Nice metro library in a busy and popular part of west San Jose near the Rose Garden. It's not very big, but it's quite nicely designed. There's only no parking lot, so you have to park in the garage under the library on the ground floor and there's only 33 spots according to SJPL's website. That's quite limited. Thankfully, the day we came we found a spot pretty easily. The entrance is pretty impressive from the garage to the library. There's a huge glass rose sculpture that's suspended in midair, sure made me feel a little uneasy, haha, what if it comes crashing down. All kidding aside, the library is on the second floor only, it's got a kids area, a teen room, a tech room, a meeting/study room, and then a couple of bigger open areas for quite study, reading, and computer use. There's also a book sales by their Friends of the Library that's pretty decent, although some of the books were really old. All in all, this is a pretty good library. We came on a weekend afternoon so it was actually relatively calm and quiet. I see some reviews that say it gets rowdy here, but I didn't see that on my visit. A good library and architecturally unique that I might visit again. read more

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I love the San Jose Public Library! This is a smaller branch library connected to the larger system, so you can have any materials held and transferred for pick-up here (the holds pick-up section is by the entryway upstairs.) There is a good selection of books and DVDs, with special kids and teens sections, though, because it's not the main library you may not find an exact title here unless you place a hold. I enjoy browsing and seeing what seems interesting. Some other benefits of an SJPL library card is access to County and State Parks passes, free tickets to local museums (called Discover and Go), access to Libby (audiobooks, e-books) and Hoopla (movies, TV), and the ability to request books not in their collection from across California using the Link+ program. You can apply for a library card here, for full access bring an ID and proof of residency. They have fun card choices, too! I've used this particular library when I needed to work outside of the house. There is a rentable study room and a computer lab room, plus some seating in the adult section and by the computers in the center of the library. It's not the most conducive to quiet work at tables, but it does the job in a pinch. Some might find the crowd after the nearby school is out too loud for their ideal library experience. A pair of headphones is recommended for quiet study. There is also a Friends of the Library book sale at all times in a small room in the adult section. You can pick up books and DVDs for all ages for 50 cents to a few dollars, so I always check it out. Worth mentioning is the parking garage on the bottom level of the library. I've always been able to find a spot, but it's not huge. There's a doorway from the garage to an elevator and stairs, the library is on the top floor and the special events room is on the bottom floor. read more

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Pros: this library is convenient for me, I can easily put a place a book on hold and pick it up here once it's ready, the employees have been kind to me, and it's a hop skip and jump away from the rose garden. Cons: it's not the cleanest, it's pretty small in relation to other libraries in the area, it can seemingly get a bit noisy though I don't stay long enough for it to bother me, and (VERY IMPORTANT) you have to be mindful of the closing time if you park in the parking structure and then get a book and go over to the Rose Garden to read. I once got my car locked into the parking structure and had to call another SJ public library to get help getting my car out because this library was closed, therefore no one was picking up the phone when I called this library for help. There is a sign at the garage saying it will be locked, but I did not see the sign beforehand. Now I know! read more

Rose Garden Branch Library - Book for a book club I'm in - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

Small neighborhood library - just a peach of a bibliothèque! Take a gander at the cute little library when you are in the neighborhood. It is a short walk from the ever favorite rose garden, kitty corner from the front entrance. It never seems too busy here. There's even has some used books for sale that are super cheap and act as a fundraiser. Of course, the selection is tiny, but always a treat to explore. Just ask the librarian where you can find them and support this neighborhood favorite. read more

Rose Garden Branch Library - Outside - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

Really lovely staff, very kind and helpful. Parking is easy and the library is cheerful and bright. Met my needs to get a library card quickly. read more

Super loud, kids running around with no parents. Staff wear airpods to drown out the noise. This is supposed to be a library.

I love this library! It's very close inconvenient to my house, and literally across the street is the rose Garden where you can read your book! This isn't specific to this branch, but I love the feature where I can put a book on hold online and even if it's not at the location nearest to my house, it will be at my home location via internal courier and set aside on the whole shelf for me to pick up. They have covered parking on the ground floor and then upstairs is the library complete with a children's area separate rooms and even a small room of used books for purchase (cheap too!) read more

I have to say that I was fortunate to get assistance by an employee here . her name is Trang and she is amazing. Let me tell you it took me hours of my time trying to do something on my phone Trang was able to help me with it and it took about not even 10 minutes. I wanna say give that girl a raise ! free lunch !dinner ! Gift card or something she deserves it. She's amazing wish I could give you 10 stars by the way, happy Thanksgiving. read more

