County of Los Angeles Public Library – West Hollywood Library

I LOVE this library. They have convenient garage parking and validate for 3 hours. The inside of the library is well lit and clean. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The architecture is beautiful. I like the convenience of searching their online catalog and having DVDs and books delivered to this library for me to pick up at my convenience. The best part is that they do not charge for borrowing DVDs. I have binge watched entire TV series thanks to the library. The librarians are extremely nice and patient. I know they have several programs for the community. I believe they have a program to help children with homework. They sell old books in the downstairs bookstores. There is a park next to the library. It’s simply a happy place!

One word… One cool library… Check it out if you are in the area!) a quiet place to read, study and spend a great afternoon checking the view outside!

It’s a very nice, clean library and everyone is very helpful and friendly. keep up the good job.

The west hollywood library is a piece of art and very modern with a great selection in books cd dvd and more. It is very clean here. Parking is 3h free with validation. The staff is very nice and informed. What else can I say. They have different section for adults children and downstairs an area where they sale some products. Check it out:-)

I’m not sure if this is nerdy, but I absolutely love going to libraries! The West Hollywood library is so beautiful! It’s smaller than what I imagined, but it’s architecturally beautiful. It’s mid-​century modern, but still has little quirks and charm everywhere you look. My favorite area is all the leather swivel chairs overlooking the Pacific Design Building across the street.
I definitely believe that if you work/​study/​read in a place that is aesthetically inspiring, you get inspired to do better yourself. This is the perfect place to be inspired– thus be more productive!

Yesterday, I went to the Banned Books Festival at West Hollywood Library. To say it was intriguing minimizes the experience. It was largely outdoors with an indoor series of panels. There was a small number of people present. (They were scheduled to play the film adaptation of The Perks of Being a Wallflower at the end of the day. I didn’t watch that. I was ready to go home.) Thus, it I borrowed six books: Apathy for the devil: a seventies memoir by Nick Kent, It’s what I do: a photographer’s life of love and war by Lynsey Addario, Yesterday, today, tomorrow: my life by Sophia Loren, The book of firsts: 150 world-​changing people and events, from Caesar Augustus to the Internet by Peter D’Epiro, The man in the white sharkskin suit: my family’s exodus from Old Cairo to the New World by Lucette Lagnado, and Funny in Farsi: a memoir of growing up Iranian in America by Firoozeh Dumas. I bought seven books from the Friends of West Hollywood store downstairs: Radiance, ten stories by John J. Clayton, The Good Works of Ayela Linde by Charlotte Forbes, The Happy Prince and other stories by Oscar Wilde, How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself without Selling Your Soul, fourth edition by Caroll Michels, Flying Leap: stories by Judy Budnitz, Ghost Woman: a novel by Lawrence Thornton, and Oh Pure and Radiant Heart by Lydia Millet. On a closing note, I was very grateful when the librarians allowed me to use the business phone to call my mom. I made more than one call and they permitted it. Graciousness helps abundantly.

I miss this library so much! I used to live a few blocks to it and would walk all the time (it was actually more efficient than driving during traffic time!).
I’ve been to other libraries both in CA and in other parts of the country and trust me, not many compare to this modern, clean, efficient and technologically enhanced library.
You can look for books you want online and if they don’t have it in WeHo you can request it from other libraries in the US for free. As soon as it is available for you to pick up, you get an email and the book will be in the reserved section under your last initial.
You can reserve a private room for studying and print up to 10 pages for free. I mean honestly, what’s not to like? If you complain, then 1 you’re picky and 2 you need to go to other libraries and observe how lucky you are.
This library is actually one of the many reasons I plan on moving back to my home in CA in a few years! That and other factors of course ;)

As a writer, I go to my fair share of public libraries to work. And as far as libraries go, this one could be so great. It’s beautiful, modern, great light, amazing librarians.
But there’s just one problem: People come here to sleep. No but, like, lots of people.
This happens at all public libraries to some extent but here, I’d go so far as to call it an epidemic. Last week, I looked around my little section and of the 6 people taking up the only 6 seats, everyone but me was asleep. One guy was snoring, one had his shoes off and put his smelly feet on the beautiful table we were sharing. When I asked a librarian if there wasn’t a rule against sleeping here, I was told that it’s fine as long as they’re not bothering anyone.
Never mind that they’re bothering me. So though I’m a local tax paying resident who lives in walking distance, I often have to go to the Bev Hills library where I have literally NEVER seen anyone sleeping. If not for this problem, I’d give this library 5 stars without question.

