I enjoy browsing this library since they have a larger inventory than the smaller branch on Artesia Blvd. in North Redondo. There's adequate parking in their covered lot, and I've never had a problem finding a space. They have convenient Monday thru Saturday hours. A benefit of the Redondo Beach library system is being able to reserve items online and have them available for pick up at the branch of your choice. It's easy to see due dates online and to renew items. It's also great to have the option of returning to either branch. The employees seem to alternate between branches, and for the most part, are courteous and efficient. There's not usually a long wait for checking out materials, and there's an option for self-check out too. The only downside is that this branch is dated and could use some refreshing. read more

Redondo Beach Public Library -- The Main Library - It's Pirate Month! Aargh... - Libraries Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

Dear Lord. If you're sick, don't come to the library hacking and spreading Covid. Also, I will give props to the librarian who shut it down with the rude dude who couldn't shut up on his phone. First time I've actually seen a librarian regulate. They should do that more. I gave the guy the stank eye like it should have been common sense and courtesy to keep it shut. read more

Huge library almost like the one in El Segundo. Lots of old books and old magazines. They may have sold some of the old magazines, but everything is up to date here in all. Just nice novels and all of the History. Place is pretty clean, and they have tight security here. I see little bit of homeless here, but not so much in this library. The staff are professionals too. So, I recommend in coming down to Redondo Beach library read more

I had several negative experiences and awkward interactions with staff at this library so I don't bring my child here anymore. It's unfortunate because it has a great kids area with a nice play space and lots of books and DVDs available. We attended an event hosted at the library where we could meet seeing eye dogs in training. My child absolutely loves dogs and we were looking forward to meeting them. It was a 1 hour event and the organizers and trainers took the first 50 minutes talking about themselves and their program leaving no more than 10 minutes at the end for everyone to meet the dogs and some of them left right after the presentation. I don't know if you've ever tried to keep an excited child away from something cute and cuddly, but it is no easy feat. I felt like a monster for trying to redirect her away from the dogs during the unnecessarily long "presentation." This was poorly organized and those trainers were very self-absorbed. How could they not know that people only came to meet the dogs, not hear them talk the whole time. The library staff are very awkward and fit the unfortunate and typical stereotype of librarians who are quite possibly mole people. read more

It's a library. A magical place. What's not to love? Big, clean, friendly and full of books! read more

This is a good library, but I think the only downside is that it doesn't open super early or close super late, so those are the only areas I'd suggest expanding. Parking is easy and the layout is beautiful, spacious and organized. They have community events and programs for children too. read more

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Excellent library. They have lots of events. They have separate people in the children's section and they are super kind. Would definitely recommend if you have children. Both options are great. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because they have late fees and they don't offer cards for kids under 5. read more

This library is home to many homeless people and also some crazy homeless people. i see homeless people just come here to sleep, eat and just taking up table space. The place smells, and place not cleaned. I see many people eating, leaving trash. the employees don't seem to do there job well when some people making noise. they dont come up to them to be quiet. i use to bring my kids here but no more. Whoever manage this library should be fired and hire someone who knows how run a library. Sad how a library use to be a place come in and and enjoy reading, studying or quietness. Now i don't see any of that in this library. read more

It's generally a nice library. The main reason I'm posting is so that the updated hours are easily found. 2021 hours: Mon 3-7 Tu-Th 11-7 Fri 2-6 Sat 9-5 read more

Redondo Beach Public Library -- The Main Library - Hours - Libraries Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

I love this library!! It's big, clean, beautiful, and there's ample free parking underground. The natural lighting is wonderful and there are high ceilings. They tend to always have the books I want/need in stock and everything is well organized. I love coming here just to study or do research. The printing option for library card holders is great and easy (no more having to go to Kinko's and pay $.50 for b&w since I don't print enough to justify the need of buying a printer lol). Each page is only $.15, coins/cash only. Oh, and they have a room just for children so you don't have to deal with noise.. My kind of place!!! Hahaha. Now, if only they had a room just for teenagers. The only possible downside is their hours. Opens late in the day and closed on Sundays. read more

