Back in San Rafael at the original library near civic center and Falkirk. Spacious and fun to visit in Marin Co. read more

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Needless to say I will NOT bring my 8 year old daughter back to this branch. We were trying to read in the children's section and it was just way too loud for her to concentrate. Ok I get it children's section. I took her upstairs to the adult section and honestly quite a few of the seats, tables were taken by the homeless. I saw one changing socks, picking sores on her feet. I was able to find a table on the other side of that mayhem and the pic posted should be enough to convince anyone how unsanitary this place is. San Rafael deals with enough homeless issues I'm not going to subject myself to more than I already am. I'll go to another library in a different town/city because San Rafael is too woke to care about those of us that apparently have little rights when it comes to dealing with this. read more

San Rafael Public Library - Disgusting - Libraries Near Me - San Rafael, California

This is a very hard library to locate. You feel as if you are driving in circles trying to locate it. Perhaps the building needs better signage so everyone can find it. read more

Came to study pet yelp stating the public library was open. Came to find a sign stating closed during renovation. read more

San Rafael Public Library - Closed for renovation as of Feb. 19, 2025 - Libraries Near Me - San Rafael, California

The San Rafael Public Library has been a happy place for me for decades. Hollie, Margret, and the summer reading program were big parts of my childhood, and my lifelong passion for volunteering began when I volunteered with the summer reading program as a kid. Having recently moved back to the area, I've been spending more time here, and I've been delighted to discover that much remains unchanged. The librarians are still kind and helpful and have a great selection of books! Parking is easy, and if you have an EV, there are a couple of spots in the lot behind City Hall where you can plug in. Of course, there have been a few welcome changes and upgrades over the years; I was amazed to see they have a 3D printer. Today I enjoyed learning to use the Memory Lab with Matthew. Available for use by appointment only (after an introductory session with a librarian), it's a great way to digitize and archive old pictures, VHS tapes, film negatives, slides, documents, and more. The Epson Expression 12000XL is badass, and I was amazed to see it could scan and handle some glass plate negatives from the late 1800s. Matthew was very kind and patient with my questions and took about an hour to show me how to use everything in detail. I feel so lucky to live in a town with a library with great programs like the Memory Lab. read more

Library has a very loose concept of Open time. Very quick to close & lyk they're closing. WiFi is spotty & Printer is NOT WiFi accessible & U get charged for every single page & U have to waste time telling/paying Librarian @ desk exactly what U printed & PAY them (Go to Civic Center library instead as you get 70 pages free per week). Just went through a remodel if possible made library smaller for adult seating on 2nd floor. Staff can be hostile (especially part-time staff during weekdays & DEFINITELY don't know PC's. Network is spotty @ best on either floor. I've visited all the Marin libraries & by far the worst. Catalog is mediocre as is space AFTER BIG remodel! Definitely didn't hire an audible expert as it echoes more than any other Marin library so any conversation isn't private. Rules are "selectively enforced" & Sr. Librarians appear to have"petty tyrant " mentality. "Neurodivergent" patrons have slept, done drugs, drug deals & eaten a complete lunch in front of librarians without any admonishment. ONLY library & City Hall in Marin to CLOSE for 12 days straight over holidays to "do projects ". Highly recommend using any other library in Marin. Parking lot is TINY & local private HS students park in lot all day as well. Currently BEST options are Fairfax (4 ) or Novato (3.5 ,, Civic Center (short hours but 70 pages print per week are free+ NICE staff 4 ). Sausalito (recommend 4.5+ ). Corte Madera (4.5 ) even Bel-Tib or Marin City (4 )are better. + ANT problem due to patrons constantly eating/leaving food + sugar'd drinks inside. IF possible the Adult section for sitting is smaller than before the remodel! Patrons routinely take & answer long cell calls inside loudly + library is often used for paid private tutoring by local private school kids + their tutors. NOT my choice! 1 as a library. 2 for watching "Neurodivergent, using that phrase instead of batsh** crazy). If you want to wait & watch meth or pot deal 4 ). Reminds me of the mess of the Richmond Amtrak/BART unmanned station! Definitely check the hours as the hours change daily. Opens latest of any Marin library too! I wouldn't bring my small children here again due to other patrons + lack of decent HEPA air filtration. Both kids got sick after visiting this library! None of the others as we looked for a kid friendly library with a good overall catalog. Libraries should be SAFE Spaces. Anything but! read more

