Rancho San Diego Library

The employees are so nice. They have alot of story times for the little ones. I really like their kid’s area… especially for those rainy days.

I am at the library doing the review now. The noise is terrible. Children are running around screaming, employees not saying a word. I told the library attendant about the noise;and he was apologetic. It seems that Hillsdale school is where the children area coming from. I guess they are not taught in schools to be considerate. The adults are not taught to keep the children at an acceptable noise level. Their web site states nothing about what is going on or any special event with kids today. Best scenario, Don’t call it a library and remove funding. Better use of taxpayer money. I live so close to this library and the location is perfect for me. I always go to this library. But today was it. I have to Unilocal it. Be aware of this library. Starbucks is 100 times more quiet than this library.

What a beautiful newer looking library! Everything is super up to date. I went to the help desk and told the staff I wanted a library card. I filled out the paper with my info, showed my ID and got my card. That was easy and it only took a couple minutes.
The old checking out a book and getting a stamp on a card is a thing of the past. Its all done by computer now. Simply lay the book on the pad and the computer detects the books by title or author. Do the same for all your books. However, some of the children books came up in red saying You cannot check out this book. So I just simply put it to the side. The machine prints out your receipt and your finished. If you don’t have a tote bag they have plastic bags next to the computer at checkout.
Its super family friendly. They have a whole schedule of events posted on their website. Including Toddler time reading all the way to bead making classes. Meeting rooms are used for various outside public and private meetings and small events. A beautiful courtyard sits off the room with all the comfy chairs and provides a peaceful reading or study space for the weather permitting months.
In the same building: If you are hungry or thirsty there is a small café and two tables right outside the entrance. Also, a tiny bookstore sits off to the right when you are walking towards the Return Boxes. Make sure you stop by this place during their store hours (refer to my photo). Its unbelievably CHEAP like as in 10 cents cheap, 75 cents cheap, for NICE slightly used books. I had to make change here once and ended up with a newish children’s pop up book for 75 cents that I saw for $ 25 brand new at another bookstore!
Our son is in the 1,000 books before Kindergarten program. We love reading to him during the day or before he goes to sleep and we record it on the website. The library gives you a poster and a stamp so the kids can track the books they read. Everyone says he’s so smart. Hmmm, maybe the reading is working? Its definitely entertaining and a nice alternative to television.
The parking lot has enough spaces and if not you can always park on the street which always has parking available. The only downside is coming here when the surrounding schools get out. You will find parents picking up their kids and double parking blocking spaces in the parking lot. I can see why they would pick up here. Its safe and quick to get back on the road.
Overall, everyone is super friendly, you can find a cheap book or free book, find a new hobby with their classes/​meet-​ups, express your creative side, let your rambunctious but quiet child color, read a book, play on the computer, or sit in the cute little firetruck, and get a treat at the café before you leave.

Honestly, I used to love this library until I started studying other places. Their internet is always down, the bathrooms are always broken, there are always children and adults speaking loudly or running around screaming with the employees not saying anything to them, and the study rooms are always occupied by only one person.
When I am with a group trying to study and a room is taken by one person (oh how much this bothers me), we get yelled at by the employees and told that we are speaking too loud and shouldn’t be speaking to each other in a library. Then within 20 – 30 mins or so, there are children playing their computer games, or screaming and running around, not being told to stay quiet… have some consistency!
I once was in the middle of a test using one of their computers since their wi-​fi was down, and after going to the bathroom and coming back, all of my stuff and my opened test page was closed and there was someone sitting in my REGISTERED computer looking up movies. When I complained, the librarian yelled at me and told me to leave the library.
Honestly, its a public library, taxpayers pay for this to be open, and the internet is either hit-​or-​miss, and recently, their A/​C hasn’t even been working

Beautiful library with many books to choose from. My daughter loved the children’s area. And I couldn’t believe that they had a coffee shop inside, pretty cool! Employees were very friendly as well!

Since living in San Diego I have visited many many libraries and this one is my very favorite. The librarians are so knowledgeable and will help you find anything you need. I highly recommend this Library.