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When you come to visit this library make sure to bring your Artic gear because if it's cold outside it's even colder in the library. I was here in the library on October 31st and even though it wasn't a hot it was freezing inside of the library. I was so cold, my hands were hurting, my knees were hurting, and the A/C was just going straight. through my jacket. It's best to wear a heavy warm coat, warm mittens and a hat that will keep you head warm. If it's in the 70's outside of the library then you can believe that it's going to be in the 50's inside of the library with the A/C blasting on very high. Sorry, there are no penguins in here but it feels just like they are here. Veterans day is November 11th, why are the library able to two days off for Veterans Day holiday? They are closing for November 10th (which is not a Federal Holiday), and November 11th (which is the actual Federal Holiday). Because they are extending there holiday, does this mean that every holiday is going to be like that? For example, they will be closed on the day before Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving day and the day after (so to take 3 days off, will this be happening on Christmas day as well, are they going to take off December 24th, December 25th and December 26th, when does it end, when they decide to take the whole month off? read more

The reviews for here are pretty outdated, so i decided to write an updated one! If you're a student like me, tired of having to buy $7 mediocre lattes and sitting at little mini side tables, I'm telling you to stop wasting your time and come here to work. Inside is clean, plenty of tables and plenty of space. People previously reviewed this place saying there are NO outlets - I mean, it's not like there's an outlet for every single table that would be ridiculous and way too much to ask for a facility you're using for free lol, but there's definitely enough outlets, meaning a couple or a few of outlets in each general area... you'll be fine! No food or drinks because of COVID, and obviously you need to keep your mask on. Wifi is free, just gotta go up to the front desk and ask for the password or look for the Wifi posters. Happy studying/working y'all! read more

Well I always joke about how I read far fewer books in LA than I did back in Chi.....because the weather here is so great I am always doing active outdoor stuff. In Chicago, I could count on a good snowstorm/rainstorm once in awhile to provide some down time when I would curl up under a blanket with a good book. In LA, admittedly, I am more likely to use books to weight down the corners of my beach blanket.....oh dear...... All that being said, I still do appreciate libraries. In fact I love them, some more than others. In LA, the Beverly Hills Library I think is my favorite. The Redondo Beach Library is quite attractive though, very impressive from the exterior. See the photos I took today. It's very large & sits well on its grassy space, and is surrounded with nice landscaping. It shares a corner (off Diamond St.) with RB City Hall and the cop shop. Redondo HS is across the street (PCH). There is plenty of free parking in the underground lot under the library building, out of the summer sun. Inside, there are open spaces, lots of light, and comfy seating. And a large children's section. And A/C....woohooo!! It felt good today. I got none at home, so I'll remember that the library is a good place to hang out if the temps get oppressive. Not open Sunday, and it probably should be. read more

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MUCH better than what Hb has got going on. The library itself looks impressive and large from PCH but has a surprisingly small amount of functional space as a patron looking to study for a few hours. The top floor is full of meeting rooms that host events and seminars and the main floor has an enclosed children's section (great for keeping the noise on that side of the library down, yeah!), several study carrels dispersed about, computer area in the middle, and maybe 3 study rooms that are always in use. I used to come here a lot during my "LSAT Odyssey" and often found it difficult to concentrate due to a lack of good dedicated study areas. I like a good "nook" where I can get lost in what I'm doing without interruptions and distractions but I find that challenging when you are sharing a carrel with someone on the other side with stinky feet gabbing obnoxiously on their cell phone. However, when the library is relatively empty, I can get some good studying in. The library hosts seminars and lectures regularly. When I came here to study, they were hosting one on operas every Tuesday night. Sounded interesting but didn't get the chance to attend. There is a garage under the library for parking. You either have to use the stairs or elevator to get to the main floor of the library, which can get a tad unnerving at night if you are alone in the elevator or stairwell with a creepy dude. I always have my keys in hand ready to go in case I need to use them as a weapon lol. read more

This is probably the nicest public library in the South Bay. It has a small used book store in the front. Inside there is a large selection of children books and they have special events all the time such as storytelling. They have a large selection of DVD movies some current and some classic too and they let you check out 5 or 6 and you can keep them for several days for free. Of course they have the standard library books and the computer terminals to aid in your search. Upstairs are meeting rooms. I came here for all of my classes with the fire department CERT program and they always have the early voting system up here too a couple weeks before election days. Parking is behind the building under the library no fee. read more

Redondo Beach Public Library -- The Main Library - Libraries Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

They have study rooms! Study rooms!!! There's a two hour time limit if there's someone waiting, but that's longer than my attention span anyway. Plus the common area isn't very loud either. Aside from the occasional inconsiderate baby or verbose toddler whose doting mother allows them to ramble, everyone is quite considerate, and it seems that most people do come here to get stuff done. The library itself is spacious, and the staff are friendly and polite. The one downside is that the bathroom is a bit of a hike, but I guess that's my motivation to abide by the no food or drink (except in sealed containers) rule... read more