I don't get to San Rafael more than once or twice a year from the East Bay, so being on a recent Sunday I wanted to stop by the San Rafael library. Mainly, I wanted a San Rafael library card. Why would I want such a card being so far away? Simple: using the Libby app I can borrow books from any library system for which I am a member. If the Contra Costa Library system does not have a book, I can check the Marin system and borrow it from there - all remotely from my phone. (UPDATE: subsequently I discovered that Marin's Overdrive contract, unlike some other counties, does not allow "out of jurisdiction" ebook borrowing. Oh well.) Getting the library card was easy. The young man at the front desk was very helpful, and I was eligible as long as I was a California resident and had ID/proof of residence. In five minutes I had my shiny new card! We then checked out the library. The first floor is all a children's section, and the adult books are up the stairs on the second floor. Unlike the new libraries I have visited recently, this is more old school, but well preserved. Like libraries of old, most of the space is dedicated to - gasp - books! There are more books in this library than in some of the much larger new libraries. Book categories are easy to find with large signs throughout each aisle. The grounds are beautiful - large, shade trees and an expanse of green grass. If you visit you will have to find parking on the street. The parking lot is very tiny, more of a drop-off/pickup space. This is an historic library, a sign indicating the lot was bought by city residents back in 1906, and construction was funded by a Carnegie grant of $25,000. We continue to benefit today from those generous individuals of a century before. read more

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I've been going with the family to this library on Wednesday evenings for years. It's a quiet place to do some work e-mails while my wife and the kids read or do their work. I love the old, cozy historic building. Security is pretty good, there are some transients that come in for a respite, and in the past, they could get a little disruptive, but the security has kept that in check. Besides, they need a place to go, too. I rarely need to talk with the staff but they are quite helpful and friendly. Quiet little community spot at the edge of downtown San Rafael. read more

Walking in I was immediately brought back to the 1950s. Near ceiling high wooden shelving with narrow aisles in between units. Neatly legible signs were hanging from above letting you know what subject area. It was easy to navigate and boy where there a lot of books! Very cozy. My mission was upstairs, while wife was down stairs in the children's section. We were planning a trip to the Balkans and their travel area did have a number of guides for that area and for many others. Same for language books. I found what I wanted but thought to get a Cyrillic alphabet book so I could at least sound out the signage we would encounter. The strength of this library rests with the wonderful staff of librarians. They were so helpful. My mission was accomplished so went down to check in with my wife. A-OK operation. Visiting grandchildren, we were working with the K and 2d graders on their reading and math skills. And getting some interesting bedtime reading was also high on our list. The children's library is amazingly large. It is a library in its own right. And the librarian was super helpful. She really know her stuff. My wife is a recovering school teacher so her conversation with the children's librarian was very focused. The librarian tracked perfectly with my wife's description as to specific areas of reading and math skills, by grade lever and they pursued their computer to select the exact books my wife needed. She also put me on to some Cyrillic alphabet and language books. I was positively impressed, for sure. San Rafael has a great asset in this main library. Thanks to all for your help. read more

So where do you go with 6 boxes of German books after your relative passes away? After doing a little research, the answer was simple: San Rafael Public Library. If you visit them on Monday, Wednesday or Friday (9:30am - 11am), you can donate your books, and they'll take care of the rest. Plus, they'll even give you a tax deductible receipt. It's a total win-win! I'm so glad to have discovered their services. And I'm truly grateful to know that these books will find a good, new home! read more

I am so grateful for all of the books I have ordered online and picked up during the Pandemic! The staff is always friendly and helpful. Receiving an email that a new book I ordered is ready for pick up, has been a highlight of my day. Thank you! read more

I like the fact that the San Rafael Library is right next to city hall. If I'm at city hall I always drop by the library to browse. This library is very organized and computer space is always available. I never had a problem getting a computer right away or a small wait for one. I also like the fact that the magazines and newspapers are next to the computers. The flow of the library is mapped out well. I like the grab the wall street journal or Sunday New York Times to read at the library. It saves me a good $3.00 each week and I like being around old books too. Staff is very friendly and helpful. read more

DVD's are now free! Well, not all of them. Just the documentaries, instructional ones such as education, languages, yoga, etc.