Absolutely gorgeous library! It’s a great place to get some work done, or just sit down for a read. I really liked the library because of the atmosphere and of course where it’s located.
It’s pretty big and there is a parking structure to park at nearby, so its pretty convenient. I only came once for a business meeting, and we rented out one of the conference rooms. The room itself was fabulous with chic furniture and décor and a breathtaking view of West Hollywood. The décor in the whole library is very enticing. It had mid-​century feel with a modern twist.
Everyone at the library is eager to help, if you’re lost or if you need something. I wish I had more of a reason to come back! I was told you can print 10 pages for free, which is honestly a luxury for college students.
This place is often credited to be a phenomenal place to get work done. Currently, wishing I was there now finishing up my work!
Once I get done with my work, I go a street or two down to grab a bite. Will definitely back!

By far the best library I have ever been to and its right across the street from my house. The building is gorgeous, and that says a lot coming from me. The sitting areas over look San Vicente and West Hollyood and over the Pacific Design Center. There are private meeting rooms and closed off and sound proof study rooms. Lots of places to sit, read and look at the view. There is tons of public parking in the attached parking garage. There is also a nice little café at the bottom and if you need to take a break, stop at zinque across the street for a salad and iced tea

This is by far my favorite place to work. I love the natural light, the furniture, the downstairs coffee, the next door park, the easy bicycle and car parking.
The only downside: the hours. West Hollywood needs to up the hours of the library pronto. In comparison, the Topanga library (Topanga!) has much better hours than the Weho library (
). Weho should add Sunday hours and open earlier, at least 10am if not 9am and be like Santa Monica. This is a Santa Monica style public library without the corresponding hours.

Doesn’t open until 11am — should be open during normal business hours such as 8am to 8pm. Plus the staff is super grumpy. They could smile a bit more. Parking is confusing. One garage for the park and the bottom right garage only for the library which includes 3 hours free parking with library validation compared to 2 free hours for the park garage

It’s a beautiful large building so… frankly I was expecting more. But this is really a pocket library.
Parking is easy with the attached garage. On the day I was there, the WiFi was out (that’s a real problem!) and I had come looking for a quiet place to work, which I now couldn’t do… so I walked around checking out the facility. I love the modern design, the artwork and the views. But I was stunned at the limited selection. I guess the point these days is to order anything you want from a library online and that’s obviously the only way to go at this library. I have more magazines in my condo then they do in their magazine section. And whereas most libraries highlight new arrival and popular choices, this one doesn’t — and I missed that.
There are lots of nice places to sit and read or work (if WiFi is working) — in fact most of the space seem to be reserved for desks/​work spaces or meeting rooms. I was really surprised at how small the selection of books was.
Staff was very friendly and helpful. It was a pretty bad tech day at the WeHo library — the parking validation machine was also down (they have a back up way to deal with this). I’m going to try reserving things online and see if I find the library more useful that way… otherwise this is just a pretty but not particularly useful building. Stop in to see the impact of budget cuts on public libraries! If it’s been a while since you’ve visited one, I bet you’ll be as surprised as I was.

This is my current library, and I have to say so far, I have not been let down.
From the outside, it appears to be huge, but the selection isn’t as large as I had expected. But not to worry; this is just one location in the vast network that is the County of LA Public Library System. I’ve found countless movies and books in other branches and simply had them transferred in. Their website works smoothly, and it’s easy to request items to be put on hold/​transferred.
Santa Monica Public Library charges you $ 25/​year if you are a non-​resident. They had a much smaller network, but a really great selection. My current library charges you $ 0/​year, and the three hour free parking (don’t forget to validate) will win me over anytime. Might want to avoid the spots farthest away towards the exit; it always smells heavily of weed for some reason.
I’m happy to be a card-​carrying member of the County of LA Public Library System. Considering I really never set foot into a library in college, this is a huge step!
Closed Sunday–

This is one of the best libraries in California, and probably one of the best libraries I’ve been to full-​stop. It is clean, modern, well-​stocked and is a welcoming environment for students, children and adults.
The architecture is stunning and there are a variety of study areas, ranging from private carols to rows of desks with city views to private conference rooms.
You can check-​out laptops, kindles and there are ample public computers for this without access at home.
The library card affords you access to all the normal media in the library (including an extensive array of CDs and Movies) as well as digital services like Hoopla, Zinio, eBooks, Freegal, etc.
I highly recommend this library and all it has to offer. It’s also situated in a beautiful area of town, adjacent to the Pacific Design Center and a public park.

A friend of mine said, «You should see the VIEW from the rooftop» and so I went. Sounds strange, I know. Not exactly the reason to go to a l-​i-​b-​r-​a-​r-​y.
Just the same, I parked in the garage that they validate for, walked through the lobby area and up to the roof top area. Too bad it’s not open /​accessible at night. The view must be amazing at night with all the lights of the city lit up.
I ended the mini self tour with checking out a book, all in all a positive experience and a new place to chill and read as the summer heat arrives.