Love the book selection. Sometimes find old volumes, dusty books. They are a view into the past. Of course, the library also has all the new stuff, too. read more

Staying till closing. I just realized this library is hella cold when the sun goes down. Must be because of the big window and other windows. Don't forget to bring you snow gear lol. Bring beanie, gloves, thick sweater, cough cough cold. read more

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Overall, the main RB library does a pretty good job- the building is really nice and they have a good selection of books. The staff is friendly, though they can get busy and have a line. (They do have a self-check-out option) Downsides- Parking is a little bad (slowest parking garage elevator in the world, park on the street), bums love using the restroom, and the overdue fines aren't exactly a bargain- but when you live in RB, where else are you going to get free books? read more

Pros: Nice natural lighting and lots of seating space. Free Wifi. Cons: Dirty tables, chairs and carpet. I often see human toe nail clippings and roach poison traps on the carpet. Also not enough outlets. read more

DO NOT go here after 3pm, it turns into a hangout for the local high school students who are loud and in my experience rude when asked to lower their voice. The staff are of no help when asked why these teenagers are allowed to yell across the library to one another. Truly sad we cant teach young adults to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner in public spaces. read more

I love this library for aesthetic reasons. The high ceiling and natural lighting, especially the back end of the space, is fantastic. If you are looking for a more tucked area, aside from the upstairs rooms, there are study tables scattered throughout both with and without access to an outlet. There is free wifi for patrons that is only on during library hours. Large selections of books and media available for check out, including ebooks, DVDs, etc. They also have children's reading programs throughout the week. However, I agree with Rick S. The hours are just okay. They don't have extensive hours. I feel like extending their hours by one hour on either end would make a big difference in terms of accessibility for it to truly serve patrons more valuably. read more

BEWARE: when the library closes, if you park in the garage, they will lock you in. I almost got locked in. They won't mention this on the speaker. I did not appreciate almost getting locked in. I had to ask them and as I was getting in my car, the employees were walking like robots quickly to the other side to close the gate. I found them to be inconsiderate and careless. RIDICULOUS! They should mention this on the speaker that when the library closes, you should drive your car out of the garage. Now, I hate this library even more. Do they NOT give a damn what will happen if I get locked in? The one female employee was walking to the other gate to close it with such a stoic and determined look on her face. I felt like I were in prison. WTF! In my opinion, this is reprehensibly reckless behavior. I will be taking this up with the city of Redondo Beach. They must inform the public clearly that they should remove their vehicles or they will be locked in. This is absolutely ridiculous and I would have sued if they would've locked me in. This library smells AWFUL, especially the entrance. I don't particularly care for the employees, there are always kids throwing things around in the kids section and their parents are even louder. Annoying! The thing that really irritates me is the SMELL of bacteria-infested sweat. I always sense this as I walk inside and it disgusts me. Can't they do anything about it? read more

For a public library this place is pretty swanky. They have study rooms and lots of little nooks where you can charge your lab top and study, work, etc. Also; you can check out a lot of books here at once- I think the limit is 25? Either way... blown away. Safe space to go! read more

Surprised there are no reviews during the COVID period. The staff is working hard to accommodate holds and pickups with limited staff and resources. "Sally" went above + beyond to help me with a "lost" book. Kudos to all and hope we're all back to normal before long. read more

This is one spacious, well-planned, beautiful library. I recently attended a TEDx Redondo Beach event and it was very well organized. The large meeting room upstairs was most accommodating for this prodigious group and the visuals and sound system were outstanding. The event included free food, drinks and entertaining moderators. I am proud to claim this resource as a local citizen and am impressed with the many different events sponsored. Are you a Writer, French Speaker, Mindfulness Meditation Practitioner? Well, the library provides these classes, as well as a host of others of interest. High recommend not only for the vast array of educational materials but the learning culture as well. Parking is ample, the elevator requires some patience but overall a Five Star experience! read more

I would say the best library in the South Bay. On Pacific Coast Highway near the Civic Center. Spacious and tons of books, computers, reference and study rooms. Only gripe, chairs and tables are quite tiny for adults and power outlets need to be shared. read more

