Book-lovers' paradise! Books are well-organised, the catalog is well-maintained and the staff…read moremembers are very helpful. I always end up finding new books everytime I go. PS- their book sale is worth checking out, and so is their honor books section!

Take a sojourn to the land of literature! I am quite fond of libraries, and Goleta Valley is no…read moreexception! I don't just adore this community gem because I'm a bibliophile, but because of the variety of enrichment and resources it offers. Staff are consistently kind, knowledgeable and helpful. The usual books, periodicals, compact discs, dvd, etc. are available to check out. There are also books, dvds and cds for sale at bargain basement prices in the entryway. We always find something we can't say no to. There are so many programs for kids and adults, including the summer reading program, for which there are raffle prizes, art exhibits, informational events, literary events and much more. The access to digital resources is immense, including catalogs of digital movies, music and audiobooks a member can access at home or on the go through a mobile device. There is a parking lot, including disabled parking availability, and the building is accessible, which is important. We are so grateful for our local library!

This place never cease to exists. Since being a student to now, there is so much to offer for…read moreeveryone. And of course a tremendous resource for knowledge. I stopped in to visit the new exhibit showcasing local bee diversity. It was simple but so elegantly done. I'm always impressed with things here. Thank you Gauchos!

Yelp tells me it's National Library Week, so here's an updated version of my review of the UCSB…read moreLibrary, a truly wonderful resource. I wrote the original last year when we were still in the midst of a terrible drought. We got a lot of rain this last winter, but nothing like the storm I describe below. Back in the 90s I was a grad student at UCSB and had the privilege of doing research in this library. It's an outstanding resource and staffed with an incredibly knowledgeable and helpful staff. Five stars all damn day! Also back in the 90s here in Southern California we used to have wet winters. Hardly ever rains in these parts anymore. This story took place in 1994, in the middle of an absolutely epic rainstorm. The wind was so strong that huge decades-old eucalyptus trees were blown down all around campus. Roads running through the campus were blocked with these fallen behemoths. The rain was coming down in torrents. It was a full on El Nino type storm event. I had spent the morning doing research and left the Library a little after noon to walk to my apartment about a half mile away I was wearing my trusty REI raincoat. It has a huge hood that completely covers my head and has a bill that extends out to cover the top part of my face. With the hood on and bill pulled down you can keep your face dry but your forward vision is limited to the area just in front of your feet. I was on the path that led back to family student housing, with a backpack loaded with like 15 pounds of books I had just checked out. The wind was blowing so hard it made the rain look like it was falling sideways. I was walking into the wind as fast as I possibly could, staring at the ground and only peeking out from under my hood occasionally to make sure I wasn't about to run into anything. Since it was raining so hard, and had been for hours, the path was virtually deserted. Every time I peeked out from under my hood there wasn't anyone else on the path. I kept my head down and pushed on into the driving rain. Then the damnedest thing happened. I looked up and saw Professor Steven Hawking no more than five feet away, speeding directly toward me in his wheelchair. We were just seconds away from a head on collision. At the absolute last possible moment I jumped to the right, out of his way. He motored full speed right by me. Missed me by mere inches. It happened so fast there wasn't time to process the situation. I stood there in the pouring rain and watched him roll away. I couldn't move my feet. I was shaking with adrenaline. WTF????? I almost collided with Steven Frickin' Hawking. Now, you wouldn't know it from my profile, but I'm actually a pretty big guy. At the time I was 6'2" and weighed 220 pounds. I had a backpack with over 15 pounds of books on my back and I was walking at full speed. Steven Hawking was 5'6" and weighed about 137 pounds. And he had ALS. All the way home this loop played in my head: Oh my god, that was so close! Oh my god, if I would've hit him head on, I might have killed him . Oh my god, I almost killed Steven Hawking! In my mind's eye I could see the headlines, "World's Smartest Man killed by Village Idiot." When I got home I tried to sort it all out. I had so many questions. Like, first of all, what the hell was Steven Hawking doing in Santa Barbara? And what was he doing out in the middle of a torrential downpour with no attendants? I mean, wouldn't you assume he would have at least a caregiver or a gaggle of grad students around him pretty much all the time? Well, he didn't. He didn't even have a damn umbrella. He had to have been soaked. And then I started thinking about the moment I looked up to find him just five feet in front of me. He had to have seen me coming right at him for a long time before I noticed him, but when I looked up he was coming straight for me. The path was eight feet wide. He could have easily steered around me. But he didn't. He was coming straight at me. That was a startling realization. Immediately I pictured a different newspaper headline: "Village Idiot Survives Assassination Attempt by World's Smartest Man." Since I wrote the original review I found out what Professor Hawking was actually doing at UCSB. He had a close relationship with the UCSB Physics Department and was on campus as a guest of the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. The Institute was launching a series of lectures to make Physics more accessible to the general public. Professor Hawking gave the inaugural lecture of the series at Campbell Hall. Mikey C says: Hey Hawking, I'm walking here!

