Mary L Stephens – Davis Branch Library

I needed a book for a College upper division class and unfortunately it was in Sacramento, I called this library and they asked the library in Sac to send the book to them and they called me immediately and all of this took 1 day. They are super friendly, extremely helpful and fast. Thanks!

Last Thursday I had a couple of spare hours in Davis so I came here to work. Very adequate Wi-​Fi, impressive facility, but the noise!
This otherwise splendid library was populated by small groups loud, laughing, chatty, patrons. The staff, apparently, did nothing to silence them. The racket didn’t prevent me from working, but still, this is a library — the staff and patrons should treat it as such.

So the internet’s not great and their website is confusing. But hey, it’s a public library. I’ve had two good experiences here that maybe only someone like me can appreciate
One) I memorize frequented library #s, so I like that with just my number I can check out books from the computer — I don’t even have to show my ID! (some places, no names, they won’t even take a license and want me to hold onto their library card)
Two) When my bag got jacked with a copy of Dorian Gray in it, the price to replace it was $ 3.95. So… basically…the price you would pay on Amazon for the book. NOT the crazy ass amounts I’ve had to pay for little paperbacks at my hometown (*cough* Contra Costa) library. (~$ 25 to replace for water damage? Reallly??~)
TLDR This place is good. If you’re a student, you may find class books not available at UCD libs here, so that’s pretty nice.

Great graphic novel section for your geeky side! :)

I love this library. It could be because of all the memories of us hanging out here with friends after school; it could be the memories of checking out DVDs, and easy to read books to improve my English, or sitting here and studying when I couldn’t afford to pay for an internet service those very first years that I had just arrived. Whatever the reason, I never have a bad time here. It doesn’t matter what kind of a book I want to check out, some good fiction to read, a craft book, a cook book? they have it all. Everything is so well organized. There’s a teen room with plenty of room for teenagers to sit. There are cushioned armchairs, tables with wooden chairs, and their own lighting for extended periods of reading without hurting your eyes. There are many reference books for your research, or practice books for LSAT, or the GRE. There are language books available, and children books in many different genres, and languages.
One of the awesome things about this library is that you can return a book any time of the day, and receive a receipt that shows that you returned the book, because the have an automated book return right outside the library’s doors.
Another cool thing about this library, is their periodicals. There are so many magazines available, and while there’s a shorter check out time compared to other books, it’s still cool that they have them.
Bottom line is, if you love to read, or if you want to teach your children to cherish books, here is a good place to start.

It’s a great place to bring young children to read or to play. They have a great book, music and video selection for children and adults.

The library is an amazing resource for anyone with kids. They hold story times and have many books for kids of any age. As far as adults go, the library has an extensive collection of books, movies on DVDs, audio books and free wifi. It’s a comfortable, air conditioned space to read, study, work, etc. No food allowed, but one can get drinks from the vending machine.

This library is great. There are some tables along the side that have plenty of outlets for laptops and there is a reading room. It is actually pretty quiet even though it seems to always be crowded. The only downside is sometimes homeless people hang out in the library but other than that it is a great place to study and good alternative since UCD charges for parking and their library hours suck over the summer.

Extensive selection of books on CD, very valuable for my husband’s long commutes to work and my long walks.
The online catalog allows one to request a book from another branch to be sent to Davis for pick-​up and check-​out at no charge. I have made use of this service to obtain books to read for my book group.
The Friends of the Library hold a book sale in the Blanchard meeting room every other month from Friday until Sunday, usually the first weekend of the month. On Sunday of the sale a bag of books is just $ 5. If you join the Friends of the Library group you get a coupon worth $ 4 during the book sale. I always find a huge selection of books on Sundays and easily fill a bag for just a buck. How great is that? I usually can check off several items from my «must read» list.
My only complaint is it is sometimes very difficult to find a parking space. Getting off my butt and riding my bike there would eliminate that problem.

