San Diego Public Library – North Park Branch Library

This is my local branch and It’s great. Awesome window space along the Study Bar (great feature with ample outlets for getting work done on a laptop). Very friendly staff. Branch manager Bill save my day by helping me out with printing some much needed copies. And also an awesome selection of funky pins at the front counter to purchase (Thanks James for being a pin-​making genius). Thanks NP library!

Small library but definitely not the smallest I’ve been to. Staff is friendly and parking is decent. Honestly I’m just happy they have their own lot in general. Never thought I’d learn to appreciate rare parking lots since moving to cali lol
I like to reserve books here and just pick it up and I’m outta there. The selections aren’t huge since like I said it’s a small place. They have lots of events going on throughout the months so if you have kids, come check it out.
Overall, this place serves its purpose for me so I’m good.

I love attending all the library events for the little ones. I’m a nanny and take my nanny kids to every infant-​toddler library event there is. We love attending babies and books on Fridays, Bill (the branch manger) does an awesome job keeping the little ones entertained and he always picks good books and songs. Bill– if your reading this, just don’t forget the bubbles! It’s «my» twins favorite part ;) I also love when there is musical guests and puppet shows. I have a suggestion for Angie (children’s librarian) that perhaps she could do more more art for little ones. I know sometimes you guys do the art buffet, it’s not the best time for the twins and I so we haven’t gone recently, but I would love if the activity was listed in the printed schedule (not just art buffet) and if some were geared toward toddlers or could be modified for toddlers. Don’t forget to pick up a passport for your child because after 10 visits to the library they get a prize! We are easily at this library twice a week, if not three times. The staff is ALWAYS friendly and helpful and the library is a great place to cool down (they have AC). I wish I could go to some of the free adult activities (recently there was how to relieve stress by doodling– so bummed I missed that) but they are usually during my night classes :(Anyways, I 100 000 000% highly recommend this library and all of its events and it’s hard working awesome staff.

I come here because the location is nice, although small, and convenient. However; every single time that I come here I encounter a rude librarian. Like seriously, they suck! I’ve had it with their bs.

I walked here hoping to get some studying done. I think it’s quieter at Starbucks. I suppose that’s why other people like it here because of the events they put on. There were screaming kids running around and people singing songs. What is going on! I thought libraries were supposed to be quiet. I sat at one of the desks in the back and weird people kept talking to me and disrupting my studying! Please. I do not care about your bracelet. Leave me alone. The employees there seemed nice and helpful but I haven’t been back yet to study. Bummer.

We love this library and the events it puts on for children each week. Story time, musical performances, yoga, sign language. The list goes on.

Nice, clean little library. I came here for the Babies and Books storytime that they present. Bill was great at reading stories and keeping things entertaining for the kids. Lots of fun toys and songs as well. We had a lot of fun!

I love this library. Isla and I come here every week. She’s one year old. Babies and books at the north park library on Friday mornings is not to be missed! My future reader is off to a great start. I love that she has the opportunity to socialize in such a loving setting. Thank you Bill!!!

Best selection of PB Urban Fantasy.
But mostly ‘un-​cataloged’. So, you cannot request a hold, or find in catalogs under ‘Author’, or ‘Title’. You just have to come and search for yourself.

This library is very small, and dark. It was hard to search for items. The location is nice. It seems very kid friendly, a plus.

Six years later and I still love my North Park branch!

I am such a bad North-​Parkian. I didn’t even know this existed until the other day.
Although I have only visited once, I found the librarian to be extremely personable and helpful and I found what I needed… what more can I ask for!
The location was clean and well organized, parking was easy with a lot on the side… and signing up for a library card was painless and MAYBE a little fun because I got to choose from all the pretty colors (doesn’t take much to impress me I guess lol!)
Overall, great first experience and I look forward to returning when need be!

