Cambrian Branch Library

I like this library but yesterday I found a needle and syringe in the parking lot! They do nothing about the after hours people that park in parking lot. I have contacted police about needle, homeless that sleep in parking lot and all the trash the people just throw out their car and into the parking lot and surrounding area. It’s getting very bad now. They don’t always turn the lights on at night, which makes illegal activity more likely! The syringe was the last straw for me!!! I will not be going back

I haven’t been to a library since my MBA days. I was looking for a quiet place to get some private work done and this is the closest library to my house.
The library is new, there are quiet study rooms upstairs with tables and chairs for you to use laptops with, and it also have sofas to do some reading.
Free wifi, but for some reason, it didn’t work for my phone, no biggie though.
I came during weekday afternoon during school year, so there aren’t many kids around, so the place was extremely quiet.

I love the inside of this library, it’s always clean and well-​stocked. I especially love their ‘lucky day’ section in the front which has a lot of recent released books and movies. The only problem I have with going to this library is the parking lot. I’ve scraped my car a few times trying to get in and out. The parking lot is just very small and squeezed into a small space which makes all the cars close to each other and hard to back up/​get into spaces. Other than that this library is the best!

I wasn’t expecting to come here, I kinda stumbled on this branch on my way back from Cambrian Bowl, but when I went through those sliding doors, I was like, am I in Heaven? Yes, I’m aware ^ was a run-​on sentence. Anyway, this Cambrian Branch Library is divine. It has two floors. On the bottom floor you’ve got the lucky day books, CDs and dvd’s. On the top floor, you’ve got the computers, study rooms, children’s section, and audiobooks. I found a great selection of J-​pop and promptly checked them all out.
There’s also a drive-​thru book return.

Very nice, clean, organized library. Bike-​able distance from my home. Easy online reservation and pick-​up system. Clean, well taken care of books and resources.

I would give this place 5 stars if they had better control over things. It’s a very nice library and the kid section is cool and has all different kinds of seats, but 2 things. 1– why are adults in the children’s section hogging up the chairs doing their studies on lap tops and what not while there’s a café, study section, and chairs downstairs? I was trying to find a spot to read to the kids that I brought, and the adults who were studying kind of made it a little awkward to sit by them reading a kids book outloud, I didn’t want to disturb them, but then again, why are you in the children’s section? And 2. Holy crap the children’s section is a circus of a million rowdy, loud, screamy kids and the computers have the volume loud, so when you are trying to read to the kids you are with, you keep hearing the loud «boing!» On the computer and the kids shouting as if they are on a playground. Between that and the adult studies taking over parts of the children’s section, it made it ridiculously hard to do the one thing you should do at libraries with or without kids– READ! Like I said, very nice library, but all the other libraries I’ve been to have librarians that «shhhh» kids if they’re too loud and tell them not to run. This place is too much of a free for all.

This is the best library in SC Valley including MLK in downtown. I’ve been to many libraries in my life including the Library of Congress in DC (which I highly recommend!). Yes, MLK is larger, but its loud and not really meant for the general public as its overwhelmed by SJSU Students.
The Cambrian Library is a small, intimate library serving the Willow Glen and Cambrian Areas. It is what all neighborhood libraries should be. They have a computer lab which has a good amount of systems and a small outside café with a few systems, a very good children’s/teen section, story time, audio books, teen rooms, meeting rooms, etc.
The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, and I would say they are overall excellent. The return process could not be better with a 24 hour drive through! The hold system is good and the parking is easily accessible and typically available.
The one improvement they could make is more four person tables outside the conference rooms. Sometimes its hard to find a place to sit, read, study, write, etc.
This is a great place to spend some time, especially if you have children.

I like this branch a lot better than the main one downtown. It’s smaller of course, but it’s got a decent sized parking lot and the librarians are very helpful. I got in and out quickly with their self check outs and they’ve got a little café on the second floor. I wish I lived closer to this one!

this is my second wait seriously my third go to library. They have a huge movie selection not only for adults but for kids also. There tend to be a few creepers that hang out at this library.
Their selection of cd’s and books is ok seriously we just go to this one to rent movies. :)
The parking lot is better than the Rose Garden but I think the Almaden branch has the best parking so far!

