Atherton Library

It’s a very peaceful library. The librarian at the front desk was very nice to me and answered all my questions. I was able to make it just an hour before they closed! Thankfully they changed the closing time to 6 instead of 5 on Fridays!

It’s nice that it’s there, but it could be better. Great location. Beautiful outside. Feels like a large portable building inside with the negativity of fluorescent lights. I would love to see a remodel of the inside, or at least using «warmer» lighting.

This is from the view of the parents of a toddler (and most likely, the toddler herself based on her giddiness as soon as she steps in everytime). It’s totally awesome! their baby, toddler and children’s programs are great fun and well thought out. our toddler is totally enamored with it. The fact that the library is small and single story and not super crowded makes it perfect for the little people.
My wife has gone to baby story time, music, and movie night. The toddler dance party sounds right up our daughter’s alley since she shimmy’s incessantly, so they’ll attend that soon.
Kudos to the staff as they are all extremely nice and supportive of the youngsters. They are just great.
While we live by the almighty new Mitchell Park Library, the hominess and rich programs of Atherton keep us huge fans.

Old school library with a small town feel. It feels remote and is in a quaint little pocket of Atherton. The library itself is small and not really up to date looking, but that is part of its charm.

I’ve lived in Atherton for my whole life and considering that this town has no commerce– the charm is hard to find between the 50’s style ranch houses and the multi million dollar houses that are taking over. The Atherton library is just the pinch of cute that this town needs. Over the years, I’ve been to the library for many reasons, and they always seem to help. I often came here during my SJSU years to study because it was more peaceful than studying at home or my sorority.
I recently ventured back here because I am taking care of a small child and his mother mentioned that the library does a toddler reading session every tuesday morning. I like the baby and all, but it’s nice to get some fresh air and adult interaction =). Whhhhhat a cute idea! There were lots of kids there, mostly between 2 – 4 years, making my 13 month old seem so small! The librarian was sweet with a great temper and read several fun stories to the kids. I love how precious the Atherton library is– if you need 3 million obsolete books at your disposal there are other libraries which will suit you much better.
Parking is limited but available none the less.

It’s a cool little spot, but it is small, essentially one room. There’s a real chance you’ll be disappointed if you’re looking for a library that’s half-​way quiet once in a while. The kids’ areas part of the room and kids are kids, sure, but no shortage of parents don’t make the first effort to keep the kids even a little bit quiet.
(My upbringing was far from harsh and strict, but my parents had no time for me and my sisters doing stuff like being loud in libraries or anywhere in public, — unlike a whole lot of parents these days.)

Small library. nice environment. Please bring ur headset, there’s no study room!

Charming, cozy little place.
Would be delightful to hang out and work or read here … except that it is SO loud! From the kids to the elderly patrons to the many front-​desk (!!) staff/​volunteers, all seem to be unaware that the library is not the place for their constant loud chatter.
Is «Silence in the Library» a relic of the past?

Wow, what a cute little library! Its probably not the best place to find a huge selection of books as the place is super tiny. but what it lacks in books, it makes up for in charm! My favorite place here is the secret garden in the back. Its crazy quaint and peaceful. I could imagine myself just coming here and lazying away the weekend to a good book. Such a hidden gem!

I love this little library. It’s my favorite library of all the libraries in San Mateo County and that’s saying lots!
The review just before me calls it «the secret library» and that describes it perfectly. I really don’t want anyone else to know about it cuz it’s my secret little spot. But they also deserve a great review and kudos for how they manage this library.
The staff are just so friendly and wonderful. I always say it’s the library «where everybody knows your name». I am greeted like a friend when I walk in the door. This is the advantage of a smaller library and I know the larger ones simply can’t do this.
I find more current interesting books here than I do in the bigger libraries. The DVD movie selection is also very good.
I have all my «holds» sent to this library cuz the parking is easy and it’s such a convenient location.
I don’t know who is responsible for putting the books out on the special section displays but i usually walk in and clean those right off the shelf.
There is a charming garden in back that I think most people miss.
I overheard a patron talking about new plans for an Atherton library and it kind of made me sick. I just don’t want this little library to change. It’s perfect the way it is.

i loove this library. i call it «the secret library»
it’s very hidden and quiet. i enjoy this silence.
it is tiny but has all the good books, and almost all the new novels.
it has a pretty big selection of dvds too.
you realllly can’t talk in here. everyone will be hearing your conversation and knowing your life story. and that is the beauty of a proper library.

