride in selecting her own books to read (or at least her version of the pictures)! Alison is an amazing librarian, she greets and speaks with my daughter directly, which my daughter loves and so do I. Alison informs us of events that may be of interest to us and asks if we started summer reading yet. She is extremely proactive, friendly, engaging and willing to offer assistance without being asked. Thank you Alison for being an amazing person and so welcoming to my daughter and I. If you have never stopped in to Hercules library, make it a point to do so. Holds are easy to place and pick up, browsing is expansive and well organized, and the collection includes something for everyone. The staff is extremely friendly and willing to be of service. You will call Hercules home too! read more

I really like this library. For the winter season they had out all different types of books for different celebrations including the Persian Yalda, Hanukah, Christmas, Kwanza, and Diwali. There is story time on Saturdays for younger kids which is done very well. I also like the set up for the young kids section. It makes it easy to find picture books and easy readers. read more

Excellent service. Almost always clean and courteous. It's a nice gateway from home with a good collection and architecture.

Quiet, big, clean and unique. This will be our go to library around the neighborhood. Great for kids and adults

A beautiful building, a great collection, but even more important, an amazing staff. Thank you to Miss Allison and Miss Katie for all the personal attention and help with my book choices and my kid's! read more

This is a long overdue review. We took our son and nephew (infant and toddler) to see Keenan Webster of Talking Wood play and educate us about the Kora (West African Harp). This was back in February. The children were engaged by the music and the adults learned something that we'll be able to share with them one day. Thank you Rashida (I think that is the library staff person who booked him) for bringing him to share with us. We still talk about it. read more

Hercules Library - Keenan Webster of Talking Wood shared the music and history of the Kora (West African Harp). We truly enjoyed the sound and education. - Libraries Near Me - Hercules, California

This 21,500 sq. ft. library won numerous architectural awards when it opened in 2006. No doubt about it--it's the nicest building in Hercules. I haven't counted them, but there seems to be adequate computers and outlets. There is a nice courtyard in the center and there is also a fireplace. The librarians are pleasant. I like the interaction of checking books out at the desk. But for the people who don't, there is a self-checkout computer. Although the parking lot is small, I always have found a parking place. An article on the "Pinole Patch" said the library holds a collection on 62,400+ items when it opened. I really wonder there this collection might be. There are a lot of empty stacks. There is an inter-library program so it is possible to get almost any book I might want to read. However, I miss seeing books and magazines in the library. read more

It's a small town, so of course the selection of books are limited..but oh ho! there IS an answer! You CAN request books from other libraries, duh. With that said, you can go online at ccclib.org and get your books there and they will be waiting for you at whatever library you want them to be. This library is nice, it's recently built and everything is clean, and it doesn't have that dirty/dusty smell/look to it like the pinole library does. The lighting is superb so studying here is nice and they have a fireplace too in the corner. It can get loud at times when the kids come after school. read more

Open, spacious, cozy and comfortable. Great place to study and catch up on a little work.

I mean, the library is brand new. It looks great. Almost still smells new....well, maybe. But the seats are super uncomfortable. Rock hard plastic modern chairs aren't cool in a library. I need my butt to be comfortable to study! But since it's brand spanking new, or one of the newer ones in the county, my loyalty remains here. read more

Borrowing library books and dvds has never been this easy! I just go to ccclib.org to find the books/dvds I need then wait for the automated phone call that will advise me when they are available for pickup. I do not have problems with book selection because I am not limited to Hercules' selection. The website accesses titles from all Contra Costa libraries. I can also renew my books online so it saves me the hassle of having to go back to the library. The self checkout is conveniently located near the entrance and is so easy to use. I can usually pick up my books and check out in under a minute....no exaggeration! read more

Hercules Library - Libraries Near Me - Hercules, California

Library's have always been depressing for me. I grew up in El Sobrante and the hours were so limited that you never knew if they'd be open on any given day. The Richmond Library is a little better, but so darn far away, especially when you're a kid who can't drive yourself around so you can pick up a stupid book for a class report on the electoral college. When I went to UC Berkeley, the libraries where were I went to get a nap when I didn't want to fight the homeless for couch space at the student union. Part of the reason why I hated libraries is because they were always dingy, dank, and dark. One hour there felt like three. I felt that again when I went to the one near me in Burbank. The Hercules Library is a rare pleasure. The place is new because the community is still growing, especially on the shore side of town. That means that the place has excellent free wi-fi, clean new books, a decent DVD collection, and checking books out are easy and almost totally automated. The library is opened up and well lit, since the windows go from ceiling to floor and surround every room. The furniture is typical Ikea, which means it's all pretty, but not too comfortable. That's good, since I'd hate to have to loitering teens for couch space. It's always fun to drop by and hang out with my sister whenever I'm in town. This is definitely one of the gems of town. read more