I recently got my membership card for this library and must say I am impressed. It is probably not as big as other libraries but it’s adequate so far for my needs. The staff is extremely polite and helpful.

I’ve been to many libraries during my lifetime and was impressed by this library!
It is a very modern looking structure. When you enter there is large staircase to the left and an area to check out items to the right. There are distinct areas catered to different age groups/​interests– children, teens, and quiet study rooms. There is a tech center with lots of computers for use on the second floor. They even have a teen room filled with the english translated manga! They also had a summer reading program going on.
Overall a very nice library and a great place to study, use the computers, or bring your child for an event!

One of the San Jose city libraries that I frequent the most, it’s a nice location and cleaner than many other branches. I also like that it is a two-​story building and you can see some good views of the neighborhood from the top. Parking on the other hand, can be challenging at times particularly when there is a special event happening. The only thing that sucks is the fact that they have to keep changing and/​or reducing their hours due to budget cuts.

Great little local library. Clean yet small. You can order books you see online to be sent to this library for pickup. Some ebooks are available to read from your iPad (love!). Their selection seems to be a bit limited when browsing online, so best to go the order-​in-​from-​another-​library route.

Great library for the whole family! Awesome kid area, and they even have a teenager lounge. How cool is that? Parking is limited and can be difficult at times when events are happening. Otherwise good quality library.

This place is small and more than a bit confusing.
half the library is dedicated to the kids area, so bring your kids, but if you want general fiction go somewhere else.

NOT A GOOD LIBRARY FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS.
I came here yesterday hoping for some peace and quiet to study for SJSU finals and all I was greeted with was noise of kids. Even sitting in the area across from the kid section offered no peace as many kids piled up in the «study rooms» only to let their noise in and out as they opened and closed the door.
Kids are cool, they are the future. But this library is definitely catered to families in the area.
I’m sticking to MLK library at SJSU.

This was the fourth time we attended a kids’ program in the community room, and it has been poorly organized each time.
Today was the last straw.

Searching for something? Instead of visiting and going to a bookstore to purchase another book, I decided to head to a library. It’s weird, but I have a thing for libraries. I love going to libraries to study, to read, to browse around the newest titles of all types of media, and books. Yeah, I know, I can do that at the bookstore too. Bookstores do get busy and there isn’t as much room. If it wasn’t for Netflix or Hulu, I probably will be going to the library quite often to borrow books and DVDs. The DVD selection is pretty large and is located on the first floor towards the back. I was surprised to see foreign films there too! As you enter, on the right is the CD selection and the left are the newest tiles on display, ready to be borrowed. Go up the stairs, the children’s area is upstairs… the kids have a doorway entrance of their own. How cute! I wonder if I can fit through… On the second floor, there’s also a computer lab, study rooms, and other tables with chairs scattered all over between shelves of books. Look no further… knowledge is «pro-​found».

I am a connoisseur of libraries! I got my first library card when I was about six years old and have been a member of the Santa Clara County, Santa Clara City, and San Jose public library systems all my life. I recently moved into the area of the Cambrian branch of San Jose’s system.
This library is very neat and clean; the staff is helpful but sometimes a bit abrupt with questions. It is a kid-​friendly library. This branch offers a decent mix of programs and classes.
It isn’t the biggest library and I actually don’t like to browse the stacks here because they don’t have that great of a selection on hand. Still, you can get materials sent promptly from any other SJ branch, which is nice.
They have free wireless and plenty of studying areas for students. The SJ branches also offer adult reading contests in the summer (for those of us who used to love them when we were under 18!). I actually won a $ 25 gift card to Borders and a friend of mine won one for Orchard Supply this last summer.

This is a new library which I think is much nicer than the old library. Highlights include;
Internet Café (no food, but has a Café theme with bar stools, etc…)
A quiet Internet room, sealed off from the rest of the library
Two glass quiet rooms upstairs, one for teens, and one for everybody else
Plenty of power outlets on the tables, as well as the walls to plug in our wealth of electronic gadgets
Free Wireless Internet
Large kids area (2+ years seem to be the starting point) with lots of books, toys, and kids PC’s
Conference rooms
I liked the new Library very much.