A very nice library, looked recently built or remodeled. Came on the weekend and they had a book sale with some very good deals on a variety of books, many of which were in clearly unread condition.
I’m not a member of this library as it’s currently a bit out of my way to go, but it’s quite a nice library. It’s a bit smaller than the ones back home and Shields on campus, but that might be part of the reason it’s a bit less daunting to navigate.
Certain this won’t be my last time passing through Mary L. Stephens library :)

This place is great!
Decent hours when compared to other public libraries (so sad), open everyday. Here is the schedule
Monday: 1:00 p.m. — 9:00 p.m.
Tuesday — Thursday: 10:00 a.m. — 9:00 p.m.
Friday — Saturday: 10:00 a.m. — 5:30 p.m.
Sunday: 1:00 p.m. — 5:00 p.m.
I love the study rooms. As a UCD student, I can come here during K-​12 hours and lock myself in a room to focus.
Everything is clean and the staff is friendly– man Davis is such a great place to live

This library went through a remodel (maybe a year or two ago?).
I like that the children’s section is a bit larger. There is a play area here where infants, toddlers and preschoolers can play with some toys. The bathroom in the children’s section may be a bit tricky for some, especially some kids because it now uses a key card to open the door. Good that there’s no key to put in and turn, but confusing for kids who have never seen it before (I saw a few kids and moms struggle with this when the library first reopened). There is also a quiet study room and more computers for the kids to use.
The teens, or young adults, now have their own semi enclosed section. There are (what looks to be) comfy chairs, tables and chairs to do homework, and a computer area there reserved for 13 – 19 year olds.
In the «big people» section (where the adults, college students and people old enough to kind of stay quiet for the most part go) there are more tables and chairs throughout the library. Some tables even have places for laptops to plugin. The selection of books aren’t too bad. Yes there are some books from the 80’s and 90’s still, but there are some recent books as well. It’s not a book store, so you cannot expect the most recent stuff.
So, agreed that some of the workers don’t come off that friendly. But they really aren’t that bad. Besides, the library has several self-​checkout stations and returning the books is as easy as putting them in the drop box (the «old fashion way») or scanning them in and getting a receipt (the «cool new way»).
Other things to know:
— There is free wi-​fi
— There are story times for the kids

Personally, I’ve seen better. Although some of the staff are helpfull and friendly (mostly younger people), the older ladies working there seem caught in a perpetual state of PMS.
Now granted I live in West Sac, so i mostly use the w. sac branch. but sometimes the book i’m looking for is only at the davis branch. no big deal, i actually don’t mind the drive to Davis one bit. but on this particular occassion i went to Davis to pick up a book i had requested and the most sour, rudest old lady i’ve ever met decided to argue to me about which desk i needed to go to pick up my book. now the lady over the phone (a different lady) told me my book would be held at the reference desk. somehow the wicked witch of the west thought it was important to tell me how wrong i was, and that i must’ve not paid attention to the other lady over the phone. i politely asked her to look behind her desk for my book that i knew was sitting right there waiting for me. and lo and behold! my book!
and even after all that, I still had the heart to thank her for her help. no reply, not even a «you’re welcome» or «anytime, thanks». Like i stated before the younger people working there are much more polite and reasonable to work with. as for the 80% of the elderly still working there, all i can say is «if doing your job and helping the patrons of your library is to difficult to handle, then do us a favor and retire… seriously.»

ever since i was young, my mom would take me and my sister to the library to stock up on picture books for the week. i had my own bag to carry books in, my card with my name barely legible, and every summer, i’d have my list of books that i would read that i’d turn into the librarian in exchange for free ice creams at sno top across the street. in high school, i even volunteered at the library recovering all the hardcover books with the clear cellophane and cleaning books that had been transformed into crudballs by all the little kids.
that said, it’s only natural that i have a particular affinity towards libaries. of course i no longer qualify for summer reading programs, but at least i can still read to my heart’s content.
the davis branch library is pretty cozy. nothing fancy or worth particular mentioning. although, they dO attest to becoming more technologically advanced with their self-​check stations and online reservations. amazing. they also have a reasonable collection of DVDs. the more popular movies typically never sit on the shelves for more than a few minutes so online reservations become quite handy if there’s one you’re dying to see.
some insider tips:
do not sit near sleeping old men. they wiLL snore. eventually.
thermostat settings will result in polar temperatures one minute and amazonian rainforest another.
you can put off a library fine indefinitely :D