Before I had kids, I'd come here to read YA books. Since I have kids, we come here for children's books and they love it here. We do our routine: return the books by putting them on tray table. they walk themselves to their section of books by going through this hole first (left side). once I approve of the books, my 2.5 year old toddler helps me scan the books. After that: there's the rose garden for them to run around and a small park next to the library, so location is great! Staff are so nice! They were closing up and my car was still parked in their garage and they asked around the park if that was my car and yes, here I am! To be fair, the signs say they were opened until much later, but it was Covid time, so their time had changed. Another time was when their elevator didn't work, so I had to take my two kids out of the wagon and pull the wagon up the stairs while carrying a baby and making sure toddler doesn't roll down the stairs and a nice gentleman had helped me pull my wagon up the stairs! I was just here on Yelp and I'm disappointed to see their 3 star review. I've been coming here almost every week, if not every month since my first child was born. This library has been awesome, so that's why I keep on returning! read more

I have been a frequent library member here for over 9 years, even before I had children. I live in the area and although it has never been my favorite (ie:grumpy workers and dirty/run down) it is biking distance and closest to my home so I use it as my main branch. I am a busy full time STHP and homeschooling parent. I manage a business as well and while doing all of this I do manage to ride my bike loaded up with kids the 1 mile it takes to get to the library because my girls loovvve to read. Today I was accosted not once but twice by workers that I can't bring my bike into the library on the ground floor. Now I am not acting privileged here I know this can't be expected for everyone but as a mom, who is bone tired might I add, but makes the effort to save the planet by opting to bike to her local library, you can consider making an allowance. I even suggested I park it out of the safety way where all the other parents park strollers in the side room. The guy just acted rude as usual and walked away. I am a Canadian. In Canada the libraries are kind hearted/inclusive/clean/and focus on family and children first. San Jose is such a horrible place sometimes for finding kind people who care about each other and community. read more

One of my favorite places to be by myself or with the kiddos. Coveniently located across the street from Trace Elementary and the Rose Garden. So while waiting for the kids to get out of school, I retreat in their lounge area for some study time. Only wished they open earlier than 10 am. The library itslef is wonderful. Great selecyion of books and audios/dvds/cds to choose from for all ages. They have different sections for everyone to enjoy and feel comfortable at. They even have a fireplace for you to warm up around at for those rainy and cold days. The loos are fairly clean and well lit, and located just up the stairs. The librarian staffs are accommodating and helpful. They have activities for toddlers and kids also. Lots of families come here with their toddlers as well as students from the nearby schools. Beautiful during the summer. Come check it out. read more

Rose Garden Branch Library - Waiting for its doors to open. Loving the quiet rain as I wait in peace. - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

I enjoyed this library. The street parking is not too crowded. It's a little confusing when you get inside the library as there's no signage to tell you that the library itself is upstairs and the doors to the left lead to their rentable rooms. Going into the library, it's quite large. It has a little fireplace area with lots of seats to read - very cozy! There's a cafe area with a vending machine to give you coffee drinks. It looks like a great place for students to study. There is a huge selection of books and I liked the way they had it set up. When I got my library card, the librarian seemed kind of annoyed that he had to make me one, and I'm not sure why, but that was a little annoying. It's a beautiful building and definitely worth going to. I could wander around for a while or just sit in one of the cozy couches. read more

I really appreciate the stuff and the volunteers working there. They keep the facility clean and cozy. Every time I have questions to ask in person or over the phone, they are nice, patient and provide me options in the very professional way. Very like this library. read more

San Jose library ( http://www.SJLibrary.org/ ) IS THE ILLEST. First, they allow anyone with residence in California to have library card there. Most libraries in CA don't seem to care which county you live in. The rub is that most libraries DO NOT have Safari Online nor Books 24/7. Access to Safari Online books would cost $400/yr if you did it direct with O'reilly. It's endless technical materials. Think about it this way: Four books from Cisco Press alone can easily come to $400. Half the time you buy one of these books you only need two or three chapters from them. The fine print: The online book access works fine on iPad and Android tablet but it does not work with the O'reilly mobile app for Android/iPhone/iPad. You can't use it with a kindle either unless you're in the library on their IP addresses. Still, this is a pretty amazing find if you're into technical books at all. So, if you are in San Jose or just traveling through, bring proof of residency and get a library card here. Dismiss this suggestion if you will but it will be your loss, Boo %-) Ciao read more

