Anza Branch Library

Small but I love that it’s so close to my house. Yay!

I still love this branch because it’s less hectic and the people are great. However, lately, someone has forgotten to check books back in after I returned them. Twice I got an overdue notice for books I’ve previously returned. I had to go to the shelves for the books to show the front desk that yup, they had it all along. Super annoying. Whoever is handling the return book should do their job!

Everything is clearly labeled and easy to find. Always a peaceful getaway and is in a super convenient location.

Decent selection of books for a smallish city library perched on a perilously steep hill. Staff are very knowledgeable if maybe a little reserved in humor and affect. Hours leave a little to be desired. I do like that you can reserve books online and they are kept self help on the «reserved» shelf under your name, complete with a self check out option so you can breeze in and out as parking is non-​existent in that hood.

This is my local branch and my favorite one. It’s got a good selection and a knowledgable and accommodating staff.
I actually give them 4.5 stars because its closed on Sundays, and Sundays are my favorite day to go to the library.

3.5 stars.
This branch has very nice staff. It seems a bit smaller than some of the libraries we’ve been to but it’s clean and nicely hosts events like the Bubble Lady which was our first time going.
I do feel the librarian should have helped regulated the children who were left at the show by themselves. I felt the Bubble Lady was extremely frustrated with kids not following her rules.

Love this place for the sake of variety of the library I usually go. Don’t know about the choice of books. I’m here to be alone, work on my laptop (free wifi), memorize things, print out stuff (10 cents/​copy) and to have a quite atmosphere. They did an awesome job with the renovation, toilets are very clean and a lot of close nice restaurants on Balboa. For my purpose perfect!

Such a quaint library. Old school!

I’ve come to really like libraries, I don’t know why… a place to kill when you have time… read magazines… borrow DVDs… this library has a VERY clean restroom… what’s not to like?!

As a self-​proclaimed bookworm ever since I picked up The Boxcar Children from my second grade teacher’s bookshelf, the Anza library does the job.
I can usually find 10 or 20 or more books at any one time to interest me. Even better is that Anza usually seems to have that book I’ve been waiting for on their new shelf usually a couple times each month!
The renovations made a big difference! New books, new self-​checkout, new bathrooms, ADA accessible… Sadly, with the renovations, they also decided to lump my guilty pleasures/​romance novels with the fiction! Horrible!
They have a great children’s section, at least for girls. However, with the renovations, they no longer have some of the older books that they use to have (sad, a smaller selection of Diana Wynne Jones), but they have a ton of new books for both adults and kids!

Immaculate and tip-​top shiny and new… was here this afternoon and love the wonderful branch near GG park… had to return a book and this was nearby.
So clean, quiet (yeah…imagine that for a descriptor to a lights that should always be, but hardly ever is)…I’m a believer here, and will try to hit this up when in the area.
Absolutely clean, spacious restrooms too. Beautiful and new.
P. S. Only a Tetris-​shape away from Shanghai Dumpling King… yummmmm

I really like the ADA compliant entrance from the north side of the building, anything to avoid those dreadful steps. The space is less open since more bookshelves are in place. The table arrangements don’t help with movability either. While it does feel a little modern, I feel that the old library charm is lost. I don’t know where things are anymore. The children’s room does not feel very kid-​friendly and certainly doesn’t lure them to check out books or videos like it used to. I haven’t seen the children’s room librarian ever, maybe it’s due to the budget cuts. I still also hate that it is closed on Sundays! I haven’t had a chance to check out the restrooms but maybe I will next time.

