Just an FYI to other parents. Do not bother bringing your child to Thursday morning toddler…read morestorytime unless they are age 1 or 2. I tried bringing my 3 year old to storytime, we arrived 20 minutes prior to the library opening, stood in line only to be told my child is too old for their storytime and their curriculum is designed for only 1 or 2 year olds. It's a storytime, you're reading books and singing songs, and you're denying a 3 year old from participating? No where on your online listing does it state an age restriction. It's an age recommendation not restriction. If you are restricting to certain ages then please update your posting so you do not waste people's time. It's already enough effort getting our children ready, taking them to the library and arriving early only to be turned away. We will NOT be returning to this library. I recommend checking out the Newark, Hayward downtown, Hayward weekes or Milpitas library all as alternative options. They have great storytimes that we have attended before without any issues.

Such a fantastic location to read and work from. They have…read moreeverything you can think of - Events for kids and adults alike, study rooms, 3d printers, seed library, sewing machines. And some weekends have book sales too. Such a gem!

Great atmosphere! Would totally recommend for people who want a place to study or sit back, relax…read moreand read a book. It has a wide array of books for every type of reader. Not to mention their teens and children's areas that are perfect for all age groups. The library especially is spacious and virtually meant for young children who want to roam around. Also for all the comic book lovers and enthusiasts, this library provides an enormous collection of comics with the likes of Garfield and Spider-Man from Marvel. What if you want to just borrow a movie to watch? Well, this library has a gigantic section full of movies! With fan-favorites such as the Tatanic and The Mask of Zorro to Batman Begins and Mary Poppins, this place has it all! All in all, it was a good visit and I enjoyed hanging out and relaxing with a book in one of the comfortable lounging chairs and also walking around to see what all this library has to offer. Check out my pictures to see how this library covers everybody for most everything you'd look for in a library, nice!

Adj: Fancier library that's Family-friendly and Fun…read more Continuing on our quest to visit as many libraries as we can when taking little trips throughout CA (or anywhere), let's visit the Newark Library! Located not far from the border of Newark and Fremont, just southwest of 880 & Hwy 84, this library is centrally located for those living in this part of South Bay. It's right next to the City Hall and Police HQ of Newark, so it's one of several important civic buildings in the little city. The building itself looked impressive and quite new. I forgot to look at when it was built, but according to the City of Newark's website, "On August 8, 2019, the City of Newark held the groundbreaking and dedication ceremony for the new Civic Center Plaza, home to the David W. Smith City Hall, the Alan L. Nagy Library, and a new Police Station." It was then built and dedicated in May 2022. So the library is only about 4 years old even though two other libraries preceded this new one. We came on a Sunday afternoon and was glad that we've discovered another library that's open on Sundays! First, we checked out the downstairs which is consists of the lobby area with friends of the library books on sale (all the time it seems), several bathrooms, an information desk with librarians on duty, and the children's section towards the back. Then we went upstairs and checked out the rest of the library. At the upper landing, there's some hang out lounge and reading chairs that swivel, then there's the teen room on one side behind the glass doors and the Curiosity Shop opposite the teen place. Then there's a whole floor on book stacks for adults and against one side of this floor are floor to ceiling windows with a long row of narrow tables and chairs for reading and working on. They were fully occupied so apparently lots of locals like to read and work here on a Sunday afternoon. On the other side of the second floor is a little toddler/younger kids play area that looks to be very calm and chill, but colorful with lots of padded seating and furniture for littles. I didn't go into this area since I don't have tiny tots anymore, but it sure looked like a great place for little ones to crawl around and play in a safe and separated space. Overall, this is another example of a nicely built and thoughtfully designed library in the bay area that's architecturally impressive and aesthetically pleasing, with so much to offer the community, encouraging educational endeavors and championing literacy and the love of learning through reading for the youngest to the most experienced amongst us.