If you've got kids and live in the neighborhood then this is a real jewel of a library! Taking kids on a weekly trip to the library is a great way to get them reading early. We especially like the storytime in the library's children's section. The readers are library staff/volunteers and do a great job of picking books to match the audience as well as intermixing songs and body movements between books. Kids even get a sticker afterwards. Story Time Hours are: Family Storytime: Tuesday 6:30 PM and Saturday at 11 AM. Preschool Storytime: Wednesdays 11:30 AM and Friday 10:30 AM Toddler Storytime is done on Thursdays 10:30 AM (except for first Thursday of each month). Best bet is to go on Saturday mornings where you can grab breakfast at Bills, Antonella or coffee at Starbucks (all just a couple of blocks away), hit storytime at the library and walk the Rose Garden or Rosicrucian Museum afterward. Going to the library after school gets out at next door at Trace, Hoover & Lincoln schools can be a bit crazy. Lots of pickup parents fill the parking lots, and lots of so so behaved kids running around. read more

The name of the library, Rose Garden Branch Library, sounds like a library about roses. The beautiful rose garden is across the street. It's a small neighborhood library for kids and teens to hang out. There's a section for children and a separate section for young adults. You still get some books, CDs and DVDs. It's a great place to read and study. read more

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Good library! It's smaller than most though. The childerns section is very small. They have a babies/childerns story time as well on Wednesdays but I don't recommend for children under two because the kids are pretty active in there. I do love that it's right across the best park in San Jose Rose Garden. read more

Fabulous library! Beautifully laid out...the Kids Section is a wealth of great books! Very impressive. Jeremy helped me secure my library card ...big help and a really smart promoter of the SJ library system. TIP: you can check out (sit down) 100 books at a time! Yee ha! Good sized parking lot under the bldg. yes, they have an elevator ... read more

Such an upscale library, I'm really impressed. Surrounded by an elementary and high school of course there were lots of students hanging out after school. The children's section had a lot of books to choose from and pretty much every book I was looking for was there. Enjoyed seeing all the parents reading with their young children and the workers working endlessly to put the returned books back on the shelf for people like me to check it right out again. My only downfall is the limited parking spaces in the garage, but again that seems to be the norm for all the libraries. Thank goodness there is street parking but remember if you go the library before 4pm on a weekday it is only 15 minute parking since class is still in session. read more

I'm reviewing the Rose Garden branch on its own terms: it's a branch library, a neighborhood library. It's not a comprehensive collection -- as yet, it's not even a representative collection -- but as a neighborhood fixture where you can dip in and out and enjoy it for what it is, it's pretty nice. First, the building is a beauty. Very nicely designed, very attractive, inside and out. Everything except the playground, parents -- and I'll get to that. The inside could use a bit more space for seating, but in a library this small, seating vs. collection vs. administrative space is tricky to juggle. Still, one whole seating area is built for children, another for teens -- adults are kind of shortchanged here. Not many books, and don't expect to go in and find a specific book you're looking for -- this is more of a browsing, take-what-you-can-get collection. Funny enough, the DVD selection here is better than at the main branch, and the discs are in better shape. They also continue to pick up current tiles while MLK stays stagnant. There are also many music CDs to choose from. There are probably twenty computers set up with internet access in a sort of classroom setting. The printing system is often down, which can be frustrating, so if you plan to make copies, check the printing area first; they don't post notices in the computer areas, so you won't know the system isn't working until you've already wasted time sending jobs to the print queue. Okay -- the playground. Parents -- take note: There is no security outside, and no one monitors the playground. I just warn you because it's an area that's well enough isolated from the building and street that it allows kids a pretty good spot for privacy; I noticed this when one day I was looking out the "cafe" window and saw that a really young boy and girl were in the crawl tube, each with pants shucked down around their ankles, making out. As a twelve year-old, yeah, I wouldn't have passed up the opportunity, either, but as an adult, it was more cause for alarm than anything. (Yes, the staff did respond when I alerted them to the situation, but the response was befuddled and slow. Hopefully they've addressed the issue by now, but parents should definitely look into it.) UPDATE: Looks like they've lost the crawl tube structure, for now, anyway. Smart move. I leave the criticism above just in case they replace it. So, if there were one improvement I'd make, I'd say -- keep the playground locked if there's no monitor. If we get two improvements? -- yeah, more books, please. read more

