Sacramento Central Public Library

Not a looker when it comes to central libraries, but still a lovely library. Great staff, I find 99% of the books I am looking for, I am glad there is a Spanish language section on the 3rd floor, and the free 3D printing class and access to the Maker's Space is awesome. Dedicated bike parking out front. WALK UP BOOK DROP IS ON 8TH STREET NEAR THE CORNER WITH I STREET. DRIVE THRU BOOK DROP IS IN THE REAR ALLEY, entry from J Street and exits out onto 8th. Bike can enter either side.

This library consistently provides excellent service! I recently needed several academic journals for my research, and the staff quickly guided me to exactly what I needed. The quality of the materials is high, with up-to-date resources and a large selection. The library is a treasure trove of knowledge, offering amazing value to the community by providing free access to an array of books, online resources, and educational programs. It's truly a fantastic resource!

I was looking for some children’s books and educational materials for a class project, and the library staff were super helpful in directing me to an extensive collection. The quality of the books, especially those focused on early learning, was outstanding. Not only that, but the library offers free access to online resources, including educational games and learning tools, which my students loved. Considering all the resources available at such an affordable price, this library is definitely a valuable community asset.

This isn't a library. Yes, there are books, lots of em. But this is just a front. For a fact, this is a drunk tank run by extremist political activists-we all know which side. I could go on and on, be more detailed, but this review will probably be [has been] censored by their comerads and collaborators at goog. We wouldn't want too much of the truth getting out would we? Wouldn't want too much free speech. They'd rather ban real books they don't like, books that make them think. Ban speech they don't agree with. Ban negative online reviews. THEY are the real book banners and speech suppressors.

Such a great library especially children section. Whole lower level is for kids! Spacious area is filled with books. Kids can easily access to the book shelves because all the bookshelves are designed for kids. They also have some tables and kids chairs with toys. FYI Every Saturday they have a baby story time.

Lovely place to read, study, and embrace humanity.

Love the library.. But there was a fire on the second floor and of course that's where my book was located the lady at the counter said everything should be back open tomorrow

Tried to get online to find a book. Found it harder to get into the computer to get the book number and found that that I needed a password that I haven’t needed for the 3 years that I have lived here and then had to enter a long (I didn’t count the digits) number. I found that it was more complicated to look for some information in the library than it was to go into a highly secured military base. I ended up cutting up my library card and leaving. I am over 85 years old and do not need all that nonsense just to find a book in a library, and I did not even need t take the book from the building. The library card is now gone and I will now look elsewhere to get the information that I am looking for.

My hubby I stopped in yesterday and they were celebrating Black History month in a big way with their current exhibit; "Take Me to the Water" Histories of the Black Pacific by Dr. Caroline Collins! The exhibit will run until March 16 and they have cases of authentic artifacts and lots of large posters with information about African history! For example did you know Nick Gabaldón, was the first African American surfer? This library is grand, with elevators that take you to 4 floors, a kid's space, teen space, computers, etc! We rented DVDS to watch together and age appropriate books and board games for our 7 year old! I would HIGHLY recommend visiting the Central free public library that opened to the public in 1879. In 1992 it joined the National Register of Historic Places! We'll be back to explore more, my hubby said their kid's section is huge!! SYOY! :-) * Song Credit: Whenever by LiQWYD

I love the public library. Excellent fiction section and the staff are so helpful! You can also borrow a California state park 3 weeks at a time (note: this is not the same as the national park pass). These passes provides free vehicle day-use entry to over 200 participating state parks (see participating parks here: https://www.parks.ca.gov)

Sacramento Public Library is in a great location downtown and occupies several floors. On the first floor are two chess puzzles with answers available at the front desk. I am avid player of chess so appreciated this. I felt they had a compelling collection of vegan cookbooks and helpful folks work. Nice library!

Excellent location downtown. I know books are getting a little more scare during the pandemic and some of the shelves were a bit bare. But what a great place on my first visit in person. The online app, Libby, to borrow audio and ebooks is terrific! By the way, the library website is easy to use and always up-to-date with all their locations open hours. The building and inside decor is classic and I love it. The elevator and stairs were in good working order. Good covid safe distancing was appreciated. Parking is all around but in this area it can be a challenge to be right in front or on the same block. The front entrance parking has 30 minute limit most of the time so a bit easier to find a spot and go in for a quick browse and borrow.

