This is one of my favorite libraries! It's spacious, with plenty of tables and chairs. There are designated sections for teens, children, and a quiet area. My favorite part: It's very clean, well-organized, and has an open floor plan that feels spacious rather than cramped. And the bathrooms are clean I never have trouble finding a table--there are plenty spread throughout the library. The staff here are always pleasant, and there's ample parking available. read more

Santa Teresa Branch Library - Inside - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

Great library to study and get work done. It's really spacious and fresh inside compared to other library's. Only issue is the parking lot. It is pretty small & spots are a bit narrow and compact. Aside from that, the library has a room dedicated for teens, a computer room, lounge area and plenty of open tables spread out. read more

Comfy chairs and lots of natural lighting. There's a parking lot for the library outside. It's next to a hospital so be sure to park at the right place. The only thing is that the quiet study and group study areas have bad circulation which means it gets smelly and musty quick. read more

See all

I love this library! It's clean, great selection of books, lots of fun programs offered, very friendly staff, well lit and well organized. Lots of places to sit and read books. I plan to be a regular here for sure read more

Santa Teresa Branch Library - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

Since the budget cut this library now opens WEDNESDAY - SATURDAY. As for the return area, they now have automated machines makes it so much easier to return but you must be patient with these machines.. Very clean library, great staff here. They are all so helpful and try their best to assist you with your needs or concerns. They have a big area for children section. Their children area is very big which is useful because they offer story time, they also have a toddler computer, activities, and play time with the toys they have there at the branch. They have a total of 2 study rooms and also another room which has a couple of tables in there if you desire a little more quiet area as oppose to the living room area infront of the fire place and magazines. Everything is neatly organized and you definitely won't find this library a mess when walking in because staff do keep their space tighty and clean. TIP: They only accept Cash or check for payments. Nevertheless, you can always make your payments online with your credit card :) read more

Santa Teresa Branch Library - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

Been coming here 2-3x a week in the evening to help Gavin w/ his homework. It's been a great alternative than doing his homework at home. Super friendly staff. Parking is iffy (small parking lot). On some days it is hard to find a vacant table but usually we have no problem. The entire library is clean and organized. I love the children's area. It is super inviting, fun, and quiet. Because he is getting older he is starting to ask questions. He asked if I am going to die. When I said "I will but later" I did not think he would take that literally. He did. He asked who will kill me and that he doesn't want me to die. I told him I will strive to provide him w/ everything he needs and that I will be there for him always. Even when I die I hope he comes to my Yelp page to see all the adventures and places we have done together. Just me and him. read more

Great collection good story hour packed. Nice study rooms good reference librarians and staff.

Great wi-fi and plenty of space to work, study and read. There is also a children's area where kids can explore a variety of books and play with some toys. read more

With a completely brand new collection, the Santa Teresa Branch Library opened on Feb. 6, 2010! There are tons of things at this library for everyone: DVDs, a tech center, cafe, consumer health section, a large fiction and biography collection, computers for children, a teen center, community room, DVDs in a variety of languages (Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, Hindi, just to name a few), a living room with a fireplace, quiet study area, and a beautiful children's room. And these are just the physical things in the library! The library also provides plenty of programs and services: 4 storytimes a week, teen advisory group, homework center, ESL conversation groups, adult book clubs, children's crafts, and a weekly chess class. Come in and check out the library. The staff is happy to be there to help you with whatever needs you may have. Also make sure to be their friend on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/santateresalibrary read more

See all

I don't live near this library but if you want a place to chill out or get some quick things done this is the place to go. ST Library has been around since my elementary school years but I had not idea it was so cool. It's really spacious and you can literally roam around or just gawk out the window if you got nothing to do. In terms of food traffic it's pretty laid back here. Everyone is doing their own thing and there is that sense of privacy that I crave. It's even perfect for meditation and quiet sleeping if that is your thing. Even on the weekend there is less people. If you are not from the areas of Monterey Rd, Blossom Hill or Oakridge, I highly recommend you stop over here. It's easy to navigate the place too. If you ride the bus, it's even better. A bit smaller than Singaporean libraries but a real pleasure to be in read more

