San Diego Public Library – Rancho Bernardo Branch Library

I like this library a lot. I can only comment on the children’s section though.
I was looking to kill some time (about an hour) and was happy to find a library versus a starbucks.
The library is bright, well organized, and the staff was helpful when I had to get a new library card. the kids section was pretty large with a few computer scattered against the back wall. There’s a cozy children’s area to sit and read to your kids. I also noticed the amount of kid activities they had going on– holy smokes! Good for them!
Parking is the only downside here. Every spot is labeled ‘compact’ and I don’t have a compact car. I parked as far away as I could in a compact spot.
I’ll be back!

I got lucky today. Found a like-​new Tom Clancy novel in the Friends of the RB Library bookstore. The friendly volunteer gladly relieved me of my $ 2.00 for this excellent volume. The Friends used bookstore is only one amenity that this rather modern (1996) City of San Diego library offers.
The building is architecturally very light and spacious, with a beautiful fern and tropical plant-​lined entryway. There are private study rooms, and numerous study kiosks available. Interesting free programs are offered, the most interesting of which I attended was about real-​life spies and their methods. That is something a Tom Clancy fan would appreciate, right? There are many other programs available, including those for children.
If you want to take your face out of your book, just go out onto the open-​air patio, and enjoy its stunning views of Rancho Bernardo, and beyond. Granted, you must leave behind the air-​conditioning, but on most days, it’s worth it.
This library shares a parking lot with two very popular restaurants, so parking can be tight, especially around meal times. Some spaces are substandard in size, and are appropriately marked for compact cars. There is also street parking, but it necessitates a walk back to the library, and two flights of steps down.
All in all, a gorgeous library, about as good as it gets.

One of the many City of San Diego Branch Public Libraries. And is by far my favorite. For me, it’s the best library after weighing out the pros and cons. My ultimate favorite place to go to study!!!
PRO: Plenty of light, seating, study rooms, single person individual study tables, large tables and outlets. A nice patio area to go out, get some fresh air or eat a snack. And great book selection, plus it’s clean and the staff are very helpful and friendly.
CON: Like any public library, there are a few homeless people, but they don’t bother you. There is talking from individuals and staff but if you needed absolute quiet, get a study room! And since the parking spaces are built for tiny compact cars and is shared between two other businesses (souplantation & stir fresh) it is a bit difficult to find parking.

I really enjoy this library since it’s close to my house, but I wish they would open earlier since my daughter takes a nap during the afternoon.

Clean facility with group study rooms and private study cubicles.

The Rancho Bernado library belongs to the San Diego City libraries system and is one of my favorites, for the quality and quantity of materials the users can borrow. It is a peaceful place to go to read, study… or even meditate at the patio facing the surrounding hills. This library opened its doors in 1996 and, according to the website of the architect that designed the building it was built to cater «specifically the young adults and elderly/​retired patrons. The structural frame of the building was inspired by the wood trellises found in the local vineyards. Offering spectacular views to the surrounding hills, the 25,000 sq. ft. library features a dramatic two-​story high reading room with clerestory lighting, reading porch with fireplace, children’s story-​time nook, enclosed young adult study rooms, and a multi-​media center.»
It is indeed very spacious and airy, and they keep bringing the latest books you can expect in a decent library. This one is not only decent, it is excellent! They even have sections dedicated to foreign literature in various languages. I usually find several Spanish speaking authors, fresh from the oven books. Same goes with the movies. I love watching foreign movies, and no, this library cannot compete with the one in Encinitas por that matter, but for a ‘small village’ as Rancho Bernardo is not bad at all. People seem to be very educated and polite, both staff and library members. I also like the huge fashion magazine collection and that I can borrow so much variety. The patio is gorgeous.
Also you can get your weekly dose of CityBeat and other printed mags that before you were only able to find in Downtown, Hillcrest, etc, but never in RB. I have attended some concerts at the top floor and overall this is a great cultural asset for the area.

This library is roomy and attractive, but the parking is a nightmare! People don’t turn off their cellphones or speak softly (including the staff) and it gets annoying (SHHHH…IT’S A LIBRARY, PEOPLE.).
Edit: 7÷8÷2013−
I’ve decided I am not going to come to this library anymore. People are too loud and there is always this freaky guy at the computer stations in the middle of the library who always says «bonitaaaaaaaaaaaa…» when I walk by and stares at me the whole time. He talks so loud and makes me feel creepy!