First visit was very pleasant - loved seeing lots of shelves of books, and the different floors. The librarian was very friendly and helpful, and gave me tips about the Sacramento public libraries all around.

The staff there are so kind and considerate. My club and I were drenched in the rain without anywhere to go since we biked from Davis, and the staff there gave us our own meeting room to eat and rest. Big thank you from the Vietnamese Student Association at UC Davis!

February 4, 2022 Update of any review one thousand ninety five. My previous has sixteen votes, nineteen votes, and twenty seven votes. People say there homeless come into this library. I not seeing that. I like children section. There is one shelf that I will call The State Books shelf. There are fifty one, that is fifty of states and Washington DC. Even Washington DC has a state flag. Red line with white stars, white, more red line with white stars, more white, third line of red lines with white stars. Each these state books has interesting facts for that state, the state icons, state nicknames, details of different popular towns in that state. There are times when the librarian(s) will draw me map of how walk back to the hotel.

The library is very nice, the staff is very accommodating. The children's section was filled with many wonderful selections. The computer was very fast. There were many computer's available, I am sorry that there we're not more children there to utilize the wonderful services available to them. I am reminded by my visit that as I have fewer funds to spend on entertainment, the public library has a treasure of entertainment available at no cost to me. Audible books, kindle books, magazines, movies , WiFi, computers, board games, video games.

OKAY BUT I QUESTION SAFETY. I was staying in town for the night while traveling north and needed a place with wifi to work on some grad school homework for a few hours. Regrettably, I came here and wishes I would have just gone to a Starbucks or other coffee shop. There were a LOT of homeless people in this library. I thought going up to the top where they have a specific location for college and careers would be a good place to sit down and get to work but boy, was I wrong! The higher up you go in the building, the more bums! I ended up sitting and felt like I constantly had to be looking around 'on guard' and making sure my briefcase was still close next to me. Groups of sketchy people kept forming by random walls and though a security guard or two would circulate from time to time, I always wished they were there when they weren't. What's worse is that a lot of these individuals stunk.... really bad! If you are actually looking to study and feel safe doing so, I recommend steering clear of this place and going to a coffee shop or something. It may be louder but at least you'll feel safe and cleaner!

It's a quiet place. It would have been better if there aren't homeless people hanging out... they can be a bit loud.

This is one of my favorite library in Sacramento because it's next to my building. And everyday I can stop by the library either to drop off or pick up the books. The staffs are very friendly. And I can request books from any library and it can be picked up from this location. And for check-out you can go to any Kiosk and check out without standing in long ques. I heard they do passport renewal on the 2nd floor. Cons -- the parking is not free. You need to park on the streets which is metered or the parking garage next door which is a little expensive and limited space. On the bottom floor they have kids books that's where I spend more of my time searching. And they have a little corner for kids to play, story time, computers for people to browse. This library has lots of offer. And you can borrow videos as well. I had checkout the prenatal videos which were useful. And you will notice, homeless people come inside this library too. Everyone is treated fairly here.

Terrible! Libraries are supposed to be a quiet place to study. I have always found librarians to be courteous and helpful. Unfortunately, both of these things have been abandoned at this library. Their priority is political correctness. Another patron was continuously making a disturbing noise and when I complained I was told that "The library isn't expected to be quiet anymore." Headache!!! Both a security guard and a librarian were condescending. Moreover, a librarian actually lied to me about where to email my complaint. Pathetic.

My favorite Sacramento Library. Beautiful architecture and spacious floors full of books and reading space. Lovely interior spaces, rooms, and halls make for pretty awesome exploration, peaceful study areas, and also one of the most breathtaking weddings I've ever been to. Versatile library spot, to be sure. Every time I need a book, they seem to have it. The online system is user friendly and they are very responsive to requests. Even newly released items, within reason. If they don't have something, I'm usually able to get it via transfer within a few days. Managed to get a copy of House of Leaves in 4 days after placing it on hold. And that book is ALWAYS unavailable. Librarians are helpful and really care about giving back to the community. There are so many services here to help just about all walks of life. I love my local library!