Very nice library located in South San Jose near what is now a very dense residential and business area. It's been open a few years now, and is also directly across from the Kaiser hospital. On-site parking can be a bit tight, but there is also street parking available. read more

FINALLY! This library is re-opened after being closed for years for renovation. I am a huge book worm and fan of libraries and was so happy to have my local library re-open. Now I only have to travel 3 miles rather then 10 miles to the local library. Today was the grand opening and my friend Maria and I had been waiting years for this day! We made a date of it by having coffee that morning and then heading to the library at 11am to partake in the big ceremony of the opening. It was crazy busy with people but I was glad. This library will get a lot of foot traffic and that makes me happy! This library has a Teen area and kids area as well as technology center. This location also has a drink bar! Way cool! Lots of places to see with tons of windows to bring the natural sunlight in. The books are all new looking and the binding of the books are labeled clearly and horizontal which makes it MUCH easier to find the book you are looking for. No longer do I have to lean my head to the right to read the library label. Woohooo! Plenty of parking and several self-check out stations. I am a huge fan and will be back every week! So happy! read more

The remodel is absolutely fantastic! I am so impressed. Also, I love the fact that it has a coffee cart inside the libary too! The is definitely lots of seating for your needs: Children's area, study group tables, private reading areas. What I enjoy is that the librarians really personalize the programs and resources for the South San Jose and Santa Teresa neighborhood communities. This is what makes this library branch special: personable, knowledgeable, and caring staff. Plus: Many windows to let in natural light versus light bulbs! Less stress on the eyes while reading! read more

This library is great for kids, they have an area just for them. Its also a very attractive library, looks great on the outside and inside, nice looking architecture, with interesting public tidbits like the row of author's plaques along the walkway outside. However for some reason this library reminds me more of a bookstore than an actual library. As nice as it looks, its pretty bare. They have occasional book sales where you can pick up all kinds of books at low prices. Budget cuts (San Jose is short on revenue?) have reduced days of operation to Wednesday through Saturday. Its also a fairly small library, they don't really pack in a large selection of books here. These things make it somewhat unreliable. read more

This library is: -Clean -Super Organized -Very Friendly and Helpful Staff -Lots of Parking -Open til 6P on Saturdays -Does not smell funny I needed a book for a class, since I didn't buy the book with enough time from amazon or a big book store in SJ, I decided to look at the public library system. The Santa Teresa Library had the book I needed. While the location is a little hard to find there is plenty of parking. The minute I walked in the staff was super friendly. There was this really nice young lady helping me. (I can't remember her name) She looked for the book I needed and pointed me in the right direction. She also showed me how to check out a book when I don't have my library card. I can't say enough about the wonderful experience I had. **The one down fall was that the people checking out books were taking forever, the three check out machines were busy with people who were checking out 20 book, and I'm not kidding. read more

This public library has a great learning environment but the quiet study room smells like cigarette. Please do something about it. Thank you! read more

Came here today for a bible study with my friend, Lucy. We've found out that the library is a perfect meet up place for our bible study and this spot is mid way from where I live and Morgan Hill. They have 2 rooms that you can reserve for a group of 2 people or more. The reservation is good for one hour, but we overstayed our reservation by 1.5 hours. Nobody came to kick us out. I guess they're not too strict about the time unless it is reserved by others. It's a small library with enough parking. It's located near Kaiser Santa Theresa hospital. It just looks busy everywhere else. The customer service is good. I haven't been in the library for a long time, so I had to apply for a new card. Everything is via computer now. If you want to reserve a room, you sign up on the computer, too. This library is clean and they have return slots right outside the entrance. They also have a room full of computers that you can rent also. read more

Our "go to" library. Tons of books and not packed. Have a quick return (for when they are closed) out front. Lots of parking, overflow parking lost is HUGE. Nice place! read more

We live close by and it's a great place to ready, have fun with kids and take some nice books to read at home. Always clean and bright. There is a big Family Zone with activities for kids. Highly recommend to visit. read more