Problem: The hours can be a bit frustrating Pro Tip #1: Know the hours, plan accordingly. Here they are (as of 9/2, but check here for more recent hours, http://www.sjpl.org/rosegarden): Hours Mon10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Tue11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Wed11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Thu10:00 AM - 6:00 PM Fri - Sun CLOSED Problem: The selection can be a tad underwhelming. Pro Tip #2: Use the FREE book reserving service on sjpl.org. There's this brave host of librarians who will track down whatever book you request and deliver it to the SJ Library of your choice. This elite squad of book hunters operate in much the same way as The Pony Express of yore, doing their job not for material reward but rather for the tangy palate smattering zest of adventure and in the hope that tales of their exploits will long outlive their brief time scouring the stacks of our many binded material repositories. But woe onto those poor souls who leave their requested books abandoned for they will be given a fine of three dollars. Conclusion: It's a library folks, would you rather have a Quizno's here or something? Benjamin Franklin jizzed his pantaloons over these things, and he was the shit by all historical accounts. read more

Really nice cozy library! Open lots of hours....not too noisy. In a busy but nice neighborhood and helpful staff.....Big selection of books and CD'S I noticed. Good study environment close to Rose Garden too! read more

Very nice location, close the San Jose municipal rose garden (that is how I found out about this library, just walking by). Even though I live in SJ, I was until now only member of the Santa Clara and Sunnyvale systems, so I decided it was time to get more culture and fun and open an account in the San Jose public library system. The transaction was very smooth and the librarian that Saturday was fantastic. I also found many books in Spanish and I am back into graphic novels, so this branch satisfies my cultural/entertainment needs so far, plus is very nice and comfortable. Checkout easy and fast. read more

Pretty nice library. Fairly quiet, with the exception of the Teen Room (and let's be honest, which library has a room full of teenagers that are ever quiet?) If you're here to study, just be sure to sit far away from that area! read more

Holy crap, a fireplace... this place wins just based on that (and comfy chairs next to it as well). This place would probably be 5 stars were it not for the hours (which have gotten worse since they were posted in an earlier review), of course this is all because of budget shortfalls but it still sucks. Nonetheless, I've found the staff to be friendly, so I do find the comments to the contrary to be a bit puzzling.. I got slightly grumpy when the over-sensitive scanner went off, but the staff member handled the situation very well (and all told, I'd rather they make sure I wasn't actually stealing something, as it's very frustrating to see an item marked as "Missing" in the library catalog!). Generally the building is well lit and attractive inside and out. If it's reasonably close to you and you check the hours before going, it's worth spending some reading time there! read more

This library is pretty close to my job so I am in there often. They have a decent but small selection. The best thing about the San Jose libraries is the ability to request things from other libraries. I can go to the quiet Rose Garden branch library and pick up books that I reserved from King, without driving through that traffic hellhole near King. It's positively wonderful. I don't use the library for DVDs; that's what Netflix is for so I can't talk about their DVD selection but the reservation system is great and generally pretty quick except for the most popular of books. read more

I am a library person. I love libraries. But, not this one. The hours here are AWFUL. Closed on the weekends (including all day Friday) and the selection leaves much to be desired. The architectural design of the entire building is poor and the parking is not great by any means. The only plus here is the children's section. I have been able to grab some books for my little brothers' elementary school and middle school projects quite easily. Everything else, I'll go to the Santa Clara library for. read more

I only come here for the kid thing on Wednesday and its cool! Everybody with a baby/kid (from 3 months up to about 3 years) gathers at 11.30am and then a volunteer of the library does all the singing or reading. They even have sticks and shawls to make it even more entertaining. As an exhausted mom you can sit down and take a breather while your little one runs around with the other minis. After half an hour of solid entertainment there is playtime for the little ones. They basically give everybody a bunch of toys so they can play. I am not too sure how long this is as I had to take my little monster home. I haven't seen much of the rest of the library but this one moment in the week makes this library pretty awesome. Also heard there is this mother thing on Monday so a great place for moms! read more

They have a good selection of CDs and DVDs. They have seasons of The Office, Seinfeld, The Wire and cases of and cases of documentaries and nonfiction video. The facilities are new, look great and there are group rooms for reservation. However I will deduct points, not really for this library, but for the San Jose Library System. Lack of ability to reserve fiction DVDs in advance (some documentaries and some CDs can be reserved). So although I would love to watch Season 2, Disc 2 of Rescue Me, I have no way of starting the series. Also hours are a little funky: closed on the weekend and on Mondays. All in all though, this is a great library, with a wonderful selection, beautiful facilities and a helpful and courteous staff. read more