Talk about a tiny library. The Atherton Public library is probably one of the smallest, if not the smallest public library in the San Mateo public library system.
That said, I have found that because it is tucked deep in Atherton, books located here rarely get checked out. I have been able to check out numerous books located at Atherton even when they are in heavy demand elsewhere. This library also has all of the standard library amenities — reasonable amount of parking, free wifi, a comfortable reading environment, reading programs, etc.
Given how awesome San Mateo’s public library system is, and how many of the branches are easily accessible, it is hard to give Atherton’s library more than three stars. Here’s hoping that this library will be expanded at some point.

Yesterday I really wanted to check out I Know This Much Is True by Wally Lamb. I went to the Redwood City Library and the catalogue said it was in and also at Atherton Library. I went to the Fiction seciton and could not find it. I checked twice. I was going to ask a librarian to help, but there were four people ahead of me in line. Then I went to Atherton Public Library today with my friend. She had never been. It’s the cutest library and very clean and organized. The librarian was really sweet and helpful. I’ve also gone when there was story time and it is so funny to see the kids try to sit still. It’s great to know that places like this still exist!

I get around. To libraries that is.
Since moving to the area in late August, I have made my rounds. I love the Peninsula Library System because I can always find the book I am looking for. To save the $.75 it costs to request something and have it delivered to your library of choice, I usually pick it up myself at whatever library it is at. Aside from the small fee, this also saves me any wait time, because when I have something in mind, I am rather impatient. My impatience has led me to several of the libraries in the area, and recently, to this little (and I mean little) gem.
When I drove to Atherton Public Library, I thought I must have put the address into my GPS incorrectly. And then I saw it. Too cute for words. It’s small, but they use their space wisely. Because the library is somewhat limited in what they carry, this probably isn’t a place I would go back to just to browse. It would be a good place for someone who is completely overwhelmed by other libraries though, or someone who gets lost easily.
Hours are somewhat limited. Last I checked Monday — Wednesday 10:00 AM — 8:00 PM, Thursday — Friday 10:00 AM — 6:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM — 5:00 PM, and Sunday 1:00 PM — 5:00 PM.
If reviewing a library makes me nerdy, I am fine with that. Smart chicks are good in bed too. And won’t bore you to tears when you aren’t between the sheets.

A quaint, tucked away library off the beaten path, next to the Caltrain station and police station. I used to come here with my Dad a lot when I was a kid and we’d be greeted by Mark right when we entered.
Since going away for school and not really hanging out at the library there have been many new additions such as about 6 computers for users to use the Internet and maybe about 2 or 3 by the book stacks that I guess are used to search for books within the San Mateo County library system. What’s cool is that they’ve even added wifi to the place!
It is a small library so all noises can be heard such as the door slamming when entering or leaving or when you walk to the bookshelves, you’ll hear creaks in the floor and sometimes you’ll be able to hear someone else’s conversation.
Their DVD and CD collection is impressive for the size of the library. They have a self check-​out, but there aren’t too many tables for people to do work or study. 2 hour parking from M-​F from 8AM to 5PM.

This library reminds me of my childhood. It is one of the small things that hasn’t changed very much over the years. This is the place to go if you want peace and tranquility. This library is tiny, but it still offers a great selection of new books and many computers. The peace can be broken when the children come for an event like storytime, but that is all part of the Atherton library’s charm.

APL is located in an idyllic little intersection near the quaint free-​parking Caltrain station and across the street from Atherton’s Gomer Pyle-​era municipal buildings. It is a small library but carries an astonishing array of DVDs. I was able to properly satiate my Queer As Folk obsession through APL. Probably oweing to the number of wealthy housewives in the area, there is also a very good collection of cookbooks and parenting books that I avoid because they make me feel guilty and inadequate. The elderly patrons have no doubt had an influence on the voluminous collection of suspense and mystery novels, as well as large treatises on how to figure out Medicare Part B and the like. The children’s section is rather small. Their CD selection isn’t terrible – they have The Editors, Talking Heads, lots of REM, etc. But they also have Hootie & The Blowfish, Sheryl Crowe, and NO Radiohead (!). One of the greatest features of this library is its generous hours – pretty much 10 to 7pm everyday! Where I grew up, the library was open maybe 4 hours a day, 3 days a week, so I’m impressed. Overall, it’s a good library, particularly good for DVDs, recipe books, and all interests geriatric.