This library is very chillax - It is a great place for an Amtrak traveler to kill time if they are not expecting to board the train anytime soon and its a small walk. I decided to do this as I had 2 hours. Great wifi speeds, no library card required. You can sign up for a public library card here and maybe when you are taking the train you can check out movies for your laptop or hotel DVD player and drop them off the next day. The ideas are out there! Oh, did you know that they also check out Video Games as well! My member card expired so I updated my contact information and they gave me a new card free of charge. About comments here of people hanging out - I see people hanging out here who appear to be homeless or on the brink of it, but they own electronics such as laptops and so forth, so they may be using it for job resources or so forth. It's a safe haven for them, I am not bothered by that but as one review said, never leave your items unattended. Overall a nice place to visit if you are a local or a visitor.

Check out the new web site! You can use an ID rather than your 29 digit card number now, thank god. Extend your checkouts and pay your late fees online. The best part is the new book search - they finally got a decent search application, and they are tagging and reviewing the books - tag clusters omg! - the system is light-years ahead of where it was. Check out Link+ if you can't find a book - it's killer.

Okay, this isn't the most amazing library you've ever been to. BUT, some things to know: There is a California specific section that is off to the side when you walk in. You have to sign in and leave your bags at the front of that room (they put them in a closed cubby for you). There are some amazing books and documents in there, and if you ever need a quiet place to study, that might be the best spot in the whole library. You should definitely check it out regardless. Yes, there are a lot of homeless people. And you know what, THERE SHOULD BE. News flash people, there are a lot of homeless in Sacramento, and they need a warm, dry, safe place to hang out sometimes. While Sacramento is failing its homeless population in a lot of ways, this library isn't. I'm so mad about the reviews that give it one star for that. The library is there to serve the public, and this is exactly the kind of thing I am hoping my tax dollars go to. Five stars from me for this reason alone.

Lots of books and mostly friendly librarians, BUT their other services offered are pathetic and management doesn't care about improving. I called during the week about passport services, and was told I could only do a walk-in on Sunday. Got there as soon as the place opened on Sunday and waited half an hour before the clerk in the office bothered to unlock his door and tell us that walk-ins are prohibited on Sunday. Another group of people waiting had the same experience. The clerk obviously didn't care that we'd been given wrong information, and when I complained to the library management all I got was, "Sorry but we can't help you even though our people told you the wrong thing." I'm so disappointed by this experience as someone who has always supported increasing the library budget in the past. Now I'm wondering what they're doing with their budget as it is - obviously none of it is going toward providing good customer service.

Had a great experience from start to finish with their passport services. I called in to schedule an appointment and the appointment was made for about a month later. I received a reminder text the day before my appointment. At my appointment I had most everything on my application filled out but still had a couple of questions. The gentleman working in the passport services was helpful in making sure I wrote the correct info down. Best of all, the whole process took no longer than ten minutes. Unbelievable! After the appointment I got a chance to look around the library and signed up for a library card. There's lots of cool things going on here!

After purchasing my 95 year old house I wanted to get as much historical information as possible on it. I was referred to different county offices by friends and got nowhere so I decided to head to the library. The friendly staff downstairs sent me to the Sacramento Room and boy was I pleasantly surprised! The librarian was eager to help me find as much information as possible. I honestly couldn't have done any of it without him! I ended up spending hours in the Room and left with so much interesting information as well as resources on how to get more.I cannot say enough about how great my experience was and how I'll remember this experience for a very long time.

I bring my kids here almost every weekend because I LOVE the children's area, which is downstairs. We like to attend storytime held every Saturday at 11am with Nate the Librarian, who my kids really like. Even if there is no storytime scheduled, and you have kids, the children's floor has tons to do. There are little sitting areas where kids can read to themselves or in groups, and there are several computers for use too. For young kids, there are toys (puzzles, blocks, etc.) that are available to play with. Of course, there are books for all levels of reader. My kids still like the "baby" books, and there are a lot of those to choose from. Give this library a visit if you want to get out of the house with the kids!

It's a beautiful Library. I like the architecture outside and the interior design inside. It's a typical building with floors of books. I remember coming here years before on a 4th grade field trip. They were giving tours and showing the kids how to use the intranet book catalog. There is also the Tsakapoulous Library Galleria next door for events like Weddings, Parties, Meetings and Conferences. Totally related to the Sac Library System. I recall Sacramento Fashion Week starting off there. There is also a La Bou around the corner, so you can eat if you plan on staying all day in the library. I like coming here because it has a large variety of books to borrow. Most of the time you can find the book you are looking for. Other than that, you can always get the library to special order the book to be sent over to the nearest library to you. Parking can be a pain but you can always just use the meters outside which is a lot more affordable than the parking garage. I havent stuck around to study here yet. I think it's because I am worried about the parking meters. Hee hee.