It is a lot bigger and more spacious than the old library. It has more chairs to sit and read and tables to study.
The parking is a lot tighter as they are designed for compacts and it is shared with other businesses.

I love this library!
— Sure, it’s Rancho Bernardo so there are old people here but old people tend to be quiet and when I’m trying to study that’s exactly what I’m looking for. One time an old man fell asleep which was fine until he started snoring so I just hid in the book aisle and set off my phone alarm with an obnoxious ringer and problem solved. Quiet library once again.
— I like the private study cubes.
— I like the large study tables
— I like being able to go outside and eat lunch on the tables with my books.
— Only thing I don’t like are the study rooms. The walls are very thin in those rooms so if somebody is talking in the room next to you then it’s pretty noisy!
Overall this is definitely not the largest library but it’s quiet, and clean, and perfect for studying!

No, not the best library branch I’ve seen, but it does the trick. We come every week and end up borrowing 8 – 10 items, mostly books and DVDs for my 4 year old. Their science book sections for young children could be much better. I often have a hard time finding books in that category of interest to my son. He loves books about the human body, storms, volcanoes and other natural disasters. Not so much a fan of dinosaurs and other animals, which is what 90% of them are about.
I do have trouble finding stuff for myself, but I am a voracious reader and generally buy what I want from the bookstore as soon as it comes out. It is also rather difficult for me to find books for myself while keeping an eye on my child. One of my biggest issues with this place is that they do not categorize their fiction well. I am a huge fantasy fan and their section dedicated to that genre is laughably small. However, you can find fantasy and science fiction books scattered throughout the general fiction sections. Unless you are looking for a specific author, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack. They need to hire better librarians to categorize their books.
Another issue is the parking here. As mentioned by others, the spots are tiny, tiny. I have a small, compact car and it barely fits. Plus, the crazy crowds from Souplantation often spill into the library parking lot (guilty I admit).
However, I do give huge props to the San Diego library system for the children activities they put on at their branches despite the budgetary woes. Last night, I took my son to the Rancho Bernardo branch for a gingerbread house craft. So much fun even if half the candy and frosting ended up inside him! And totally free. This particular branch has less involved crafts every Wednesday night too. A very good way to keep those kids occupied.
I need to donate to the library system. It is a hugely valuable resource for the community.

I’ve only been here once. But what a library! It’s huge, though really secluded and hard to get access to and see from the roads. Has to be one of the newest libraries in the system because it rivals the La Jolla branch in terms of niceness and newness. The space inside is gigantic and very open, which is great! The DVD collection is probably not equal anywhere else in the system.

Even in lovely Rancho Bernardo there are crazies at the public library. Once a guy literally yelled at me to stop whispering even though I hadn’t made a sound, and he demanded for me to stop sending different people to «whisper at him.» Later I heard him yelling at someone else who also had the misfortune to sit by him. I’m pretty certain he was hearing voices in his head. O_​o
Oh well, that isn’t the library’s fault. As far as public libraries go, the RB branch is really nice. The building has nice architecture with high ceilings. The selection of books is fairly expansive and they also have magazines, DVDs, CDs, tapes, etc. There are also several rows of computers with internet.
The library is a pretty decent place to study but sometimes it can get a little loud. There are a couple study rooms that you can reserve if you need peace and quiet, or if you have a study group and don’t want to disturb others.
I’ve been to nicer libraries (like UCSD’s for example), but for a public library this one is excellent. The hours are funky (I assume because of funding) so check the website to see when it’s open on the day you plan to go… and try to sit near people who look normal.

Like all public libraries in San Diego, this one is a joke. I’ve seen public libraries in other states (e.g. Minnesota) where the kids section alone is larger than this one. The selection of books is very poor, with mainly two general categories:
* «For Dummies» and «Idiot’s guide» level stuff
* Photobooks about military and WWII (it is a military town after all)
To make it worse, the library is full of bums in the summertime who cool off in the air-​conditioning as many homes in RB area have none.
I understand that it’s not the library’s fault that the bankrupt city of San Diego is apathetic to intellectual pursuits of any kind. The staff is friendly, and that’s why I give it two stars.
I have donated about 100 – 200 books to San Diego libraries already, and suggest everyone does the same for 10 years. To indulge the bibliophile in me, I have subscribed to Amazon Prime and that works well for me.