See all

Gorgeous remodeled library - large, well lit, all sections are well designated. Lots of seating, nice chairs, desks, a quiet study room, and lots of computers. Good size collection and access to reserve titles from any SJ libraries and SJSU library (can select pick up branch). Also, I am going to check into their eBook option. It looks like they have a large children's book and activity area, but I didn't check it out in detail. Staff is helpful. Coffee bar inside. Decent size parking lot in the back. read more

Today we visited the library for the Preschool Story Time. The employee that ran the session was fantastic. There were stories, songs, interactive songs, and counting followed by rewarding the kids with stickers and toy play time. They announced other events that were coming up such as Music and Movement and some art project days. We'll definitely be there for those. Private businesses charge a small fortune for those services but you can find it for free at the library! read more

This is such a nice library. Located by the big Kaiser building, it's well lit, with a modern interior, zippy wifi and, of course, plenty of books, DVDs, periodicals, public computers and comfy seating. What more could you want? read more

What a great remodel! The little dinky library down the street is now COOL...while it is still smaller in terms of how many books it carries as a branch library, the space inside is great. There's plenty of seating, things are clean and easy to find. My favorite part of this library is the interaction with the community. They have programs all the time for just about everyone; teddy bear picnics for the kids, homework help, classes for the community (talk with a lawyer! immigration information! gardening!). There's a just-for-teen room, class rooms, even a small kiosk where you can get snacks AND THEY LET YOU EAT THEM IN THE LIBRARY. Usually what I'll do is scope out books I want to read online and just request them to be sent to this library, and then when I pick them up I browse the new books section too. Great job, San Jose! I don't even mind paying late fees on my books because I'm sure (ok, I hope) they go back into supporting the library system. read more

I live right next door! Never utilized the library until yesterday. Kind staff. I needed to use the computer to update my resume. Easy to use and it was pretty empty at 11 am. Quiet place. Very clean . I'd come back just for the relaxing feeling. read more

It's nice they modernized this library. But it is still small and has a limited selection of books. Often there are kids running around or people talking loudly on the phone. The staff just walks by. I thought this was a library? The parking lot has a few spaces reserved for fuel efficient vehicles. I've only seen gas guzzlers occupying those spots. read more

This place needs to have more weekend hours but I understand the budget cuts. It has finally finished remodeling (After ages) so it looks pretty spiffy now. read more

The newly renovated Santa Teresa library has gone through a huge upgrade compared to its old state. Very clean with a modern look and style. Better computer labs and now a teen spot where they can hang out. The only thing I miss from the old library was how spacious it was before with the roof way above you. But I'd still go to this library anyways. read more

I have been going to this place to borrow books, study, and play since I was a little child... I have lots of memories there... I haven't been there for a while and I decided to study at the library... The library has vastly changed! It's actually pretty crazy because it's a whole different place... Although the upgrade and new design may be cooler and new, it's really uncomfortable. The old library was so homey and it just felt like a comfortable library... The new library is now awkward, strangely designed... It feels like a museum more than a place where you can just study your butt off... I didn't really comfortable and just left after an hour of trying to study... Also the study room is so small and it only has two tables, so it's hard to get a spot there... read more

This library is clean and the service is friendly. The book return machines are nice in the front, but the one on the left can be a little problematic. The WiFi works well and it is usually a quiet place to study. read more

See all

The Santa Teresa Branch library is one located directly across from Kaiser Hospitable. It was a tiny parking lot, so during the busy hours, parking can be found out on the street. The library has a large children's area, a large non-fiction area but a small fiction area. There are only two shelves that hold recently published novels. There are 4 self-checkout kiosks that are easy to use and there is usually someone standing near there ready to help patrons that have questions. I'm not sure is this is one of the libraries that is on the remodel list, but it could stand some upgrades, like a larger study area. read more

Santa Teresa Branch Library - Libraries Near Me - San Jose, California

Love coming here on Saturday afternoons. I bring the kids and we hang out in the family area reading books, playing on the computers and finding books to check out. The staff is always friendly and helpful when we need assistance (which isn't very often.) Parking can be a little painful, but there is plenty of street parking for overflow. Great neighborhood treasure read more