I have to preface this with two things: I don’t review places very often, mostly because I’m lazy, but in this case I feel I really need to say something. Secondly, up until today I loved this library.
I started coming here last year when I moved to LA and needed a place to escape. The book selection is pretty decent-​I usually stick to their non-​fiction section. It wasn’t until I decided to branch into the literature section that I realized how few options there are. I also love the validated parking. Such a rare treat, especially in West Hollywood!
Anyway, onto the reason I’m writing this review. I stopped by today to drop off some movies. Since I had some downtime, I figured I’d go upstairs and look around for a new read. There was a grungy looking guy at the last computer along the row. No big deal, the library has a tendency to attract a few homeless and/​or unattractive personalities. I stopped at the first stack to check out their section on ghosts. While I was looking, the guy behind me started blowing air. I didn’t turn around, assuming the keyboard was dusty or there were flies or he was part-​whale and that’s just how he had to breathe.
That’s when he started mumbling. Again, didn’t pay much attention. Like I said, that’s not unusual around there. Then he started talking louder, saying someone was a f***ing liar. He slammed his hands down on the table. I thought he was mad at the computer but then he appeared right next to me and told me to «stop doing that.» I have no idea what he was talking about. I had my phone in my hand, but it was on silent. All I was doing was looking at the titles.
He called me a liar (swearing censored here) again, and told me to «get out of here.» I wasn’t sure how to react, and either no one was around or no one was paying attention. I didn’t look too closely when I walked by to see how many patrons there were.
So I said «okay, I’m going» and backed away, but he followed me, blowing air at me and shoving at me. He never actually touched me, but he came very close. I repeated that I was going and it was okay, but still he essentially chased me the length of that aisle until I got into the fiction section. I thought he was gone until he came around the corner blowing at me and telling me to get away from him. I felt pretty shaken up from it and walked as quickly as I could around the corner back towards the stairwell.
There were plenty of people in the study section who didn’t even look up when I half-​ran by. In order to get down the stairs, I had to walk within sight of the man and at that point, someone who worked at the library was asking him if everything okay. The man said it was fine and the worker left. No one asked me if I was alright.
I strongly debated whether or not I should say anything. After all, he hadn’t touched me or caused me any harm other than scaring me. I decided to just mention it to the man behind the counter when he validated my parking. He looked very uncomfortable and asked if I’d spoken with the information people upstairs. I told him I hadn’t because I didn’t want to stick around up there in case I upset the man again. He called over a woman who asked what was going on. I told her the story and she just nodded at me. Eventually she did apologize for what happened and I left, even though I still felt unsettled.
I know that there was nothing she could do to change the situation, but I did feel as though I wasn’t taken seriously. I’m sure there are rules about asking patrons to leave, etc, but it wasn’t a positive experience and honestly, I don’t think I’ll be going back for awhile. This isn’t the first time I’ve had an odd encounter with a homeless person at that library.
So, 3 stars for the ambiance, convenience, and selection. 2 stars off for customer service.

A great place to get work done in the area. Really beautiful and clean environment with great views overlooking WeHo and the Hollywood Hills. I guess the only negative is being distracted by how nice the environment is.
You can get a guest pass for wifi or, if you’re a resident anywhere in the state of California, you can sign up for a library card for access (highly recommended!). I believe you get limited amount of free printing and access to all of their online resources. Sometimes other patrons can be disruptive/​noisy but overall its a great public resource and definitely the best public library I’ve been to in the LA area.

The best of the best of all libraries.
Perfect for studying or just coming to take pictures of they view. It’s fantastic. I love how it is not exactly a «hot spot» that everyone in town knows about. I was driving around one day with friends and saw a giant mural of an elephant. After taking pictures, I was soon to discover it is a library!
The parking lot is very interesting with humongous mural artwork along the walls of the library from famous artists such at Retna and Obey giant. It is mind blowing.
The inside is very clean and beautiful. On top, they even have a private tennis court for members, I believe. You could even rent private business rooms for meetings. Don’t even bother with other libraries anymore. The WeHo library is the way to go.

You can look at some beautiful views while you study! This library is so nice that I thought I walked into a museum and not the WeHo library the first time I came here. The study space is upstairs. It can get pretty crowded though so come early. There are some communal desks with outlets, a few desks with outlets, and a lot of desks without outlets. Most of the spots are next to a glass wall, which offers the great views of WeHo and the hills. You have to have a library card to log onto the internet, which is inconvenient but I usually come here when I don’t really need internet access.
Librarians are friendly and there is 3 hour validated parking in the adjacent lot. The only downside is that I came here once and the lot was reserved for a special event. Since finding parking in this area is not fun I just left.