This review is for the passport services. Passport services is located on the second floor. I was in and out with pictures taken within 20 minutes. Make appointments prior to coming in. The person who processed my passport application, Hoang, was extremely friendly. He let me view my pictures and took a couple so I could choose. Things to bring: 2 checks or money orders: One for the library and one to the government ID (Drivers License): They will make photocopies Birth Certificate or old passport: They will take the birth certificate which will be mailed back to you. 5 stars for customer service, organization, and simplicity of the process.

The main branch offers services to get your passport. It is a wonderful service and the fee paid to the library goes to support getting new resources. You write two checks. One to the library and one to the State Department. The details on how to use this service is on the library web page. A great way to apply for your passport and support the library at the same time. Making an appointment is strongly recommended as staff are busy providing this tremendous service. My passport came super quick. A great experience!!! Two thumbs up!!!

The Sacramento Library Central Branch is my favorite library within the entire Sacramento County system.The library has a variety of services not limited to electronic book checkout, literacy coaching, computers, academic tutoring, scholarship search, passport, resume assistance, movies, historical research,etc. Addtionally host community events such Chinesse New Years, Second Saturday, Halloween, Story Time for Children, Author Lecture Series, ect. I have toured as well as used libraries around the country for the size, the demographics of the population surrounding the area, and the access to resources this particular library has gone above and beyond. The staff as well as the volunteers are patient and attentive. Due to the kindness of the staff and volunteers I now volunteer time to time for Central. Be aware of your surroundings as this is downtown Sacramento. Parking especially street parking can be a challenge may I suggest use parking garages, take lightrail, or walk.

Brought my 3 year old in for the first time after going to the Elk Grove location and she didn't want to leave! The kids area is amazing. So many toys and things for her to look and play with she didn't even want to look at the books. The area is large and open so I was able to browse books while keeping an eye on her. They made the kids area perfect for kids. We live in Elk Grove so definitely a little drive but we will be back on Thursdays for story time and let my little ones play. Great place to bring your kids!

I come to this library often to check out movies and use the computer. Every once in a while, at the first floor of the library "The Friends of the Library" does offer a selection of books, magazines, and, yes, comic books for a donation of anywhere between $0.25 to $2.00 per item. While much of the books are outdated, I was able to find a pretty good book which relates to my job search a few months ago titled Who's Hiring Who? by Richard Lathrop. I did an amazon.com search of this author and found out he also wrote another follow-up book titled Don't Use A Resume.....Use a Qualifications Brief. Both have been invaluable when it comes to my job searches. Patrons can borrow movies for three weeks, and it's a good idea to return it on the due date because the Central Library is getting stiffer when it comes to fines. And recently, they charge a $1.00 "re-shelving fee" if a patron does not pick up an item on reserve. Despite the stiffer fines and the furloughs (the next furlough will be on October 19th) this is still a good library to go to borrow books, use the computer and check out movies.

Stephanie M., the central library supervisor, was awweeessoommmmmeeee! Actually I need to step back and thank Nicole for her executive decision in taking it to the next level instead of running me in circles! Much appreciated. So thank you both and the library for all of your help with so much speed and care!

Came here to study while I was waiting in the area. I didn't get to explore much of this place, but went to the forth floor where it's a quiet study area. There are a lot of questionable people lurking in this library, but do keep in mind that this library is a PUBLIC library and located in downtown Sacramento where there are a lot of homeless people. However, if you don't bother them, they won't bother you. Despite the location, this is a well kept library.

Our family's first visit to this library. Wow! It was nice! A five story building. Very spacious with lots of materials to choose from. Their children's section though, is not as kids friend as other libraries I've been to. The staff were very friendly and helpful. The only down side is the location because it is in downtown Sacramento. It is very hard to find parking. But overall, all this library is a great place!