The library isn’t very big and is set up in a bit of a confusing manner. The study areas are a bit spread out; there’s a large seating area on the right side of the building and then desks along the back wall.
There are computers for kids and computers for adults but it seems that nobody respects the differentiation. I’ve often seen adults sitting in the tiny chairs meant for kids, using their computers. There’s also a couple of computers meant to be used to pre-​register for your library card before completing the registration with a librarian but apparently there’s free reign on there, too. Some kid cut me off and started looking up books on this computer when I was about to register for a library card.
And the talking… nobody respects the quite atmosphere that you typically find in a library! I’ve heard even the librarians having loud, pointless conversations in the aisles of books.
However, the place is close to my house and convenient.

I came here at least two or three days a week if not more when I didn’t want to study at home, or needed wifi. I am very thankful that there is a library around where I moved. But…
I grew up learning that a library is a quiet place, a place where people read and study, thus, everyone should be very quiet to respect that. And if you need to communicate something to your friend, you can whisper it quickly or use the sign language. If that’s your definition of what a library is… not here.
This is more of a community center where they hold an event everyday of the week. One day, you will find a bunch of kids screaming and yelling. Another day, you will hear a teacher giving a computer lesson. They even hold music classes out loud where you can’t really focus on anything. People might even come here to chat out loud across the tables and catch up on where they are in life.
With that, they still offer a selection of books, and 1hr of computer usage (they are always full), printing (20c per page and 50c to get a card) and copying options!

Nothing especially memorable one way or the other here. I prefer a shorter wait to use a computer, so bear that in mind if that’s the reason for your visit. They usually have what I’m looking for, and if they don’t, they can order it. Convenient parking lot, so you don’t have to fight the street parking.

We stopped by to purchase books to help open a children’s library during their monthly book sale and they were nice enough to help us in our efforts!
The location isn’t that large and it seems that most patrons really only come in to use the computers but it’s still a nice quiet place. The security guard is a little suspicious of looking at you suspiciously.
I can only vouch for Laura who was incredibly helpful and friendly.
Ill definitely be looking through the selection of books to check out in the future.

NOT happy. All I did was spend literally 10 seconds in there and the short librarian lady with curly short hair was rude in asking if my boyfriend and I needed help. When I asked her for a Copy Card to print items she told us how to get one like she was annoyed with us asking (like we should know or something). Besides her, the library was pretty small and the only thing that made me smile on the way out was seeing a Maurice Sendak book.

what do you really expect from a branch library? I am guessing convenience and efficiency. If that is what you get when you go to North Park Library than you should be satisfied, as you are essentially getting something for free, unless you are so lazy you cannot return the books, publications, cd’s or dvd’s on time and you are fined. You can always put a hold on a book, etc. online and pick it up at the branch library to avoid surfing and sifting through periodicals and call numbers and the consequential germs that come with it and your books not only will be on a hold shelf, but the library will notify you when they are on that hold shelf. Spare yourself and me reading your review of driving a big fat mile and not finding the publication of your choice at a branch library without thoroughly doing your own homework first. Review: go online to:

and search for a publication prior to heading to library. Put the copy of said publication on hold and pick up when you receive the email that it is, indeed, ready. And remember, checking out library books is sustainable.

Look, let’s be honest. Literally the only reason I come to this library is because it’s walking distance from my house. It’s not for the huge selection of books and it’s certainly not for the cheerful customer service (I’ve never before in my life overheard so much rudeness from so many librarians). Thank god for self check out and inter-​library holds because otherwise there’d be absolutely no reason to come here.

It’s not fancy. In fact, it’s kind of dingy and grim. There are a ton of people waiting to use the computers so don’t come here if you’re needing the internet in a hurry. However, as far as BOOK lovers, it has a pretty decent selection and since no one really is in the stacks, you can usually get what you’re there for. Also, they have a good DVD selection with fairly new options.
Try to go midweek as I do to get the best in magazine and movie selections. It’s not as crowded and you won’t have to battle someone rummaging through the cart pulling out handfuls of DVDs at a time like I’ve experienced.
I use the self check-​out, so my library experience is exactly what I need, a chance to browse and pick up some new reads for the week. If you have trouble finding a book, go online and reserve a copy to be sent to the location. The library will send you an email notification when it’s in.
One last thing, parking is pretty good. There’s a lot specifically for library patrons and free parking on the street. Make sure if you park in the lot, you plan to actually go into the library though because that parking lot officer is not messing around.