Now that I have a 1 year old, I am loving this library! Lovely children's section with books, cozy reading corners, exciting toddler-friendly areas to explore, and best of all.....awesome storytime! Nancy(?) is amazing with the kids. Her narration is engaging and she does such fun songs! It's too bad that budget cuts have whittled down storytimes to Tues 6:30pm and Weds 11am. :( It's not until you become a parent that you really realize how amazing and important these services are to the community. read more

It is my understanding that a library is a place to go to for knowledge and to discover the unknown in the pages of books. Well the only thing I learned at this library is that some librarians could be quite bitter, rude and lacking good customer service to say the least. As someone who worked with customers throughout college and now a counselor I have two pieces of advice for these distasteful librarians. For one, if you work with the public learn to deal with them and two learn how to use your words appropriately, especially in front of children. The staff at this branch are anything but helpful and nothing close to what a librarian should be. read more

One word - awesome. This is by the Rose Garden and I didn't even know it was here. There's a covered parking garage and the library is on the second story. Everything is brand new. There's a fireplace with chairs and public wifi. (Although I'd use VPN if I were you) It's a great place to do some work as long as you don't have annoying people playing iPad games like this old guy by me... read more

It is really upsetting that I went in to use the computer for printing purposes that added up to $19.50 and I had a $20 bill with me to pay for my printing that I needed for school, as I inserted my $20 bill in the machine it would not accept it so I went to the counter to ask someone for help. I had told the lady that I had to printout a few things that added up to $19.50 and the machine would not take a whole 20 dollar bill and the lady said that it only takes $5 bills or less and I said oh okay well is there any way I can change a $20 bill? The lady then said no we cannot because do not carry large bills or smaller bills so maybe you can go somewhere to change your bill and your printing will stay there for up to an hour. I was upset that as she was talking I walked away because that is really ridiculous for them not to change just a whole $20 bill and mind you that they they have two registers in front of me and no bills to change? This was for school so I am very upset. read more

I like our local library - however I loathe the parking lot and the fact that there are 3 schools in the vicinity of it. Good selection, knowledgeable staff. Just make sure you go at random times to be able to park! read more

Now open 6 days a week since 7'15. Love the selection of books, CDs, and DVDs. Helpful, friendly staff.

Thanks to the staffs here as their services here have been very friendly and nice! Today, a chilly day, I come here again and, they treat everyone with warm water, coffee, tea etc etc at the entrance. Now, with several sips of warm coffee, my fingers can work as a pianist! Come and enjoy some nice, warm hours! read more

We love or rather loved this library until they changed the hours to make it unuseable for working families with younger children. We get the budget changes but we (and others) can't take advantage because we get home late and by the time we finish with homework help and dinner it is too late to take younger children to the library on a weeknight. It is unfortunate that there wasn't a consideration to have the library open maybe one or two weekend days a month. When we wrote to voice our opinion the response was that they needed to be open after school because so many people use the library for child care (there are several schools near by). Apparently families send their kids to the library as free child care after school and that is more important than making the library accessible across the community. Our tax dollars at work. read more

It's a great branch. Brand new and clean. Comfortable and quiet enough that you can sit down just to read newspaper or magazines. There is not a lot of foot traffic. Computers available and for most of the time there is one available for you to use. A word of caution: avoid going there 30 minutes before closing time. Librarians would start patrolling the library, turning lights off small section by section. Twice this had happened to me: when I tried to enter a "closed" section, the librarian would corner me off, stand in my path and ask if they could help me with finding something. I stopped and said that I was just looking around. This was still 30 minutes before the closing time. They wouldn't go as far as saying that you cannot enter this area. But it certainly gives you the idea that they don't want to you flip though things in those areas, since they probably have placed everything back in order. Anyhow, I still love to go to this branch, but not anytime near closing times. read more

I really LOVE this library!!! It is so convenient for me being that my children go to the schools near by......The Staff is AWSOME!!! They are very helpfull witch is a BIG PLUS compared to Willow Glen........I've notice with the budget cut there isn't much staff like there was before..... But they are still VERY helpfull..................One thing I have to say is I wish people would stop saying that there tax dollars are paying for these libraries as welll as the staff....Eye opener People...... VERY LITTLE and I mean VERY LITTLE of your tax dollars goes to these branches......U should Thank your Mayor for that! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK ROSE GARDEN STAFF!!!!!! read more

Great place.... just a shame so many young people think it's a playground. So many youngsters go there to make so much noise and are so rowdy. Their parents are with them .... but need to teach them some manners and respect for others. I thought the library is usually quiet. read more