San Diego Public Library – Ocean Beach Branch Library

At the OB farmer’s market last week, the branch librarian passed out flyers for a talk by Richard Lederer so I went.
I’ll go back because this is obviously a library that is serving and engaged with it’s community.
I told Matt, the librarian that it felt to me like the San Diego Library system has awakened from a long, slumber, either that or a full-​fledged resurrection.
It’s not the physical building, certainly not the architecture (like the concrete and steel monolith downtown with it’s plethora of uniformed, armed guards) that makes a library a cultural center.
It’s the people, the connection with the community and the contents, including the programs.

The OB library has really transformed into a pleasant and inviting environment. The lady who wears all the colorfully coordinated jewelry was helpful as usual today when I went in to renew my card. She quickly and calmly updated my address, accepted payment for my late fees, ordered a book for me, and then went and retrieved another book request of mine from the shelf. The entire trip was smooth and easy. Also, the library is very clean, quiet and orderly and it looks like they have some great weekly programs. Way to go OB!

Quintessential OB. Yes, it’s small and old with a cast of characters as patrons…
However, it’s a library, and functions just fine as such. You go there for books and media, which they have or can get from other branches. Support The OB library!

Very nice library. Very sad about the hours of operation. Some key research and study hours are just not covered.

It’s quite the understatement to say that OB Public Library is a tad run down and in desperate need of TLC. But it does offer the community a space to access computers, check out media and books, and to host events.
Since the books I tend to check out aren’t often in stock at this library, I usually go online to request a transfer to this site. It’s a free service and quite convenient.

This is a small library. The hours of operation are weird but available online. It has a bunch of public computers and very few books. It also has dvds and audiobooks. I love this library. It is very convenient. Almost always has parking even though it is right off the main drag. I have been checking out audiobooks constantly for a couple years and have still not gone through all they have t offer. Sometimes the disks are damaged but overall I have always been happy with the products and services.

If you teleported here from another library you’d instantly know you were in Ocean Beach.
Just like the rest of the neighborhood, there are people from all walks of life, cheery staff and sometimes a weird smell.
There are tables if you want to sit and people watch for a bit. Although, I wouldn’t recomend studing here, it’s sometimes a little loud.
Bonus: You can place books on hold from ANY library in the system allowing you to run in once a week to grab a load of books and dash back out.

It’s a library — free books, public restroom, computers for use. It’s small and usually there are a good number of people in it. The book selection is lacking at this branch but you can request any book in the SD library system online for pick up here so that’s cool. Not somewhere I want to spend a lot of time but not out of place in the neighborhood.

small-​boo. smells like old books-​yum. when i got my library card, they told me i had a fee. but i had never had a library card. someone had used my old az license and racked up some fees in pb. like id go to pb. not likely (jk!-id totally go for the right book :)) the ob library only charged me half even though i was willing to pay it all (it goes to the library after all) but the really nice lady said not to worry about it. that was nice :) and hence, i am Unilocaling about a library haha. anyone who gives less than 4 stars to A PUBLIC LIBRARY is a crazy head haha
HAHAHAHA i just read the review about how «access to the library is terrible» because he had to travel through the «maze of narrow streets» — HAHAHAHAHA! DUDE ! its a SMALL BEACH TOWN !! you gave the library a bad rating because ob has tiny streets? HAHAHAHA, oh buddy, you just made my night!!! its like an ancient library dude, across the street from an elementary school! sorry they haven’t upgraded it to look like the other libraries around – you know, the ones with big ol parking lots and marble staircases. maybe you should find a library in la jolla hahahaha!
ok, ok, ill admit, its no palace, not even close, but seriosly people, IT-​IS-​A-​PUBLIC-​LIBRARY!!! deal por favor!

If you don’t like «funky», you should probably not be in Ocean Beach.
This library is small and packed, but fits perfectly in the scene of Ocean Beach. Old school Ocean Beach with hippies, hipsters, homeless people and families intermingling in this great little hang-​out neighborhood library.
When I was growing up, this is one of the major places we went when we went to visit my grandma (my regular «home» branch was first the old Linda Vista branch and then the Balboa branch on Mt Abernathy after 1969). My grandma was a member of the OB Friends of the Library and also taught writing classes and was a local author of some acclaim and what-​not. So… Ocean Beach is very near and dear to my heart.
I have worked with some of the staff at Ocean Beach library and they are fine individuals. :) This is one of the seven libraries that was recently targeted for closure by Mayor Jerry Sanders. Take a look and see what your local library can do for you. Also check in with The OB Rag’s blog from time to time to see if there is any way you can help your community.
Okay. I’m done with the preaching. Just get down to the OB library and embrace the funkiness!

I’ve only been here once. It was the only branch in the system that had the DVDs of season one of Battlestar Galactica. At the time, I wanted to see the series badly so I decided to go there and check them out. Access is terrible. I had to go through the 8 freeway then travel through a maze of narrow, narrow streets to get to the library. Parking at the library is a joke. I think it has three private spaces. Most of the time, people park across the street (usually on Sunset Cliffs Rd.) and walk over to the branch. When I went inside, it was a cramped and small and old library. It had the DVDs all right, but I very nearly missed them because the organization of both the DVDs and the books were terrible. Checkout was crowded and had only one person doing the checkout of materials. A line built up along the eastside wall and got so long that patrons were blocking the door, preventing other patrons from entering the library.

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for this branch as I went here so many times a week when I worked across the street. I got to know all the librarians by their first names and I loved talking about books with them. I miss being able to go there at the drop of a hat and peruse the books on tape, videos, etc.