Love love love story time for the kids. Great way to meet (new) moms and allow your kids to interact with other kids. Story time is for pre walkers (Wednesdays) and walkers (thursdays). Story time is followed with play/tummy time. The mat and toys are clean. Not sure how often they sanitize things but it doesn't look gross haha read more

I pass by this library by my house all the time and always wanted to check it out since it looked so modern and new. Finally I had a chance to after doing some cleaning at our house and wanted to donate some books. First time making my way there, did not know how to find the parking lot. I guess you have to turn into Kaiser and navigate your way to the super small lot. After finding some street parking, we headed in and was already impressed with the digital return stations outside. Walking in, we were greeted by comfortable lighting, clean and new displays, and friendly staff. I was able to quickly find a staff member to help me with my donation and he also quickly printed out a tax-deduction receipt. Also, it took a mere minute to register for a library card (which I haven't done in YEARS) which we promptly used to check out a DVD. I was also impressed with the selection of DVDs that they had..although it is a little difficult to browse since is all alphabetical and the print on the binding is not the clearest. I also liked that they had a lot of "help" books and material you would find in any bookstore. I didnt get a chance to check out the other parts of the library like the kids section and computer/study sections but so far I was very impressed with the library. read more

Dear Yelp Journal, Came into the library on a day where they performed a song and dance. It was an awesome experience! They performed a song about "Jack the Ripper" and was highly entertaining!Kudos to them for bringing musical theater into the library to reach a diverse audience! I also learned how to download e-books on to my kindle. Rob, helped me go on the library site to save my preferences, and where to find books that I have requested. The library has a lot to offer, from meeting spaces, study spaces, reading times for kids and also community events. I look forward to visiting the library more and more, especially with the musical/cultural performances!!! Sincerely, A Well-read Yelper read more

Not to quiet during The Weekends, lots of children playing games and running around. But lots I mean a handful 3-5 you'll see giggling and talking. But tbh I don't mind I was a kid too. And I'd rather them be here then doing something unproductive. All in all I'll give a 5 tbh I don't mind the small parking lot. I live about 2 min away across from Santa Teresa so it's super convenient for me. I'm 24 and finishing my degree in law enforcement. So if anything this place helps me with sharpening my focusing and attention to detail when I use the restroom and my sticky notes are missing! haha jk read more

The staff is friendly and very informative. I love how you check your books in outside if you're in a rush. Also, the story time in the children's area was fun. And the library is very clean, which makes it a great place to sit and just relax!! read more

I buy books from their Friends of SJPL bookstore sometimes. There are gems. I found a Scribner's Classic edition of Hemingway's Old Man By the Sea in fair condition, and it only cost 50 cents. Yesterday, I took a kid here to get his first library card. Santa Teresa had 8 different designs for their library card, including one of a shark. I'm envious, I only have the regular green one with the lion on it. I also found the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series here, even an audiobook. I like how ST Branch has audiobooks and DVDs specifically for children. Overall, this is a pleasant place to be. read more

Such a great library! Great location. So clean and comfort able after the beautiful upgrades. Friendly staff always willing to help. Lots of activities programs we don't use nearly enough. Computerized check out. read more

There is some nice original artwork like the tree outside the library,and plenty of outside space for people who want to talk on the phone.The open layout of the interior is not really appropriate for a library,and it gets pretty noisy.It gets really hot in there,probably due to the outdated floor to ceiling windows.The tech room is pretty crappy to be honest.All the computers face into the windows,and it gives you a headache even when the filters are closed (these hardly qualify as shades).Ican't imagine what kind of moron decided how to place them.A lot of people just use the kid computers if they're not occupied.This library has special drinking fountains which makes it easy to fill refillable water bottles.It has a digital tally of how many plastic water bottles were saved or sommething like that.The community room is separated from the main part so it doesn't get so noisy during the story time. read more

The library very clean and staff is not rude good computers there are printer you can also book computer rooms I recommend doing research of book report and stuff like that but the photos are outdated they have new checkout machines. read more