San Diego Public Library – College Rolando Branch Library

The library itself is nice and fairly quiet on Saturdays, however, there are many transients that come to this location to charge their phones and use the wifi, which is fine but they are not respectful of others. For example, I’ve encountered a transient couple or a woman and a man that are always together in the back of the library that are always playing their music/​movies loudly. Its really annoying because the employees never ask them to leave even though they clearly are a disturbance to other library users that are actually studying and working. Also, there are children that come in groups that run around the library while the parents are nonchalantly searching for their book selections. If you go to this library just make sure to bring some headphones and/​or earplugs. you will need them!

The children’s librarian is super nice, the dark haired man at the front desk is also really great. I’ve come here twice for the signing story time and have really enjoyed it. The children’s section is really great and their adult selection of new books, nonfiction books, and books for sale are very diverse and interesting.

Nice, clean and spacious place! My number one San Diego Library to go to. Its fairly new so its very clean and pretty looking! The staff is very helpful and nice here too!

Its a great library and cleaner than some others. The selections are really good and the wifi is really strong. I do have a complaint though. I had taken my kids over to the teen section to use the computer. We had done it without incident a couple dayw in a row to study since our computer was broken. Last time we went a couple of loud mouth college age adults decided to use the teen section. They didn’t know how to whisper and one of them decided to cuss. It also sounded like a drug deal was going down. This all was happening in the children and teen section and the librarian that was in the back didn’t do anything abiut it. I was about to call the cops. This shouldn’t be happening specially in the childrens section of the library. We left because we were so uncomfortable. I thought the library was supposed to be a place for peace and quiet.

This library needs some work in my opinion. While it is beautiful I think more should be devoted to books rather then structure. The employees here are really nice and very helpful. This place is extremely professional but not really comfortable in my opinion. I will still come back again but this is not my favorite library.

You can choose your library card color. Plaid is rad.

Wow this is a nice library. Everything here looks nice and welcoming and very professional. Upon entering I was genuinely greeted by a librarian, who was more than ready to help me.
But the reason I love this place is because of their meeting room. I can reserve it for 2 hours, and have the privacy to work, to meet, and to do what I need.
I usually am not keen on reviewing a library, but I must say I loved this library and would recommend anyone use this location to do their bidding.

Ehhh. It’s a little sad to me that my La Mesa library branch has a more expansive selection, more liberal policies, and a higher tech method of checking material out.

Sadly, the homeless have taken to using the bushes to sleep around this library, and «hang out» during the day inside… be careful with your kiddo!

Opened 6 years ago and thought it was brand new.

I like the newness of this library. The feeling of stepping into a new library works for me! The DVD collection is great (though, again, I can’t stand the spinners and confusing numbering system) and they usually have books that aren’t in most branches in the system. They seem to get a large number of new books in as well, more than I have seen in a lot of branches in the system. Parking is plentiful since you can use the lot of the neighboring church, though the entrance into the lot is rather steep (I’ve scraped my car’s chassis a lot of times). Access isn’t great. You can use El Cajon Blvd. and turn left onto Montezuma or go east on Montezuma all the way. If you use that route, be prepared for a lot of vehicular and human traffic because it is one of two primary roads with access to San Diego State University.

This is a beautiful branch with decent hours and a nice selection. However, selection isn’t that big of a deal if you know how to request books online, which can then be held at your local branch. One of the nice surprises at this branch is their selection of graphic novels — they have the classics, like «Maison Ikkaku» and «Nausicaa,» as well as newer, more popular series, like «Full Metal Alchemist» and «Fruits Basket.»
Overall, this is a nice branch to visit and read at – they have a nice little fireplace in the magazine area which is on sometimes in the winter.

They just reopened this library in 2005. It is pretty nice architectually just like all the other remodeled libraries in san diego. They have a decent (newer) DVD collection. I was in here looking for local traval guides and they had a small but pretty good selection.

I was going to wax rhapsodic about how much I loved this new library branch, until I went there a few more times and picked through their meager selection.
It is beautiful, gleaming, bright and open — but I think they should devote a little less budget to architecture, and buy some more books already! I know that this is not this branch’s fault (City of San Diego, I’m shaking my fist at you!)… but seriously — woeful. They need to get on that.
The kids area looks like it would be fab for the tots, much bigger than some I’ve seen; and the computers/​study/​conference areas are not too heavily used (so far as I have seen) so it’s a good choice for a nice break from the heat or actual working.
In all, it is far better than the College Heights branch of bygone years (although there while the selection was suckville too, at least I knew the librarians and could occasionally get my fines waived).
ETA: To clarify, in all fairness — my judgements on selection are based entirely on their fiction section. They may have tons of everything else, but if I can’t get my novel fix, I don’t care.

Another beautifully new branch of the San Diego Public Library system. Makes you wonder what a great job they could do if they ever got around to revamping the one downtown.