This is an excellent library, one of the newer San Diego County libraries. Architecturally attractive, It is very well organized and hosts many interesting and well-​attended events.
It is spacious, yet very efficient in its layout, with natural light streaming into the study areas. The exterior landscaping is a fine example of a very timely drought-​tolerant theme. As with most County libraries it provides free Wi-​Fi and computers for use inside. Parking can be marginal during events, but there is plenty of street parking available.
One of my favorite events occurs annually, just before the July 4 holiday. For the past few years the library has invited Trails & Rails to perform for two hours, and this year was no exception. The trio gave a sterling performance (only interrupted once by a public address announcement), and the library provided a Fourth of July– themed cake. The musical theme, given the holiday, was American Cowboy and Western music, which Trails & Rails ably performed. Their harmonies and virtuosity are very pleasant and entertaining.
The library even sports a nice little snack shop, aptly named «Java Express» near the main entrance. No need to get your coffee fix elsewhere. Just sit and sip at the umbrella-​clad tables in the front courtyard.
As an adjunct to the library, there is a Friends of the Rancho San Diego Library Bookstore, which contains many hundreds of used books, all at bargain prices. Real bargains, like one or two dollars each, and the selection is quite comprehensive. It is staffed by volunteers. Many of the donated volumes are in like-​new condition.
This place is what libraries should be.

I love this library, been going with my newborn baby for the story times and we love Ms. Dianne. She knows our names, and is the sweetest!!! Thank you for having these amazing classes for us moms

This place is one of my favorite places to be. It’s always clean and quiet. They have an amazing selection of books and there’s nothing I love more then getting lost in a book. It’s a big and beautiful library. I always find what book I’m looking for and the service is outstanding.

Nice comforting, quiet atmosphere employees or volunteers are very sweet and are always there to help you. If your lost or don’t know where to find a book and/​or movie it’s easy to ask for help and they’ll help you with whatever you need.

This is a nice library. The staff is very helpful. I have one problem, the tables are filthy! They use to be somewhat white but after a few years they have turned a gray color. I don’t think they have ever been cleaned.

This place would be excellent but during the school year between 2−5pm, it’s completely worthless. It’s not the kids fault… but parents who allow their children to run rampant and staff who have most likely just given up on the situation.
PARENTS: please train your kids to keep a lid on it, and stop using this place as an unsupervised after school daycare.
STAFF: Put some rules in place and remove repeat offenders (3 strikes your out etc.).
The behavior I witness here would NEVER stand when I was a kid 20 years ago.
After the kids are gone? 5 stars.

The facility is nice but the staff sucks. One hand doesn’t know what the other hand is doing. One staff member will tell you one thing, then someone else is chastising you for doing what the other person told you to do. They are absolutely rude to visitors, adults and kids alike. They need to learn how to manage without the bitchface.

People here seriously have NO SHAME in the volume of voice they speak at
Children are literally running around and screaming… Parents need to learn to tame/​control their kids!
Teenagers also need to stop making out and smacking their lips when there are others around! Take that somewhere else!
OOMMMGGG The internet seriously sucks here! It keeps going out every less than 5 minutes! I’ve seriously spent more time trying to connect to the internet than actually studying and doing my research! And I know for a fact that there is nothing wrong with my new laptop.
I can no longer study here! I need to find a new place to study… Shame shame shame!

Great library and nice to see that there are still nice libraries available for people to use. This one seems pretty new and has decent internet access along with the most important thing in El Cajon, COLD AIR CONDITIONING!
They have a nice assortment of books, CDs, manga, and comics. I don’t think there is a better place to be productive in the area.
There is a café that is attached to the library making it an easy place to study or work and refill yourself without having to battle the heat outside nor go in your car and drive up interrupting productivity.

I really really love this library. I’ve always had a library card and I enjoy spending time in a library. That means I’m pretty picky about which library I’m in. I need to feel comfortable in it. I immediately felt comfortable even just driving into the parking lot. It’s a new library and it’s exceptionally clean. There’s even a café and a courtyard with a waterfall!
The librarian was very helpful in signing myself and my husband up for our new library cards and they have a lovely collection of DVDs and CDs for checkout. Unfortunately (fortunately?) I generally read 2 – 3 books each month on my Kindle and always have another handful waiting to be read, so I didn’t want to check out any more books to bog myself down. I did find a great book about the most important novels to read before you die and immediately checked it out.
There are really nice displays with book suggestions as you walk in and a nice children’s area on one side of the library, while there are tables for adults way on the other side. I like kids, but you know — those things can be loud and I’d prefer to have them away from me when I’m trying to study.
The self-​checkout was great and they even have a little stool so kids can reach the checkout computers by themselves. I thought that was sweet.
This is definitely a smaller library, but it reminds me so much of the little Naselle, WA library I spent so many summers in growing up. Back then a trip to the library was like a trip to Disneyland and once I was old enough to ride a bike by myself, I would ride 45 minutes every day just to sit in there reading. I guess that’s why I immediately fell in love with this little library.
Tip: Make sure to follow the traffic flow markings in the parking lot. The whole thing is essentially one way.