The Milpitas Public Library is pretty nice, and pretty busy. It is on the old town part under the…read moreEast Calaveras road, to the north a bit. It has a large parking lot/garage, with I think 2 - 3 floors, attached to the library building, which is really nice because it was always almost full, with people going in and out constantly, despite the Library itself not being that large. I met a client here, someone who lives in Milpitas and who reserved one of those private study rooms for us, the ones that most newer libraries have, which is a great thing for private meetings, study rooms, etc. They have several here. This central location makes it pretty convenient for most families and visitors, the large parking garage really encourages you to visit without waiting for parking. Visit you local public library!

Milpitas Library's Railway Rollick is a free indoor playground for ages 0-10! After playing our 1…read moreand 9 year old got to take home coloring sheets! We've visited 2/7 Santa Clara County Library Storybook Play Space locations and want to explore them all! SYOY! :D *Song Credit: Got Me Feelin' Good by Kidpenny (from Audiio)

Centerville Library is behind Lucky's in the Brookvale Shopping Center. Small space, limited hours…read more Read: "All the Real Indians Died Off" and 20 other myths about Native Americans by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz Background: Britain conquered Ireland in the 1540's, ruled thru settler-colonialism. Encouraged surplus population to settle in Americans to develop a colony. America soon evolved many myths/lies/alternative facts to erase/assimilate/"terminate" the existence of Native Americans: #1 All the Real Indians Died Off -population of Native Americans shrank from 10 million in 1492 to 250,000 in the 1900's due to slavery, disease, Indian wars with United States, Christianization ("kill the Indian, Save the Soul"). -Indians erased from history, "assimilated" -Indian tribes have membership lists, based on blood quantum. #2 Thanksgiving Proves the Indians Welcomed the Pilgrims (1620's) -wasn't called thanksgiving then, basically a shared meal between Indians & Pilgrims after a successful harvest whereby Indians taught Pilgrims what to farm. Pilgrims prospered, proceeded to "settle"/acquire land. Native tribes resisted pilferage of their lands/food stocks/animals.... #9 US Presidents were Benevolent or at least Fair-Minded Towards indians -Declaration of Independence states Indigenous lands were for settlers to colonize. -T. Jefferson, G. Washington, A. Jackson bought Indigenous land from land agents, not Indigenous tribes for speculation. -Jefferson purchased land from France without consulting Indigenous tribes, for example settlers to claim land thereon. -Andrew Jackson thru The Indian Removal Act removed many Indian tribes from their lands. #11 The United States Gave indians Their Reservations -Indian occupied lands have always been Indian lands. -Indian tribes ceded 90,000,000 acres via 400 treaties. The U.S. did not honor a single one. -the ceded lands were to be held in trust for the benefit of Indian peoples. "Reservations" were from Indian lands. Monies due from Indian lands mismanaged, unaccounted for. 5 stars for eye opening info. Barely reported by mainstream media. November is Native American Heritage Month

I needed to borrow a selection of books for an upcoming presentation, and the library staff made…read morethe entire process seamless. They pulled the books I requested quickly and efficiently, even offering to help with additional materials I hadn't thought of. The quality of the books was excellent, with up-to-date publications and comprehensive collections. The best part is that library memberships are very affordable, and the range of services available--including free workshops and events--makes it an unbeatable value.

Adj: Oldie but Okie Dokie…read more The Union City Library is one of the older library branches in the Alameda library system. It's nestled in a pretty quiet neighborhood and it's surrounded by a lot of greeneries and trees. It seems pretty popular on the afternoon when we stopped by for a visit. The building itself is at least several decades old and its age shows, but still ok. It's just one big room basically on the first floor, it's kind of wide open, the children's section is tucked away a bit on the left side as you enter and then the adults stacks occupy basically the rest of the space. The kids area is actually pretty cute. There's colorful tables and chairs as well as a painted story time area. It's warm and welcoming for little ones, but as a whole the kids section is pretty small. On the second floor, there's a small loft space that's dedicated to teens. Only teens are allowed to hang out and spend extended time there after school on weekdays, but anyone can go up there and browse. They have some games and snacks for teens and it's a cool space. However this branch is centrally located and gets utilized a lot from what I can observe, so it's still a perfectly functional and fully enjoyed library. They try to make the best use of the space, but it can't compare to the newer libraries in the Alameda County library system that have so much more square footage and some are even multi-story and just aesthetically and architecturally pleasing to the eye, and designed so well inside to be able to really cater to the needs of different patrons from young kids to the elderly. One really nice feature at Union City library though it's that all throughout the building, a ton of natural light is streaming in from windows all over the library, so it's a really warm and comfortable environment. Overall, the Union City library is definitely an older and smaller library in the AC library system, it's not bad, but there's many more far bigger and more extensive libraries that I prefer to visit.

