Stanislaus County Free Library

Always a smiling friendly face to help me and my children find whatever we are looking for, and even offer suggestions when we aren’t quite sure what we are looking for.
You can keep your books for 3 weeks, and extend the time online if needed. They have a great selection of movies for children as well.
It is my favorite library to visit in Stan county. Not the cleanest, otherwise I’d give it 5 stars. But they do have hand sanitizer throughout and do an overall good job at keeping the place organized.

Big library
Parking lot available
Close to my house
Yes you will see homeless people and some are reading books on the grass.
I alway go in the morning and early afternoon. And no one has bother or approach me.

My mother brought me here as a child, I enjoyed story time and singing and also checking out books. When I was pregnant with my first daughter I vowed to myself that I would bring her here and carry on the tradition. Every time we come here my daughter wants a picture of herself with the tree. Which I think is pretty cute. The staff here are very helpful. I’ve asked for help before, but I like to look up books I’m looking for at home to save time. It’s nice having a list when you get there.
Now pregnant with my second baby girl, my first is anxious to bring her baby sister to the Library. Show her all the cool books to look at, check out, and also the huge selection of DVD’s.
Love our Library!

I’ve been going here for as long as I can remember. They have children’s story time, a bunch of computers (but as another reviewer said it’s best to bring your own tablet or laptop as these fill up fast), and unbeknownst to some people there is an elevator that takes you downstairs to an area where they have book fairs among other places to buy books to take home. They also have copy machines for $ 0.20 a page, a self-​check out machine which you can use if your library fines don’t exceed more than $ 5, and they process passports here as well.
There is a good selection of books that you can request to be sent in from other library branches. There are even ebooks that can be accessed. The koi fish in the tank have been. there for a very long time as well.
The restroom is closed and can only be opened by security due to vandalism. It wasn’t always like that, but times have changed.
There’s also a Farmers Market by the library parking lot on certain days of the week. It’s a nice place to take kids before checking out some books. If you’d like to make a donation or a place to support, keep the library in mind!

Nice and big. High demand for computers. Better to bring your own if you can. People don’t know how to silence their phones. Busy so on the loud side, but still quieter than home.

Wow, what can I honestly say about this place? Well, here goes. I love books, I love knowledge, and in our area this is probably the biggest library or source of books in a library you’ll find. The staff is excellent, seriously, they’re all amazing. I suppose I’d give this library 3.5 stars, but it seems I can’t do half stars on my phone.
The thing really holding this library back from the 4 or 5 stars is seriously… How do I say this… All the homeless people. Well, the loitering that goes on inside and outside the library. Hear me out, this doesn’t actually take away from the entire library experience as much as there might be an unsafe feeling you get being around, in general.
It truly saddens me that this has actually become an issue (ie. the bathroom always in use, a couple weird smells, and just an overall shadyness). But one thing’s for sure, if you truly love books, knowledge, and learning then a couple homeless people will not deter you from getting your learn on. :D
So get out there and read something folks. If there was a way to resolve this issue, this place would be a solid 4 star!
Post script: my library experience has been spoiled due to recent trips to the San Jose (mlk jr) Public Library.

Luv this place, its a library an who knows how long these will last… So go in an check out all the cool stuff.

OK let me start by saying, I am the mother of an almost 2 year old. And I am obsessed with reading to her and taking her to the library.
I live in Sacramento, but because of some recent life situations I am living in Modesto with my parents. In sac I take my baby to the library all the time!
I was so nervous I wouldn’t be able to find a kids program here in Modesto! but I did!!! On Mondays at 10:15am and 11:15am and Tuesdays at 11:15 they have a kids singing time called «Wiggle worms» it was so much fun! The guy leading it was so much fun and he looks like he really enjoys his job.
A lot of people showed up for this program, which was really nice to see.
My daughter loved the songs! She loved it!!! I was definitely a big fan as well.
After, we stayed in the library for a good while and we read. They have a huge selection of books! It was so nice to see that the kids area was really big! They have a huge tree in the middle which made my child go crazy :)
If you have a child, you need to definitely check this program out! Get your kids involved in library activities, they will definitely benefit from them.

Alot bigger than Turlock library… more desks and tables to sit at… overall good place to study. can be a Lil loud though. due to all the people here..

