1. Mission Bay Branch Library

1. Mission Bay Branch Library

0

San Francisco, CA

Cancel

Open app

Search

Mission Bay Branch Library

4.2 (63 reviews)
Closed 1:00 pm - 6:00 PM

Mission Bay Branch Library Photos

More like Mission Bay Branch Library

Recommended Reviews - Mission Bay Branch Library

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Denise C.

sfpl...many reasons uses of sfpl...most days except holidays ...at home..back again...national library..30 or so...

Quiet, clean and safe racks of books to stroll
joe m.

Clean and safe library with a lot of great services for the community. You can have a quiet space, jump on a computer and get help from the friendly staff. There is a kids area where children play on the floor and are looked after by staff. Highly recommend stoping by!

Book stack and new releases
Tiana T.

Wonderful library with plenty of seating relative to its size. Plenty of events during the week too. This is one of the locations that has vinyl available for checkout.

Regan T.

This is such a wonderful library with friendly staff and the best cataloging/checkout technology. They have the self-service scanners that automatically scan a stack of books, so no waiting in line or anything. Signing up for an account is super easy too (though if you have an account with any of the other SFPL branches, you don't need to make a new one!) - you can even do it online and all you need to do is show them a form of ID in person to be issued the physical card. My favorite feature is being able to have an online account to manage books you've checked out and also have on hold. The hold feature is amazing--its the library equivalent of placing an order for in-store pickup. Super popular titles will of course have a few days or weeks of a waiting list but those that are available to check out only take a few days tops. The best part is this service extends to all other branches so if a book you want is only at one location for instance, you don't need to waste time and make the trek there; they will BRING it to your preferred location! The building of the Mission Bay branch itself is very nice and well kept. The bathroom can get a little sketchy but definitely better than the Caltrain station bathroom nearby. There is always a security guard though and the building is so beautifully maintained. The environment is warm and welcoming--I've never encountered an employee who wasn't helpful and kind. The space is not super large but there are a few tables and armchairs/seating areas. Support your local libraries! SFPL is truly one of the best out there.

Juan V.

Cool place to read a book and magazine. Lots of DVD's and Vinyl. I enjoy just relaxing and reading at this library. A good San Francisco Public Library location.

Shane S.

The Mission Bay Branch Library is a short walk from the wonderful AT & T park which is home of the San Francisco Giants. This library is a single floor & small yet has a smart collection. I especially liked two features set up at this branch. One feature had books that were going to be made into feature films. The other feature set up was a list of the 100 Notable Books by the New York Times. These features definitely personalized some of the library's selection for patrons which I appreciated. How awesome is it that they had some books by famed vegan cookbook author Isa Chandra Moskowitz including the classic Veganomicon that she co-wrote w/ Terry Hope Romero. There is also a book club meeting on Wed evenings w/ the next discussion about A Gentleman in Moscow on Wed Nov 29th at 6:30pm. So is nice that they have community events. The woman that checked me out was very kind & even gave me directions to the Powell St BART. Please note the library has new hours Mon & Tues 10am to 6pm Wed 11am to 8pm Thurs 10am to 6pm Fri 1pm to 6pm Sat 10am to 6pm Sun 1pm to 5pm If you are looking for a place for coffee or tea you can't go wrong w/ Philz Coffee which is on the same block.

See all

Photo of Anni Y.
361
87
240

29 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 11
Thanks 1
Love this 9
Oh no 0
Photo of Denise C.
1623
3310
9444

10 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of joe m.
1
16
21

10 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Shane S.
108
1054
5723

9 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Tom L.
16
18
9

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 16
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Roxy C.
170
15
27

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

20 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Erika C.
298
1159
3917

12 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Yusuf M.
13
88
65

7 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0
Photo of Wanda M.
289
152
66

13 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

20 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Michelle j.

Michelle j.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

15 years ago

It's a library. You can get lots of books and DVDs!

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Great small library with clean tables and fast wi-fi. I don't think that there's a better place to do some free studying.

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Erika D.
525
78
199

16 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

20 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

18 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

19 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Aaron M.
100
51
1

18 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 2

Ask the Community - Mission Bay Branch Library

Is there a book drop available when library is closed?

yes, there is a book drop right next to the front entrance. Thanks for asking

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Review Highlights - Mission Bay Branch Library

They also have a bunch of DVDs you can check out, so you can save some money from renting them out.