I’m glad they opened this brand new spankin’ library. There are many things they could do better.
The wifi is soooooo slow. It’s agonizing. It’s slower than the local coffee shops and the Richmond Branch library.
As a previous writer said, the book return slots are not well marked or evident. Maybe put up a sign that tells me WHERE to return books? The «hold» shelf isn’t really well marked either. Again, no guidance except to ask a librarian, which is OK except when they have a zillion other patrons and besides do I really need a civil servant with an advanced degree to do what a sign can do?
There’s a premium for desk space. I had to wait today to put my laptop on a desk.
This library is one of the louder ones, which is difficult for me because I go there to concentrate and study. There’s no carpet and the ceilings are high, so the sounds echo and the cart rumbles loudly. More than a couple of the staff and volunteers talk loudly, which adds to the clatter. After years of being shushed by librarians, I am so tempted to shush THEM.
I’m not a big fan of the miniature keyboards at the catalog search centers: tiny keys and no number pad despite the fact that much of what I type in (library card #/​pin and credit card to pay fines) is numeric. I think they didn’t plan these kiosks very well.
They also didn’t plan the bathrooms very well. They have some great tile work, but it looks like they just cut it all up after it was laid in order to install fixtures. The location of the hand dryer is ridiculous — it’s crammed into a narrow space to the left of the sink. There’s no way someone in a wheelchair could use it.
The Anza branch is only open 44 hours/​week and not open on Sunday whereas Richmond is open 55 hours/​week with Sunday hours. It seems a lot of things are not as good as the Richmond branch. We’re second class citizens out here on the west side.
One good thing about this branch is that there is free parking in the neighborhood without time restrictions. I can usually find a spot within a couple of blocks. One thing they might consider is establishing a green zone for 1 – 2 spaces, in order for folks to pick up and drop off kids and books. There are a lot of cars waiting in the «No Parking» zone, which makes it difficult to back out of the parking spaces. I witnessed an accident from this.
The landscaping is beautiful and so is the courtyard.
I also like how this branch does NOT have the new building smell — no paint fumes and such that are common with newly renovated buildings.
This is a great resource, but it could be used a lot better.

According to the SFPL website. Look under Branches, then Anza.
The Anza Branch has CLOSED for renovation. We apologize for the inconvenience. The nearby branches include Richmond and Sunset.
The weekly storytimes are held at the Richmond District Neighborhood Center, 741 30^th Avenue (between Balboa and Cabrillo).
Preschool Storytime: Tuesday 10:30 a.m.
Toddler Tales: Thursday 10:30 a.m.
Visit the Branch Library Improvement Program Bookmobile at Balboa Street and 31^st Avenue during the renovation period.
Tuesday 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saturday 1:30 to 5 p.m.

I love libraries but this library isn’t really that great. The libary is small and there is a very limited selection of materials. I could never find what I’m looking for here. Only good thing about this library is that it’s very quiet.

Anza’s not grand, but for a neighborhood branch that hasn’t yet been renovated, it does the trick. It caters to its patrons well, with lots of Russian and Chinese books, newspapers, and magazines to supplement English collection. The children’s section is pretty big and would have kept me plenty busy when I was a kid.
One final plus: while the Richmond library is closed for renovation, the Anza is open more hours than it would be otherwise. Hooray!

Teachers and children librarians… These are your everyday heroes.
Monica, one of the many great children librarians in the city, puts on a dazzling 30 minute storytime for the kids. Her storytimes are filled with song, readings, and child participation. And she does it with such energy and passion. Hey, its great when the adult librarian gets up from the other end of the library to marvel at the theatrics.
The Anza Library will eventually get its much needed renovation probably next year. Until then… enjoy their resources.

I rather like the Anza. It’s a small branch, but I appreciate the lovely old interior. The selection is OK, pretty typical for a neighborhood branch, and they have plenty of DVDs and such. Anza is a great reading and writing space. It stays pretty quiet, and they have a few long and wide tables. It’s easy to kill lots of time reading, writing, or surfing, and they have plenty of outlets to keep your laptop juiced. My only complaint is that there have been a few times where the doors were still closed when they should have been open.

This branch is a nice quiet oasis (unless you go on preschool reading circle day and get swept up in the mass of three year olds). They have an adequate supply of «graphic novels» (translation=comic books) which are my son’s choice of summertime reading.
I usually reserve books online because I think I am too lazy to scan the shelves. But when I get to the library to pick up my «reserved» books, I end up roaming the aisles for a better part of an hour. I can’t resist the draw of those shelves… it is an essential part of the library experience!
I guess the best part is that my son has managed to pick up this library habit from me… he now looks for his own books and sometimes plops down to read something, which then takes me another half-​hour to pry his butt off the chair to go home…
It is a bit more crowded these days because the Richmond branch is closed for remodeling and the overflow readers come here. Oh, and if you can, walk or bike here because car parking is basically non-​existent.

i agree with greta – libraries are just awesome things. i mean they’re free! any book you want – free! i haven’t tried checking out the other stuff yet, but their website is pretty amazing: it’s let me renew my books for the 2^nd time already without having to make the 10-​block trek out there – yes, you are allowed keep your books for months on end if you are a slow reader. or if you are just too lazy to go return them. but like greta also mentioned, don’t expect to find anything if you’re actually LOOKING for it. but it’s a great place to go and make a quiet find.