Redondo Beach Library has so much potential to be a terrific studying spot. They have a beautiful, spacious building, high ceilings, cheap and tasty eateries adjacent to the location, and nice study rooms! But the spotty wifi, uncomfortable chairs, poor lighting, lack of outlets, and myriad of homeless people negate all the positives. I've studied here on a couple occasions, but didn't get much done either time. ----- Verdict: Thumbs down, for now. Extra Notes: -Free Wifi, but unreliable -Closed on Sundays -Great selection of fiction books -Nice children's section -Kind, helpful staff -Best studying spot is near the windows facing away from McDonald's. Best wifi, lighting and outlet there -parking garage available -Restrooms could be cleaner read more

I don't know why some people complained about spotty wifi and homeless people. The wifi is working perfectly, and a "myriad" of homeless people is definitely an overstatement. These types of comments deterred me from coming here sooner, but now that I have experienced the library myself, I know that the pros heavily outweigh the cons. I will be coming here more often, for sure. This is actually my first time here, and gosh I am THE ultimate Redondo Beach Library noob. From the minute I parked my car to the minute I actually sat down to study, I had already made a plethora of mistakes. So, here are the tips I compiled from my mistakes: TIPS * Bathroom is at the entrance, before the lobby. Pretty clean, and there are always people going in and out. Not much privacy, but this is expected at a public library. * Park in the underground lot! Don't park at the police station like a doofus. (aka me) * If you want a study room, go to the Information desk towards the middle of the library. You give them your driver's license and then they open a study room for you. If you need to go to the bathroom, you can leave your stuff in the room because it automatically locks by itself. When you need to get back in, just tell the Information desk again. The people at the Information Desk are sooooooo nice! They just have a welcoming and friendly aura about them. They didn't make me feel stupid about my 859183745 questions, and didn't seem bothered at all. When I came in around 12 PM on a Saturday, there were a lot of open seats at the study desks. I think only 1 out of the 4 study rooms were filled as well. read more

I read somewhere that the most popular type of plastic surgery for women in Korea nowadays is not breast enlargement but butt enhancement. It had something to do with being less noticeable while significantly improving one's figure. (What's wrong with flat Asian derriere?) Today, I thought long and hard about this trendiest surgery--whether implant or augmentation (and whatever the difference is, if any), how some extra cushion would be NICE on the HARD WOODEN chair I was sitting in at this library. It made me wonder what kind of people allocated the budget to buy these pain inducing chairs in a place where you expect people to come and study. Did they not think that studying on a beautiful weekend afternoon should be painful enough? Other than the chairs, this is a really nice library. It's bright with lots of natural lighting, friendly staffs, and free wi-fi. I studied in one of their study rooms and unlike some other public libraries, the rooms are soundproofed or people in other rooms were courteous enough to stay quiet and not distract or annoy people(or just me) in neighboring rooms. Lastly, this library is closed on Sundays and it can feel creepy walking to the parking structure by yourself after it gets dark as everyone seem to go home early here. read more

Nasty, nasty staff. Clearly service is not a priority for this library. While using the self check-out machines, anytime you have any kind of issue, they snap "your PIN number is the last four digits of your phone number" at you. Thanks, your stupid machine won't scan the barcode. God forbid you should have to interrupt your personal conversation at the desk and come do some work. With all the fees this library charges (things other than late fees), you might as well go buy the book. At least they are friendly at Barnes & Noble. As a resident of Redondo Beach I am embarrassed to have this as my city's library. read more

On 8/1/14 I wanted to donate a number of books (quality art, literature, and history books -- all in good shape). I called and the gentleman I spoke to said that they would accept good quality books -- completely understandable. I arrived at the library, parked on the street, and took in a sampling of the books I had to donate to make sure that they were acceptable. I took them to the circulation desk and the woman who assisted me said that all of them were acceptable and offered a tax receipt in exchange for the books. I told her that I had a number of other books and that the man I spoke to earlier said that I could borrow a cart to bring in the rest from my vehicle. She agreed, but said that I had to leave my driver license as collateral. I realized just then that I had forgotten my wallet at home -- and I offered to leave my cell phone or even my car keys as a guarantee that I would return the cart. She said no, that she couldn't do that. I said that I really wanted to donate the items -- but that I needed to use the cart. She insisted that employees "had had a meeting" during which they were told not to lend the carts out without a driver license. OK, now I understand that there are regulations -- but seriously, if I offered to leave other (more valuable) items? And to just insist that it was "regulation"? I might have felt differently if I hadn't just dropped off books worth $300 or so on her counter as a DONATION. I had several hundred dollars worth of additional donations, but I guess regulations are more important. So I left. Never to return with the rest of the items. And to top it off, the woman didn't give me the tax receipt. So much for trying to do a good deed. read more