This location is a hidden gem. Courteous Staff members. Big…read moreplay area for kids. And many events for kids that are not super crowded unlike other locations. I wish they had some focus study spaces too

Great place to study!…read more There are 3 floors but I get my steps in by walking up to the 3rd floor to sit down at one of the tables to get work done. I like this area because it is actually quiet and there are outlets right on the table. The wi fi is easy to access and is not slow. There are available study rooms to reserve. I would not suggest reserving one if you are looking for a quiet space (in case it does get loud in the main area) because the walls are thin and you can hear others speaking in the rooms next to you. I'd say that it is good to reserve for a group study session or if you need a whiteboard with the necessary dry erase markers. The location is really good because it's within walking distance to coffee shops and restaurants in case you need to grab a coffee before starting to study or need to take a break and get something to eat. There is plenty of parking in the parking garage!

This place is great for everyone but really great if you have kids. They have events, they have…read morekiosk check out so it makes the process smooth. Computers if you need to do some work. It's really nice here, one of the nicest libraries I've been to.

I love my local library in Pleasanton, so much to offer the community…read more Open daily, closed on holidays, guest lectures, movie showings, summer reading program, an array of children's activities throughout the year, they host community classes such as, emergency preparedness, cultural events just to name a few. The city's office for recreational programs are now housed in the library. Their staff is friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. A gem for the City of Pleasanton.

I come here once a week with my kids. There's plenty of rooms for studying/working. The kids…read moresection is adorable with a Pleasanton train soft bench children can (quietly) sit on. They have a few toys/puzzles in the back corner for those antsy toddlers. Computers are always available. Try advantage of their free classes and events!

Such a beautiful and peaceful library! The outdoor courtyard in the middle of the library is so…read morepeaceful and thoughtfully designed. You can work or read outdoors. There are also lots of indoor seating workspaces. It is such a simple yet high tier library. There also a community garden in the area.

The Rinconada Library building is a bit dated, but the interior has been renovated and has met all…read morerequirements for the LEED certification granted by the U.S. Green Building Council. The archives are well organized, and there a lot of seating available for visitors, whether you are looking for a large desk for groups, or an individual reading desk for quiet study or computer use. The wireless works fine in all areas. One of my favorite spots is in the corner near the study room facing the garden. You can do some good bird watching in that spot. No matter where you decide to camp out for your reading, screentime, or resting leisure, the library is well-lit. Don't forget to check out the movie rental section too.

Needing a safe public space to meet up with a stringed musical instrument seller, this library fit…read morethe bill! It was midway between cities, offered plenty of parking and a warm place in the "Friends of the Library" Bookstore for me to quietly evaluate a potential purchase. The staff was gracious in allowing us to do so at one of the tables. Beforehand as we waited for the seller to arrive, I saw a healthy buzz of activity with people arriving, returning books and using the library, many with littles in tow. As an avid reader, it felt good to see this. From my brief peek into the high ceiling main room, the library looked very comfortable. There's a small playground west of the library, but at the time of this review, was fenced off. Perhaps undergoing a refresh. Overall, a library with a pleasant vibe.

Cute, quiet, large area for small children to learn and play…read more Very nice parents and librarians. The parking lot is so small with very small spaces. We cannot wait to come back!