A lifelong resident of San Rafael, the library has always been a part of my life. I wish it was open on Sunday afternoons.

It has books, what is so wrong about that? But, sometimes it bugs when they have a lot of books in Large print. So I have just learned to accept it. I take the large print autobiographies and non-fiction that I check out, set them up on one side of the room, walk across the room about 10 or 15 feet, than start reading. More book in regular font please? And can I check out more DVD's movies for free? Or at least expand on the documentary section? Maybe more foreign documentaries too? read more

The library workers have been very helpful and efficient. Due to Covid 19 restrictions I haven't been able to enjoy the wonderful reading room and stacks in this Carnegie historical building. I can't wait to return read more

Love their memory lab...used it to scan docs to purge. It does require you to reserve a space. Miriam was very helpful and friendly.

Recommend going to another Library in the area. Having just moved to San Rafael I don't yet have an address that can be used for a library card -- my boyfriend and I both needed to print resumes and it was no problem last week for him to pay 10 cents a print without a library card. Nor was it a problem for the two guys in front of me in line this afternoon, however apparently being a woman was a problem for the librarian as I got a strict talking to about how I need a library card to use the library. Thanks so much for making someone who was having a bad day feel even worse. The last thing you would ever expect from a library, a place you assumed would always be warm and welcoming! Aside from my personal experience, this library seems very outdated and is not an attractive atmosphere I would choose to read in. read more

First the staff are always helpful. Second, I love being able to get books from any Marin library even if they don't have it. Third, I appreciate that they don't do late fees on children's books anymore. I feel lucky this library is part of our community. read more

I wish, wish, WISH that SRPL had a bigger space to house the great people that work there and great books, but that's all up to the city. I do love the architecture that currently house the books, it's a very interesting layout. They have a large selection of fiction novels, children's books and a separate computer/study section and when I bring my laptop to the Library I get free Wi-Fi, so awesome! read more

The other day my husband and I visited this library with our 7 month old daughter for storytime. Our little daughter had fun listening to songs and doing the fingerplays (with our help of course). The librarian read some wonderful books and at the end, my daughter was very excited to touch the big teddy bear the librarian was using. read more

The SR Public Library is a great place to go, with excellent book choices and committed staff who will spend time helping you with searches. Yes, it's true that there are homeless people using the library sometimes, just like you and me and all the other people that use the library. They have never bothered me in the 9 years that I've been going there. The building is older, historic and sits on a grassy lot with a lovely large tree nearby. Not modern and fancy like Mill Valley's library, but cozy and comfy. Thank goodness for public libraries! read more

Jerry Seinfeld says the library is like that pathetic kid who will loan you his things if you would just bring them back. I love the joke, but I love my Marin libraries even more--everything I need, right at my fingertips, and free. In a world of ever-increasing expenses, I feel blessed to have this resource. Thank you!!! read more

The staff is very helpful; they will spend serious time locating a book for patrons. I would rate 5 stars, but the selection at this library isn't the best. I normally have to order books from another library or end up going to Borders to buy them. Overall, great place. read more

San Rafael Public Library is excellent! Extremely knowledgeable staff...fantastic access to titles through an inner county lending system! Very current new fiction, nonfiction sections! Computers available for reservation! Also has an extensive DVD &/CD collection! It is laid back & rather ruff around the edges but that obly adds to it's home spun feel! read more

My client and I have only had positive experiences at the SR Library. It is always clean, & organized, everyone that works there is very helpful, good systems in place for picking up special requests, books or movies.....we special order movies upstairs and the nice people there are always willing to give you their time and help in locating things. If the security guard is making it an even better place than so be it! Where'd that cute young guard go? Zero complaints! read more

I love this library! Been going there since the mid-80's. The staff is great, too. Very knowledgeable and welcoming. The entire Marin County library system is so user-friendly, especially with online searches, requests and holds. What could be easier than searching for a book you've heard about, asking that it be sent from one of the other branches, and getting an e-mail telling you when it's ready to pick up?! If other readers want it, too, it simply goes on a hold list for you until it's your turn. All extremely easy to manage online. I really like the electronic self-checkout, as well. Thank you! read more

too many dvd theves likely the riff raff tweakers who hang out here, otherwise very helpful employees and good wifi