We use to be the regular customers where there are books to be had and when the kids could be satisfied with just reading good books, now they are more interested in the virtual world of on-line gaming and wii. Time has changed, although armed with ibook and other gadgetries of reading stimulants I find myself slowly but surely loosing the battle. So it's time to clean out the books and give them to the book store in this library, so they can be useful to the others. Today as I was dropping off those books with my son, and observing how he has bloosomed into a such good mannered and a tall strikingly handsome preteen, I'm thankful that we have such a wonderful library to nourish him all these years. This library stands as a beacon of hope for tradition and good old values. read more

I come here from time to time to get my daily dose of studying. I like how it's fairly spacious with ample natural lighting, all contributing to a rather pleasant, tranquil atmosphere. The library has free-wifi which is of decent speed. The staff is fairly helpful too should you ever need help looking for a book. For those looking to use a computer, there seems to always be a long wait to use one so it is probably best to come early or to bring your own laptop. One thing I don't like is the hard wooden chairs they use throughout the library, as they are uncomfortable to sit on for long periods of time. Also, the demand for tables is pretty high at all times of day, so it really depends on your luck when it comes to securing a table. Another thing--there is only one table that has access to power outlets, so make sure to charge your laptop battery before hand. read more

I haven't been to a library in a while and I don't know why I had this image of a library to be more like a Borders or a B&N- that said, I still will give my town library 5 stars because its big and neat, there's ample parking, a lot of new release books , everyone there was nice, there is a big selection of DVD's and though it nothing like a bookstore...its FREE! that's the best part =) (I know, I'm a cheap ass...what can I say?) read more

This library is big with ample parking underneath. They have a large kids section where you can checkout books and videos. There are kids events there often as well. You can go online and reserve books ahead of time and then pick them up so you don't have to go looking all over the library for something specific. It's a beautiful, clean, bright space and the best part - it's free! Just return your books on time :) read more

This library is all right it is pushing people away when a librarian came up to me because I was expressing myself and was also in my face because my shirt had language on it not very good very unconstitutional if you ask me that I thought it would be cool to express yourself here not cool anyway every thing else about was nice and cooperative and it is a very big library too..... Please. Watch out for people here they like to get people in trouble in this library especially if you are different.... read more

Redondo Beach Public Library -- The Main Library - Very good look at what this looks like.... - Libraries Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

Plenty of books! Well, maybe not to my standard, but for a typical library, it's a good sized one. I liked it when the libraries lump all of the fiction into one big section, sci-fi, western, mysteries, et cetera. i also liked it when they don't put that annoying sticker that classifies what genre the book fits in. What if there's a book that's a sci-fi western mystery with heavy romance? Anyway... the genres now have their own section. I don't like it. I want it lumped back together! Hence the 4 stars. Hmm... I should write a formal compliant, or something demanding the books be lumped together... read more

My second favorite library in the South Bay. I can usually find a spot to call my own outside of the hours between 3-5 (that's when high schoolers filter in from RUHS). Pretty decent selection of DVD's to choose from, AND the CD's aren't as scratched up as you might expect (or maybe my tastes are skewed so less people check them out). I am pretty self-sufficient in terms of finding anything in the place, but I can say that I do feel for some of the patrons in terms of staff response. Admittedly, there are one or two frowny-faces behind the counter who don't like to be bothered. But for the most part, I've had pleasant interactions with the staff. You can reserve titles online as well--- High ceilings--- woo hoo! Clean facilities. Someone cares! LOTS of parking; three levels underground. This location is close to the beach. If you find yourself there near sunset, it's pretty easy to get onto the Esplanade in no time at all in order to see the sun go down over the ocean. Interesting assortment of regular characters who frequent the computer terminals ;) read more

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I love libraries. To me, they are a quiet retreat from the hustle and bustle around town, filled with books to take you away to some exotic locale or live vicariously through someone else. I've come here many times to study, pick up a newly released book, or do travel research. Every time I've always gotten what I needed quickly and easily. Only thing that could be a downer for some people is the chairs aren't all cushioned. I never had a problem with it, but some might. If you live in Redondo, there is no reason to go to another library (unless they don't have a rare book on the study of anthropods or something else that is highly specialized, in which I'd say try the LA library). Not a 5 star review because there is some weird smell I experience every time I get out of the elevator and walk through the entry hallway. -1 star for smell. (OK-- apparently it is from the homeless people, which I understand. It's just weird that its noticeable here whereas the other libraries I've been to don't have that smell.) read more