This is a great public library. I came stopped by this morning to get a new library card because it has been years since I have used mine or even seen it.
The service and process in getting the card was a piece of cake. I registered on one of their computers and I was issued a card at the main desk. It took nor for that 4 minutes.
This library is cool because they have story time in the mornings for the little ones. Check on line for times and days, and they carry DVD movies and CD music for check out. I like that they have drop off dispensers out in front for convenient. (
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The library carries a wide variety of children and adult novels and expository text for readers. They have Internet access and quite areas and rooms for study groups.
Great public service…

I came here once because I needed to print out a paper for school.
I don’t have a Library card so I asked how could I print something out quickly or just fill out paperwork for a card. The lady at the front was more then helpful and gave me a temporary code to access the printer AND since it was for school, she said it was FREE =)

This library may be small, but it has everything I look for in a local public library.
ONE STAR– Quiet study rooms.
Booking study rooms can be done a few days in advance if you’d like. I came in once or twice & was lucky enough to get a room right away, but I wouldn’t count on it. I got 2 hours in there with just me & my books. Yay me! Just bring your ID or library card. They aren’t very strict about it.
ONE STAR– Indoor & outdoor seating.
There are many seats inside the library as well as out front & a nice area out back with a mini waterfall & umbrellas. It’s nice to get a bit of sun sometimes when you’re reading/​working in the library, don’t you agree?
ONE STAR– Countywide book reservation (?) service
A month before the Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows pt 2 came out in theaters, my little sister & I decided to do something epic to commemorate the occasion. You guessed it. We wanted to read through all 4,000+ pages of the HP books, from Sorceror’s Stone to Deathly Hallows. Needless to say, we didn’t have doubles of every book, so naturally, we came to the library to check some out. We needed 2 from the series but unfortunately this branch was all out. The librarian who helped us was AMAZING. She immediately got on her computer & placed an order (?) for the books we needed & asked us if we could read in any other languages b/​c oftentimes your book will arrive sooner than 3 – 5 days if you request a non-​English version. A few days later, I got an email saying my books were ready for pickup! It was very efficient.
ONE STAR– Electronic check-​out.
This library has a great electronic check-​out system where you basically scan your library card & can check out all your items by sliding them on the little pad. I love it! It’s so convenient! Totally beats standing in long lines!
ONE STAR– Very helpful staff & librarians.
My little sister once left her cell phone on one of the armchairs here. When we came back the next day, a librarian asked us to describe it & turns out someone brought it to her & it was in their lost & found locker. We were very lucky to have found it, but the staff is always so kind & polite here. They seem like genuinely, nice people who want to help you find what you’re looking for, whether it be books or your sister’s cell phone! :)
BONUS– There’s a little Java Express Café right outside the library where you can get muffins, cookies & other assorted baked goods as well as iced coffee & smoothies.
***TIP: Hide/​put your head phones on/​get yourself a study room if you find yourself trying to get some peace & quiet at around 3:30pm on a weekday (during the academic year) because Hillsdale Middle School is right next door & many students head over to the library until their parents can pick them up after work. You can expect a small stampede of children coming through & LOTS of giggling. You’ve been warned (not that I don’t like children… I’m just saying)!***

This is the only public library I’ve been to with a café, outside patio area and soothing waterfall. I hardly ever see anyone on the patio, so it’s a nice, quiet reading place to catch some sun. The city has done a great job of maintaining this library and it looks as new as when it opened over 5 years ago.
It’s smaller than the El Cajon library, but you can request anything online and have it delivered within a couple days… and I always feel safe here after dark. It has some good seating areas, such as the couches next to the magazines. I noticed a lot of chairs don’t have cushions though, which can get really uncomfortable after a while… they should change that.
I’m a huge fan of the weeklong DVD rentals. Also, their career book section is pretty extensive. I spent some good quality time there when I was job hunting.
Free Wi-​Fi is always nice, and there are plenty of computers available if you need them.
I agree with other reviewers about avoiding the after-​school hours if possible (it’s next to a middle school), although I like that the tweens are hanging out at the library instead of getting into trouble in alleys.