This is my favorite library in Sacramento simply because it has the most books! (I love all libraries though, really.) So many selections. I truly appreciate how many nonfiction books there are. You can definitely learn many things by picking up a few books. I also love the architecture and how large it is. I usually get lucky with parking here, so parking has not been an issue for me. Many homeless people hanging out here, literally just walking around or sitting quietly, which is fine. Support libraries!

Came here for passport - waited almost 4 hours - they talked me out of expediting passport and now less than a week out I just got notified that they completely screwed up my paperwork. Now I must go to San Francisco - outrageous! They didn't seem to know what they were doing and literally took almost an hour per person. I am disgusted and can't believe that I wasted my time with these fools! Do not go here - you will regret it.

This was my first time in this library. I went to the kiosk and got my library card first, which was in a matter of just over a minute if that. (Impressed) My goal today was to look up in the area of state job exams, and low and behold there they were on the 2nd floor. I didn't find the one that I was looking for but it gave me an idea on what I needed to prepare for my next state exam. There were two young ladies that were in the college and career section that were most helpful with all the questions that I had and at almost closing time on a Saturday. I would definitely come back.is it a five star? I would say yes that day.

This is my favorite library! If a book is not available at the SPL, you can request for it to be mailed from another library in Sacramento County, which is the service I use most often. Most of the time you can only keep the books two weeks but the selection is huge. Conveniently, you pick up your requested books right by the check out. Staff is always knowledgeable and helpful. If I could only remember now that the library is closed Mondays before I start walking....

Beautiful library. Gigantic children's section. Yes, the homeless come in too but the place is kept clean and relatively quiet.

Confession: Amazon ate my library card. It's been years since I've stepped foot inside one of the hallowed halls. So the other day, I thought I would go see what's new and exciting for kicks. But things haven't changed that much from the last time I darkened the door. Like ... 1. They still have books! (And it smells like books!) 2. The librarian still looks like your grandmother ... or reclusive old aunt. 3. I still felt like I was going to get in trouble at any second for talking too loud (though this time, I wasn't talking at all. And in my defense, it wasn't my fault my vocal chords always seemed to carry further than my friends'; I have always had a deep booming voice. yay.) 4. The periodical section But things I noticed that seemed, well, different. 1. The People -- there are lots of them here and of all different walks of life. 2. Now, I have to park (and only for one hour) in front of the library rather than just walk. 3. Self checkout. Whoa. 4. Someone shushed the librarian! OMG, I was expecting her to throw a shoe at his head. 5. Yes, the librarian was the loudest person in the place. Does she think she's above the rules of the LIBRARY? I'm appalled at the blatant abuse and corruption.

Well, just visited the Sactown library for the first time, and holyyyy shinto. A more accurate building name would be "Sacramento Rescue Mission with Added Library Wing." Seriously, every single floor, aisle, and table had homeless people. Homeless people out front, homeless people in the bathroom, homeless people popping out of books when you opened them. The whole facility just reeked of stale sweat and cigarettes. I just moved to Sacramento and am seeing the city for the very first time, so I'm taking everything in with a fresh perspective. And, while I'm impressed with and loving most of Sacramento, this library is a massive disappointment. As I've mentioned in some of my other reviews, I've lived in a lot of places. Subsequently, I've also been to a lot of cities' libraries. And whether we're talking about Seattle's famous library, or Downtown Phoenix's library, or the podunk Rock Springs, Wyoming, library, or others I have visited, I have never seen anything like the Sactown homeless shelter one before. It blew my mind. Whatever rules are used at other libraries to deal with the homeless (like Seattle's polite request to leave and card telling where to get a free shower) need to be implemented here, and in a big way. Afterwards, it needs to be fumigated and deodorized. Then I think we'll have something, here.

Spacious, well-stocked and housed in a handsome downtown building, the Sac Central Library is a great place to get your learn on. If there were ever a library where I'd encourage some young, impressionable lad to go experience the wide world of literature, this is it. I initially walked in on a rainy day seeking a bathroom. Before I knew it I was checking out their selection of catalogs and re-familiarizing myself with the Dewey decimal system. This is a CITY library and there are a number of questionable looking/acting people walking around, but for the most part you can do what you need to do unperturbed. Of course, it being a library, you can also do your thing for free. Not a bad deal. And you may just find a book you like.