Beware of the homeless. They are everywhere. They are inside just sitting there staring at everyone and laying on the benches outside. Every time I go here I literally have to scan the area before I get out of the car.
This library never has enough magazines. No matter what time I get here all the magazines are gone. I was fortunate enough the other day to find two magazines for my daughter and three for myself. When I got to the counter the employee told me there was a limit to four magazines. I come to the library almost every week I had never been told this before. So I had to put one back.
Not too long ago a grown man was walking around the library sucking on a baby bottle. The weirdos run rampant here so beware.
I still haven’t figured out what the security guards do here all I ever see is them standing by the bathroom staring off into space.
If it wasn’t for my love of reading I would never come back here.

This would be such a great place if it wasn’t for all the bums. It’s the homeless highway. They come and hangout like it’s a motel. They do their drugs and beg people for money all the time. Not to mention the smell. They also try to take birth baths in the restrooms, but that makes no difference. They all swarm around the computers to do nothing productive, just waste time, taking away from the people who actually need to use them for school and other related things.

all i needed was to use their computers to research something. i’m not a resident here, but they gladly gave me a guest pass to use one of their workstations. the only problem is that all the computer stations were occupied. the bigger problem on top of that problem was that the bums were using these computers to do their online gambling…
i was in a time crunch here and it annoyed me after waiting 5 minutes… and i never got to use the computers. i had MORE IMPORTANT things to use the computers for and i wish the librarians kinda regulated on what the computers can or cannot be used for. i dont know if there was a time limit, but i wish there were.
i should have known by the outside of the library. bums just lounging around on each bench surrounding the building.
1 star for being the only library closeby, another star for the guest pass.

Living in the North Bay, there certainly are plenty of libraries, but I have found myself frustrated far too many times when I go to the central branch and discover the book I want is checked-​in… at a Lake County branch. Not the case with the Stanislaus County Library. All the books are in one building, so no dealing with requests or driving 30 minutes out of the way to get exactly what it is you want.
The building is old, but it certainly is beautiful. And the programs for children are absolutely outstanding.

Well I used to work at this place so my review will definitely be biased.
But having been a librarian since ’95 and working in libraries all over LA and SF I can say this is THE library to base all library services from. Even BOLDER; All information gathering services from.
I mean even the FBI can not touch a Modesto Librarian’s commitment to finding whatever you’re looking for.
And I say this with authority. There is no better service here in Modesto for information, google be damned.
When you have intelligent, personal, attentive and amazing people finding information for you that have been trained to look for information like bloodhounds unrelentlessly catered to your liking…
You have a winner.
I remember when I first got to this town and was over the whole librarian thing. I called the Library and it was Theresa Grieshaber that picked up the phone and she kicked so much ass looking for a book for me that I was way more than simply impressed.
I’ve never gotten that kind of service at any library. I had follow up to my questions. I had e-​mail regarding stuff when I had already sorta like just given up. A total life saver!
But it doesn’t end there.
I placed some holds and when I came in to pick them up I was greeted by Marilyn one of the most bubbly and amazing people ever and they couldn’t find one of my books.
But they had and I swear to this the whole library staff looking for my book!
They didn’t find it. But that day I decided I want to work here!
And it just got better. I did start working there.
After meeting everyone at the library on a personal level I have to say that Modesto you are lucky.
You are so, so lucky and you don’t even know it.
Never let this library falter, there is no other library as committed to making you smile and enjoy books than this place and I’ve worked everywhere.
This is the crowning gem of Libraries.
Visit it and support it. This is better than any big city library.
Oh yeah and while I worked here, I guess I’ll throw this fact out there.
We got calls from other states to look for info. That’s a big thing in any library circle.

I can’t remember the last time I actually stepped foot into this place (thanks google), but I do have very fond memories of doing book reports and cataloging here. Also, they use to have a really cool kid-​reading-​theater thing I frequented as a child.
Minus a star for bums always sitting on the stoop.

Awesome public library, offering excellent children’s & family programs that are FREE to the public. Summer reading club for kids will start on June 1. Current magazines, books, bestsellers, and a great reference staff to answer all your questions. I love this place. Children’s room has an amazing new steel art tree (Ryan’s Tree), there are tons of books on tape & DVD as well as movie DVDs, free workshops and family entertainment, computer classes for adults, great poetry collection… they do the most with the resources they have.
UPDATE: The library now has wireless internet access!