Mentioned in 14 reviews

Read more highlights

Mechanics' Institute Library and Chess Room

Mechanics' Institute Library and Chess Room

4.4
(67 reviews)
1.1 mi

Since being unemployed in the Bay Area thanks to recent layoffs... I've taken the opportunity to…read moreexplore the city during the weekday. Specifically to do things that are only possible on the weekdays. Like exploring some historic buildings! The Mechanics Institute is one of the oldest institutions on the West Coast and this particular building had been around since 1910. It is a members only building, but they hold free public tours on Wednesdays at 12 pm weekly (sign up available online through their website): - During the tour you'll learn a little bit about the history of both the institution and SF, but you'll also learn about what it does today. You'll get to see the chess room, library, and some art deco architecture elements like the spiral staircase and glass dome ceiling. The Chess Room was fascinating since they talk about some notable members, like how the author of Queen's Gambit was a member of their Chess Club. - The tour time can range anywhere from 30 min to 1 hr depending on the questions that come up. However, they allow you to spend time afterwards exploring the library (or taking photos of the staircase) so you can hang out afterwards to look books, old magazines, or admire the collection of artwork they have on the walls. - During the tour you can go up / down the spiral staircase, but there is an elevator present for those who have difficulty walking up the floors. However some parts of the tour had us going through the library shelves and navigating stairs among the shelves. - Although the tour is an opportunity for them to showcase membership benefits... they are NOT pushy at all about selling memberships. However, if I were living near/in the city and working remotely... a membership would be a good option. It's very affordable compared to other private memberships and it's a quieter library than most public these days. They also have great WiFi and rooms available to do video conferencing, so it's a more affordable option than places like WeWork while still being in the city. Plus you can probably leave your stuff behind to run to the restroom quickly... something you can't really do working in free public places like a cafe or public library. This is on top of other benefits like members only events, etc. Honestly, this is a hidden gem in the city with historic significance - if I lived closer to the city and had a remote job, I would definitely look into getting a membership. Public libraries are still great, but I can see the benefits of a private library like this one. Cheers to funemployment and getting the opportunity to explore SF buildings!

The history of the Mechanics' Institute is quite intriguing, with great ties to the early 20th…read morecentury and is considered a historic building of San Francisco. Though this location is not the original building, it stands strong and tall in the heart of downtown. As with many structures affected by the 1906 earthquake, its original location was damaged and lost. But this location has been here early on for those who worked in the trade and was one of the first libraries before city public libraries were established. There are many stories to this building, housed with books of many genres. There's also community events that are for members as well as for non-members. So yes, there are fees to join any of their community events here. The history itself was probably more interesting about this building than the building itself. It is definitely very dated inside, but there are some notable designs that can make you feel like you're in a different time. A positive visit nonetheless.

Photos
Mother Road  ~ Featuring Octavio Solis and David Mendizábal {5/22/2024}
Mother Road ~ Featuring Octavio Solis and David Mendizábal {5/22/2024}
Lunar New Year and The Year of the Dragon: What Will It Bring?  Maxine Hong Kingston, David Lei, and Linda Lei.{2/1/2024}
Lunar New Year and The Year of the Dragon: What Will It Bring? Maxine Hong Kingston, David Lei, and Linda Lei.{2/1/2024}
Chess room

See all

Chess room
Public Knowledge Library

Public Knowledge Library

4.0
(1 review)
0.8 mi

The Public Knowledge Library is the latest public library of the San Francisco Public Library…read moresystem & is the 29th library in the system. It is located on the second floor of the SFMOMA & opened about 6 months ago. It will be here at SFMOMA until 2019 & perhaps permanently. The Public Knowledge project includes installations by artists & librarians using resources such as books, magazines, & newspapers addressing the shifting paradigm of libraries to digital technology. The Public Knowledge Library aims to showcase the historic & contemporary relevance of public libraries to support individual needs & interests along w/ generating a community spirit. When I visited today besides browsing some excellent books they also had on display an original card catalogue cabinet from the main library from 1917 that was used until 1989 when it was replaced by digital records. Also on display here was vinyl records & listening stations w/ a focus on musicians in San Francisco. I was delighted to listen to the original first recordings of Joan Baez in San Francisco that was recorded in June, 1958 when she was just 17 years old. It was interesting to listen to her play w/ just her vocals & an acoustic guitar. I also enjoyed listening to some of Miles Davis Live at Blackhawk in San Francisco. I liked reading the linear notes on both records. Items here are non-circulating yet don't worry as many of the items are available for check out at the main library. It is worth paying a visit to SFMOMA if in SoMa to visit the Public Knowledge Library & look forward to returning to see other exhibits here down the line.

Mission Bay Branch Library - libraries - Updated July 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...