I like walking down State Street when in Santa Barbara. They block a large portion to vehicle…read moretraffic which is nice for pedestrians. State Street has just about any cuisine you may be looking for. They also have lots of cute shops. This is a nice place to spend the day.

Love the Old Town Santa Barbara! With its Spanish architecture and nice Mediterranean vibe! It's a…read moreperfect mix between a smaller town with a relaxed vibe and a place that has many activities to offer: lots of museums, shopping activities, a great restaurant theme, various street fairs and festivals, check out their calendar when you plan a visit! Perfect place for a day trip or a nice weekend getaway from LA! The beach is close, lots of new breweries and spots great for wine tasting! Things changed here as well over the years, some not for the best, but I always enjoy walking the streets of Old Town, discovering new places, feeling far away, yet close enough. Santa Barbara is always a great idea, lots of fun things to do and the charm of the Old Town is hard to beat!

I stopped into the Carpinteria Community Library since I was moseying myself to the burger joint…read moreacross the street. Curiosity struck. I wanted to know what it looked like inside. So I sauntered myself into the library. It's small in square footage but they sure do pack a lot into the space. Besides books, they have computer (laptops) for in library use by library card holders. There was a cozy children's book and activity area giving off homey vibes. The armchairs added to that vibe along with the architecture of the building. They even had a covered front porch with pub height tables and chairs. Comfy place to crack open your laptop to use the WiFi. Fun fact: the Carpinteria city library was established on November 10, 1910 and was the first county library in California. (Ohhh the 1st). That original building was on 892 Linden Ave. See I learned a new fact. I picked up that little nugget by reading the funky lettered carved wooden sign in the courtyard.

Walking in to this library was a Blast from the Past. Not their past but mine. The smell of the…read morebooks, the sight of rows of orderly books and seeing a lady behind a large desk with cat glasses takes me back to lovely memories. I could spend a whole afternoon here (I wish there was an espresso bar). The library is small but has plenty book books in all topics. The helpful staff set us up with a library card and off we went with 7 books.

I have to tell you right off the bat that I'm partial to the VSO building for hosting functions --…read moreand the staff there. Carmen and Stephen(thank you for your service) worked with me and my team to schedule a great staff meeting / Christmas party. I love being right across from the beach... What a beautiful host location for any function. We chose the Ocean View room and Wow! What a view.. I would highly recommend any function to be held here.

The woman working at the desk was extremely rude and unhelpful. I was in shock that anyone would…read moreturn away someone who is truly interested in history. She would not let me enter because I had forgotten my sticker and program from the Presidio in my car (I had just finished touring the Presidio and the unhelpful male worker there told me that the other museum was free, which is why I left it in the car. ) The rude woman said I could walk all the way back to my car in the oppressive heat to fetch the brochure. She chose not to believe a 50 year old teacher....a prime example of someone who can't see the forest for the trees.

Came to a wedding here recently and it was beautiful. Such a lovely outdoor setting. Very Santa…read moreBarbara. Easily accommodated the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and reception/dancing. Feels private enough with fencing lining the nearby sidewalk. Definitely made for some awesome photo opportunities for the happy couple. There are parking structures nearby and restrooms available on-site.

Very poor customer service. They treat people like they're stupid. It wouldn't hurt them to be a…read morelittle more patient and do a better job of helping the community, that's what they're paid to do. Unfortunately, most of the staff are rude and unprofessional.

I have to admit that i began the process of renewing my Driver's License in Glendale which is/was a…read moretrial by fire and mortar. I mean i went in w/o an appointment and wham bang was accosted by a huge group of people seeking succor from the cali DMV! HA! I went through almost the entire process including taking a photo which made me look like Rock Hudson when it was published that he had AIDS! ( i swear. i look gaunt and ready to meet my maker!) Unfortunately i failed the test and decided to hightail out of the place. I spent over a week in SB for holidays and family illness issues and so i came here on the 27th to take my test over. First of all everyone working here were still on the high of Christmas and treated us all few applicants like long lost family members. It scared me initially and then i got into it. I did ask if i could take my photo over and the nice lady replied: $35 to redo. Ok for that. I mean for 35 bucks i could have a few drinks sitting at the Tee Off bar, right? In any event i passed the test easily, missed 2 and received graciously, my 2024 renewal. The peeps that work here are the best: full of smiles and helpful and caring. Why can't all of the DMZ offices follow that trend? And why can't it be Christmas the whole year 'round? Cheers!

The Santa Barbara DMV, I'd compare it to the Lompoc one as well - there's virtually no line and…read moredealing with the service personnel, they're actually real humans and they talk to you and joke around. But they do mean business - you get in to get out.

worse experience ever. I was one of two people in there. The front desk lady with the mustache kept…read moregiving me attitude for some reason. Even tho I was being very respectful. She answered my question in form of a question and tried making me feel stupid and little. Unnecessary attitude. Even tho the gentleman that I was dealing with at the window did a wonderfull job, those other staff members needs to check their attitude.