Berkeley Public Library – West Branch

I really wanted to like this library because it’s in such a convenient location, but every time I visit I am disappointed. After the redesign there is only one place for adults to sit which is a large community multi-​purpose room. As expected, it’s a place where crazies unpack all their treasures or old women talk out loud to each other. Meanwhile, the teen room is really nice and largely empty. They also have surprisingly few books and their printer services cost more than the copy shop a block away. They also use Comcast internet and on average 1 out of every 7 visits the internet doesn’t work. I really don’t get it. Berkeley property taxes are extremely high in part to pay for these public services, but none of the libraries are worth a shit.

Good luck getting walk in use of computer. All ‘reservation’ time slots… wtf? And 2 hours each slot? Commonnnnn. 5 computers, and 1 handicap computer… Pretty annoying berkeley.

This library has the worst outlet situation for laptops. Literally, you cannot fit a Mac charger in any outlet at any table. Poorly designed.

I love how I can order a book from one library and than pick it up at my local library.

This place is a disaster of a redesign.
It’s all white, institutional white, so stark it makes you cringe.
It’s primarily one BIG ROOM, which means all the noise, of which there is a considerable amount due to the running kids and Berkeleyesque clientele, just bounces around and makes quiet reading nearly impossible. Moreover, the floors (even in the «quiet» study room) are linoleum which increases the echoing and loudness even more. There are essentially no sound absorbing materials in the place (like carpets, wall hangings, etc.) — all hard surfaces.
The staff tends to sit at their work places talking out loud to each other to kill the time.
The ridiculous use of space is criminal: the «upper area» could have been a separate floor or mezzanine thereby alleviating the cramped feel and apparently small holdings for books.
I think the redesign is actually quite awful and the old place, with all its problems, was quieter and more commodious and more conducive to reading and book exploration.
The only thing I like about it is the façade.

Newly remodeled. Pretty nice enviroment. Everything seems a bit crammed though. Very little space to move around and find a nice spacious area to study. Study room is a bit small, only two small tables and a couch. Clean restrooms and nice staff.

The West Branch is my local book shed. The branch is completely rebuilt (as in, demo’ed the previous eye sore). The West Branch is very modern looking and quite tidy. There may be more space for public use but the space dedicated to books isn’t huge. I plan to use it for picking up the books I reserve. I like the «garden» and the children’s section is nicely done, if tiny. They did not put in enough computers — I have yet to enter the library and see an available machine.
A special shout out to the staffers at West Branch: I use every branch and the Central Library. The staff at West consistently strike me as the best. Thanks!

West Branch has been completely remodeled. It reopened very recently and when we went for a short visit we saw how modern it had become.
It is supposedly the only net zero library in the country which means (among other things) that it’s solar panels produce more energy than the building currently uses.
The space is larger than the former building but when you walk in the actual
book sections seem smaller.
What hit me was the whiteness. Bookshelves, floor, walls and ceilings are all white.
Although white makes things brighter it also makes me think of all the homes
featured in Architectural Digest where everything is white. Maybe it’s just me but a
little more color (reclaimed wood for floor, shelves walls) might have made the building more inviting.
They seem to have done an extensive weeding of their collection — lots of empty
spaces on the shelves.
New things:
An actual room for the Berkeley Reads Program (literacy program) and an
actual office space for them – yay!
A community meeting room that can accommodate 100 people.
A study room that can be reserved for two hours.
Clean public restrooms
Improved office space for the staff
Some comfy chairs
Other:
There aren’t clearly divided sections – the adult, children, teen, ESL sections
all are positioned together.
Yes it’s modern and «improved» but I personally don’t feel the new space is very inviting. The current trend for new library buildings seem to be not making them places you want to hang out in.
One other «plus,» They have a bright neon open/​closed sign in the front clearly
visible when you drive down University… helps people know immediately
that it is open or closed.

This has to be the most energy efficient and most aesthetically pleasing library I have ever visited. Everything in this library is brand spanking new. Half of the library is for kids and other half for adults. Like many new facilities, this one is also working out its kinks. When I visited, the computers were offline but later restored before I left. Whoever designed this building did a much better job on the thermal insulation than the sound insulation. Being a few feet from a very busy road with diesel powered trucks and buses means, there is ample rumbling that gets transmitted into the building. Also this would not be /​BIZERKLY/​without a random insane guy cursing the F-​bomb at the top of his lungs as he walks by the library in very ragged clothing. With respect to light and sound, the high ceilings and open space makes the place appear bigger than it really is. Conversely one loud child in place will make you wish you brought ear muffs and two loud children will make you wish you brought ear plugs. Appropriate signage in multiple language explaining the need to be quiet have yet to be posted. With a little more sound deadening material or signage, this could eventually become a four star library. This has to be cleanest public bathroom in all of Berkeley. I think the patrons would appreciate it more if the Dyson Airblade was recalibrated to turn on more easily. I am extremely confident that in time that this library will become a four to five star example once everything is fixed. A favorite feature is that there are as many outlets as there are seats so I don’t feel like if the person sitting across from me takes an outlet that all hope of using an outlet will be lost. I did wish there was a way to listen to an instructional audio book on CD without disturbing others as I forgot to bring a CD player with me. Overall, this still remains a world class library even if I recommend bringing hearing protection to block out noises until there is a noise abatement policy.

Today, Saturday May 5, 2012 was the last day the building served the public. The west branch location is temporarily closed until approximately mid 2013, while a new building is reconstructed in its place.

I went to the West Berkeley Library needing to use the free wi-​fi since my house’s internet is still patchy at best. I went inside and was immediately depressed by the state of this library. It was three connected rooms (one for children, one for teens and one main room) but the selection is minimal. This isn’t the sort of place you should go to study or do any real work. I was lucky enough to get a table in the main room, but others that came after me were crouched on the tiny Dora the Explorer child-​sized chairs in the children’s reading areas.
I don’t think I’ll be going back to the West Branch anymore. I’ll go the main branch if I ever need books.

What a small place! Although it’s kinda cute. It’s a library with all the typical sections. A huge portion of this library is the children’s area. It doesn’t feel especially comfortable reading a book here. It feels more like a drop and pickup stop instead of a study area. You would be better at home, a park, or coffee shop. Luckily this area has a good number of coffee shops.

Best library in the world!!! No other one like it.