This is a review of their passport services only, which is a new service they now offer. Great experience start to finish - from the phone call I made to Nancy at their main number at 1pm today to the end of our same-day 3pm appointment with Amy in room 209. Both ladies were pleasant, professional, well spoken and succinct. Amy took us just a couple of minutes after 3pm. We didn't feel rushed and all questions were competently and thoroughly answered. Our entire appointment lasted about 40 minutes for two people, including photos and paperwork processing. BTW, Amy was so wonderful with the photos. She allows you to preview your photo and approve the one you want to use. I wish she was the person who took my last DMV photo!! A few tips before you go: 1. Call ahead to make appt. and allow lots of time to park. 2. Complete the correct application before your appointment, but don't sign it until you're told to sign. NOTE: Appl. must be in BLACK ink and on one-sided pages (so no double-sided or blue ink or you'll have to complete new forms). 3. Make copy of your photo ID (front & back on one-sided page) before your appt. 4. Bring all supporting documents: completed appl.,orig and copy of photo ID, certified copy of birth certificate or past passport. NOTE: They will hold onto your birth cert. or passport, but will return them to you via mail. 5. Bring a checkbook with a few checks in it. You will have to write two separate checks (one to the library & the other to the state). You can write the two checks to cover multiple passports. Total cost per person for a passport card, photo and fees was $70. NOTE: this cost is for an adult's passport card, not a passport book. The books cost more and are required under certain circumstances. **UPDATE 1/30/14** Our passport cards arrived in about 3 weeks. My original birth certificate arrived a few days later; and the original expired passport was received a couple of weeks after that. Overall, it took about 4 - 5 weeks to get everything back in the mail.

I have been coming here for as long as I have been in the states. The library has five floors: kids, then dvds and language and travel books, non fiction(post 1), fiction, and lastly the rest of non-fiction and biography books. More likely than not just about anyone could find something to read here. And like all other library systems, if they don't have the book you want, of another one of sac libraries has it, you can request it and pick it up here. They also have events like speakers, and free movies. If it's rainy outside, you might find the library less than pleasant due to the number of homeless people who basically take shelter in the library to avoid getting wet. I personally am not bothered by it as I know the sorry state California homeless shelters are in, but I have seen other patrons complain about it, so perhaps that's something to be aware of.

I'm a library fiend. That means I can also be quite critical, but the Sac Central Library is the best I've ever seen. I'm there weekly. I'm particularly fond of their on-line presence, which lets me reserve books in advance over the Internet, then pick them up. It also makes it much, much easier to browse. They also get big points for putting the comics/graphic novels rack in the Central Express area. I've found some really interesting things there, and it's far more accessible than if it were tucked away in the young adult/teen section, as so many libraries do it. Hey, some of us middle-aged types are into comics, too--this makes it accessible. Another big plus is the DVD collection. I'm not much on timeliness, so seeing the latest release isn't that big a deal, but having access to art and foreign films that may have had only a lightening-quick theater release is a real treat. Right now, they've got the Smithsonian's traveling exhibit, Freedom's Sisters, about the women of the civil rights movement. In general, Central Library's displays are interesting; this one is fantastic. Don't miss it.

This is such a beautiful library! I am a librarian and I love visiting other libraries and I am blown away about what this library has done for it's community. I actually came here for a conference event and I learned some great things that are being done in regards to community outreach and services so GO SACRAMENTO PUBLIC LIBRARY! The building has an amazing mixture of old and new, which is always nice to see. I definitely want to come back and peek at the collection as I didn't have the chance to, but I can't tell you how much Sacramento has changed in the last decade.

Before I start my review, I must make a confession. I have a bad habit of going to Barnes and Noble to buy books. Now, these are never books I'd really want to keep and a lot of them are kinda trashy, so when I finish reading them, I return them. Shhhh!! Now, however, I don't have to do this thing that kinda makes me feel guilty. I go to the library! Previously, the library was not a good place for me to go. They never had anything that seemed interesting, and if they did have something interesting, it would be the third or fourth in a series and the preceeding books would be missing. That, and I'd always forget to return the damn things, and suddenly be slapped with a ridiculous amount in late fees. That was before the Sacramento Central Library, all of 4 blocks from my work! My friend also told me that you can do this cool thing where you go on-line and reserve the book you want. They find it at another library and then ship it to the library you request. It's truly awesome. True, you have to tiptoe carefully past all the sleeping bums, and there's a weird woman there who mutters at you if you pass her or look at her, but the inside of the library is nice and airy. It's also really big and filled with nice, helpful librarians. So, now I no longer have to worry so much about keeping the books I buy in perfect, returnable condition.