This library embodies what I love most about Hercules. Modern award winning architecture with homespun accents like a wall composed of hand painted tiles (painted by Hercules children) set in between a strip mall and a track housing development. The staff is a mixed bag of dedicated professionals and kind residential volunteers. They offer a diverse reading selection for audiences of all ages and ethnicities, a large computer station and reservable meeting rooms. They have some special features including a beautiful garden/courtyard and a dramatic reading room complete with beanbag chairs and a star-mural ceiling (which they use for weekly story-telling). The only notable downer is that they aren't open as often as I would like. read more

The Hercules Public Library is a gem. I went in to check the new library out and Its spacious, clean and quiet. The proper environment for studying, researching and reading. The book selection looks a little bit on the thin side but I'm sure more will come to fill the shelves since it just has recently opened (3 months). There is even a fireplace surrounded by bean bags in the corner of the library, now how many libraries do you know have that. I found myself testing the bean bags which resulted with me almost falling asleep. I'll have to do some further testing. The librarians are helpful and willing to show you how to use their computers to look up a book. Overall, a nice addition to the city of Hercules and its residents. read more

Granted, the Hercules Public Library is structurally beautiful and eye catching. Interiorally it is breath taking and awe inspiring. Truly a wonderous and magnificent sight to behold. Peaceful and SERENE. A most tranquil and relaxing place to come and study. BUT THEIR COMPUTERS ARE SO DAMN SLOW! They're like frickin Dinosaurs! I swear to GOD! I have never been a a computer so slow, that it took nealy a full hour to watch a 5 minute video on youtube. Never ever before in the history of time have web pages, (even most common like YAHOO OR MSNBC), loaded in so SLOW. Please Hercules, get a better internet system for your computer. read more

The Hercules library is impressive, with it's clean, modern lines. It's definitely not your traditional idea of a somewhat dim, musty library with old thick "tomes" and microfiche machines in the corner. What it lacks in ambiance it makes up for in amenities. There are separate rooms for kids and teenagers, plenty of space and comfy chairs to read in, and several computers for internet research. I LOVE their fiction section. It's up to date and I always find myself wanting to check out five million books cuz they look cool (yes, I have an inner book nerd and I embrace it!). Some of my favorite authors are missing, but they more than make up for it in terms of the broad selection. Non-fiction selection of books is a lot more skinny, and I was surprised by how small a space they have set aside for their non-fiction books. The great thing is that all of their non-fiction books are newer, I would say 1999 and above, so if you're looking for something more recent this is the place to go. They even have a few more popular but older books. If you're looking for older research material though, you might try one of the other libraries. My favorite thing about this library is the self check out computers in the front. It makes checking out books a piece of cake, and you don't have to wait in line for the one librarian to go through 5 million people in front of you. It also frees up the librarians for research questions and the like. read more

Love this library. Great staff that are very helpful and great selection of books and other materials. Large number of computers to use as well. Plenty of room to stretch out and get into a good book. read more

This is a wonderful Library! And it has served as my special hideaway for many years. The Library is clean, nicely coordinated and has a broad range of topics to select from whether it is fiction, non-fiction or otherwise. What also stands out to me is the staff. As such, I want to strongly acknowledge Rashida for all of her wonderful help today. She is professional, friendly and extremely knowledgeable. Although the Library did not carry the book I was interested in, Rashida kindly sent a link of it to my email address. It is this type of customer care that has kept me associated with the Library for many years, and undoubtedly, for many more to come. Thank you so much, Rashida. You really made my day! read more

This is such a beautiful and modern library! Before this library was built, I went to the Pinole Public Library, which is a bit more "old school" as far as style and design are concerned. The Hercules library, however, is modern, spacious, and chic. There's plenty of space to sit down and read or study, including a central garden area. There are also study rooms to rent out as well. My favorite part, though, is the reading corner with the fire place. It's perfect for those chilly, autumn and winter days. The library also allows you to place items on hold online, and the pick up area is right up front. What's really nice is that they have self-checkout stations as well. And, if you're in a rush to drop off books, CDs, and DVDs, there are drop off slots outside. These are really convenient for the days that the library is closed. In addition, the library hosts events for people of all ages, and the one I'm REALLY looking forward to is their big book sale! They also post flyers and pamphlets for events in the community. Even though I stay in Pinole most of the time with my fiancé and his mom, all three of us prefer to come to the Hercules library. Keep it up! read more

One of my favorite libraries!!! Been here only a handful of times but each time was decent. They have a decent collection of books - not the best but better than most libraries that I have seen. You are able to check out your own books without having someone doing them for you. The DVD and cd collection is great although some are in rough shape. The kids area is nice too. Everything about this place is modern and clean looking. They also have small tutoring room which you have to sign up in advance for which is sort of annoying. They also have a teen section with computers in them. There is plenty of seating - wifi here sucks tho. When the fireplace is turned on it makes it even cozier. The bathrooms are super modern and always clean. They also have a small shop where you can buy used and new book at great prices! Only down fall is the parking situation here! It's so tiny and cramped and everyone seems to part somewhat crazy because its so small! Aside from that I believe they also have tutoring sessions and mother goose reading sessions. There are flyers and such to pick up for more information on that. They also have like an outside area which never seems to be open for I don't know what resin and it's really quiet and peaceful looking which is always nice to sit by. read more