I work close enough to this library to walk here during lunch and check out books, etc. Usually I only go down to the children's books area because with two little ones, all I ever get to read (besides Yelp reviews) nowadays are children's books, lol... The children's librarians are very kind and helpful. I was looking for bilingual books and found some with one librarian's help. My kids also participated in the summer reading program and they enjoyed getting little prizes along the way. I check out educational DVDs for them here too. It's a good library even if located in a sketchier part of Sacramento as daytime there are some vagrants but I definitely wouldn't come by on foot after dark. We once drove by in the afternoon on a Saturday and there were a lot of vagrants out front and all around the library as well as at Caesar Chavez Park just across 8th St. Perhaps because of its location there's always a guard posted just inside the main entrance although I'm not sure how fit/strong/capable these private guards are in a real situation. All in all, it's a good library and I'm glad they have a centrally location library in the heart of Sacramento's business district. I'm not sure how parking would work since I walk to this library during the week, but I believe it's free on Sundays at least.

This is without a doubt the most well rounded library I've ever visited. I decided to stop by today on my way to the Capitol and I was very pleased. It is gigantic, I encourage anyone looking for a quiet resource to check it out! I will say that the environment outside is something I would avoid in the evening as it is a lot of uncertain patrons surrounding. But as a resource, this place is fantastic!

As much as it is hard to ignore the benefits of an iPhone and kindle, there's something about holding a physical book in one's hands that enhances the reading experience. Fortunately the Sacramento central library is here to deliver the goods. It has everything one would expect for a metropolitan library, namely a vast collection of fiction, non fiction, and reference material. Moreover, the library is well maintained and kept in an orderly and clean fashion. The staff is both courteous and helpful. In short, the central library is everything one would expect from a downtown library. Plus, there is free wifi, lectures taught by professors, and the occasional author visit. If there is anything negative to be said about the library, it would be the seemingly random staff furloughs. Still, they are infrequent and not significant enough to give the central library anything but a five star review.

Summer 2011 Jury Duty made me rediscover the wonders of the Library! I have been checking all kinds of things out and reading non-stop since.....(SEE there is Good parts to Jury Duty) This place is huge. If you have the right vibe, no one will bother you.......great selection of New Arrivals on the first floor.....They have many CD's, DVD's that are all available for check out! You can also reserve books on the Library website and they will send your selection to the library and notify you when its ready for pick up. Can you say free service?!!! The Librarians are very knowledgeable and friendly I have found. They know lots of great info, just take the time to ask them. Not into lines?? SELF-CHECK OUT........I say no more.

I have not been to the library since I was a kid, let's say since I was probably 10 years old... I'm now 27 & I must say, I am impressed! I went to go check out some books on creating a website because I am tired of going to Barnes & Noble to get a $30 book I look at once & collects dust the rest of its life. I thought, "hmm, the library is within a block from my work, I should probably check it out". Success! Signing up for a library card took under 5 minutes & when returning these books, I found the cookbook section & I'm now hooked on checking out cookbooks & trying different recipes. And contrary to popular belief ... can you believe the library is actually up with technology? It is so convenient to renew online. FYI - this location is closed all Mondays.

Had to spend an hour at the library waiting for a happy hour. The location is prime location for downtown Sacto. But you can tell that the library is getting old. But really, it's a function of the times and the library's fault. How can you really revitatlize a library if there is no need. There was a kid section that i didn't see but that would probably be good for kids. unfortunately, this is right smack of downtown sac so i am not sure how many families would come in on the weekends for a family reading.

The first time I stepped inside central library, I got a little confused. The non-fiction sections are split up between the 2nd and 4th floors with the fiction section on the third. But once I got used to it - and it didn't take long - I found out just how much I love this library. I'm cheap. I refuse to spend a pile of cash on books and movies. I've managed to find some newer, good DVDs and some great reads. If they don't have it on the shelf at central, just set yourself up online and request anything you can think of. They will email you as soon as it is available for pick up, and voila! Pop in sometime in the following 10 days and it'll be waiting. Central is a treasure!