This library is so nice that it actually makes you want to study instead of dreading it. The place is especially nice during the morning/day with the natural lighting from all the big windows. The AC is on blast which is good to keep people up and study but always bring a jacket or something cause it can get freezing. They have a kids side and an adult side. Adult side having couches and sofa chairs as well as the desks and group rooms. And they have plenty of computers on each side. Heads up for the computers: you get a time limit of 2 hours. If mouse not moved for 5 minutes it will automatically kick you off your timed log in leaving anything unsaved gone. Lesson learned for me the hard way. They have a sign in sheet for the group rooms but no one is actually monitoring that a previous group is leaving on time for the next group who signed up to have their turn. On week days in the late afternoon, the middle school/high school kids get out of school. And when they come it can get very loud. Library voice doesn't even exist and again, no one that works there is monitoring it. On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday's they're open until 9pm. At 8:40 they usually start announcing that they'll be closing in 20 minutes. Then at 8:50 they remind you again and tell you to start saving your work. Anyone who studies knows that every minute counts especially when in the zone. Even tho they close in 10 mins, they just turn off the big lights on you.. Which could frustrate the people who needed that little time. read more

It's indeed a gorgeous library with high ceiling and a lot of tall windows to let in natural lights- all the make easier and better for studying. The location of the library sits high on top of the Sycamore, a magnificent building structure with such a modern feel. I mean, its really nice but its a library it doesn't really matter. Should have spent more money on the books, the internet and the resources instead of the building as long as it's safe and in compliance with the law. It's only one floor but they're managed to make it where there's amply space for computer use and in the center of the library. Though it seems that there aren't enough tables set out for studying and group projects. The chairs and tables are fairly new without marks and round so enough for groups and all the tables get natural light floating in. There's a teen room with it's own computer and books. There's also a gorgeous sky garden that the library surronds which is beautiful-though seems to be a waste of space. It has no tables outside or chairs. But the inside around the sky garden are single seated chairs for readers and rows of books. The bummer is that there's only three study rooms and each group can only have it for a total of one hour. Room A is the biggest where as B and C are a wall table enough room for three people- not good for those who don't like to be touched by others. Otherwise, there's free wifi, bathrooms, computers and printers and helpful librarians. Even a very cool animated books section. Great place for kids to be during the summer and quiet enough for adults to do work and a gorgeous very over Hercules. They also opened exactly on the dot. read more

I'm so happy that Hercules has a library. No more treks in to San Francisco to get books! As the others have said, the selection of books are still limited, but a lot of them are brand new too. No musty old books with food and whatever bodily function stains that makes it on to the books at your older libraries. It is self check out and there hasn't been any lines in the times I've been there. They also open pretty late (till 8 pm on some days) and on Sunday's! 6/20/2007 update: Sarah is the greatest! She went out of her way to find some information for me. read more

This library is the pride of the Contra Costa County library system. It was the second library in the system built with with self-service devices for the patrons. People using this library can check out and return books on their own without any help from library staff, a trend that is becoming the norm for new libraries built all over the nation. The building is very beautiful and has won several architecture awards. One unique feature is the patio situated in the middle of the library. read more

Before this opened the only library in close proximity to my neighborhood was in Pinole Valley. Pinole library has been the same since it opened and when I started going there in the late 90s it was extremely outdated. When Hercules got their very own library I was happy for my city but I knew I was unable to appreciate it because by that time I was already out of state and out of that reading mode since school ended back in 1999. I finally got my chance to check it out when I moved back home 2010. It is HUGE! Very well lit with natural light, nice high ceilings, very clean and organized, plethora of books and plentiful dvds and even music cds to rent out. I swear the kids today are spoiled by today's technology, it's easier for them to look up books, they are able to surf the web for info for their work , didn't have that option in my day! Love how they have a beautiful courtyard, study room, homework room, and last but not least: no old book smell. I love this library! read more

Light Bright and Airy... I wasn't sure about this place from the outside, infact I downright hated on it while it was being built and once they were through. But the inside is a suprise modern, comfortable and easy to navigate. Study rooms can be booked and there is even a courtyard with interesting plants all around (they remind me of seaweed) The library has self serve check out and a used book store. 1 star less than perfect because they are still new and it seems that their selection reflects that but just a little... read more

Came here to study with my boyfriend last Saturday since midterms were coming up and we needed a quiet place. This library based on solely looks is 4 stars...but the interior, service, and environment...2 stars. The reason being is that there are little books! Of course its a library so they have got to have over 200+ books, but then I've seen other libraries with way more books. Also this library is 1 story...hence offering less books. The staff can be nice at the same time rude! The man sitting at the desk is seriously loud. We were sitting in the "Quiet Area" which didn't seem so quiet since it was right next to the non-quiet area and the man at the front desk. If only this library were bigger...Not only that my boyfriend asked the front desk clerk a question, he said he would help, but kind of forgot about us until an hour later. By then we figured it out. Despite this, I still managed to get my study on! read more