Julian Dixon Library

I have lived in West L. A the majority of my life and believe me, this is not the worst library on the west side. I have not stepped foot in this library in 6 years. I agree with with all the reviews i read, this library is very small and run down. I still have a card here which has expired by now. I have no reason to come to public libraries anymore in this day and age. Books were dusty and parking area was shit. I was scared to leave my car parked in the back of the library, but i love my city. Culver City is still a great place to live. Computers were way out dated and books were disorganized. Staff were cool, but this was 7 years ago, i have not been here since than. I usually go to Santa Monica public library, but i have not been there in ages as well. Good luck.

I have not utilized this library since I was in grade school. The staff sucked then and frankly some do now as well. People sit on the phone talking and have loud conversations like they are at the park and the staff stand around aloof and confused. #fail

you know what, let’s stop hating on this library. or any library, are you kidding? please. think for a hot second: libraries are a public service to us, and we get a LOT for the ZERO DOLLARS we pay out-​of-​pocket for that library card. you really want this library to look better? then why don’t you donate beyond your tax dollars, or get in touch with your L.A. county government representative and ask them to allocate more funds? this is a COUNTY library, people. they are doing their best with an outdated building that has been up for renovation several times and at the last minute had it «postponed.» bottom line is: providing literacy tools for no cost to people who need them is awesome. even if it’s in an old building.
so yeah, this is not a sparkly state-​of-​the-​art facility, but you do get a friendly staff, plenty of workspace, a nice kids’ corner with lots of toys, and usually no competition for computers. there’s a huge multipurpose room that the community can use; just talk to a staff member to reserve it. the kids’ programming is great; there’s a weekly story time in the morning, and one in the evening, and they often have special events like puppet shows or multicultural presentations too.
since this is an L.A. County library, your free library card gets you access to all the books the county has — just order them online to the location nearest you. you can also access streaming media, online language-​learning programs, etc. for FREE.
when they finally do have to close their doors temporarily for the renovation, i know we are going to miss it while it’s gone!

I’ve lived in Culver City my whole life and I’ve always hated this library. It’s way too small for my liking and the book selection is ridiculously limited. Also, they need more parking.
I’m pretty sure any library is better than this one.

Love this library! I’m a regular here. Staff is friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Parking is easy and always available. Serene location. Nice way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon… unplugged from the hectic stresses of everyday life while engrossed in a book that may end up changing your world view.

This, the Culver City branch of the LA County library, is a mid-​sized one. With a pretty small parking lot. I swung by at about 6 pm today to return a book and take a look for some more but there were literally negative spots in the lot – people had actually parked in some crannies that weren’t even spaces. So yeah, they could do with some more parking. Otherwise pretty standard library.

Shock and awe. That’s what I felt when I walked in to this teeny, tiny, dusty, dirty, smelly horrible place. WTF Culver City? I left Santa Monica PL for the «convenience» of THIS?
Here’s a suggested plan of action:
1) Clean. Seriously, I felt like I walked into a crack den.
2) Spray febreze ALL OVER THE PLACE (except the books, that would be bad, plus, books smell good which is why I don’t just buy an iPad).
3) Hire people who look like they actually give a $%^.
4) Organize: you can’t find a damn thing here. And I used to work at my college library so yes, I know how to find books.
5) Maybe also ask the city for some computers made AFTER 1995 for the poor individuals who were trying to look things up or do homework. This is really very telling that I felt like I was in my 8^th grade computer room.
6, and most importantly) Get some people to give you books. For a library you have terrifyingly few of those.

I have been coming here ever since I was a young girl, and this place has not changed much. The place is well organized, and surprisingly one of the larger libraries in the area. I stopped in earlier this year after not being here in over 10 years, and was surprised that I was still in their records. I had to pay $ 3 for a new card, but it was worth it.
I have to say that I feel pretty stupid that I didn’t realize all that the library has to offer us, totally free! You can rent DVD’s, audiobooks and CD’s as well as book. But what I really like is the online catalogue. I can have everything sent to my library and pick it up, and also they offer a pretty good selection of eBooks, and magazines that can be viewed on your tablet.
My only complaint about this place is that some of the staff can be pretty rude. I was here on a Saturday a couple of weeks ago and the person who checked out my stuff didn’t look at or acknowledge me. She was too busy talking about the cinnabon she wanted to eat. She was so unprofessional, and she was talking to her fellow coworker who was also checking out a customer. At least the other checker was nice enough to acknowledge the person she was helping. I on the other hand got nothing, not even a goodbye or have a nice day. She just slid my stuff towards me while still speaking to the other employee and then said «next in line.».
I had another experience just the other day where the person checking me out looked annoyed that I had forgotten my library card. I had been apologetic, but after his response I got pretty upset. He just seemed like he didn’t want to be there. And when I asked a question he seemed even more annoyed. Like seriously, these people are there to help the public, I don’t understand how hard it is.
Like I said, I like this place, but management needs to seriously retrain their staff to better serve the public. It’s not rocket science.

This is the best library in LA that I have been to. It is clean, organized and the people are nice. The only knock here is that the parking lot can be crowded easily. There is overflow parking but people will wait for spots to open creating chaos.

Reading is my passion and books are my place of comfort… I love the idea and dreams tat books conjure for me… This place is home for me. The staff is kooky, friendly and like family. This place gives me hope for the youth

Recently I went inside here to see if they had the Steve Jobs Biography — — :(
No luck with that, on a positive note they did have other books to choose from. It feels weird nowadays to actually pick up a book and read due to the fact of kindle fire/​nook hd. I passed this library up so many times and I am ashamed to say i have maybe been here 3 times out of my 10 years living in Palms/​Culver area.
I renewed my card and took a walk around recently and was amazed to see all of the knowledge that was out there for free. I felt like a little boy again walking through the aisles singing «Reading Rainbow”(LeVar Burton). I started to grab the Bush Biography, then I went to another section and seen they had some How-​To Books. They had all types of mock exams, Real Estate, Bar Exam, Old School remedies and cookbooks.
Bottom line is that this is a great Library, they have extended the hours on Tuesday-Thursday.This is a great place to grab a book when you are in need of knowledge, of any kind. You can learn how to fix a car, read computer codes, be a better husband, and fix a plate of dinner.

One of my favorite libraries in Los Angeles. They have a good selection of books, available computers, lots of DVDs for rent, free printing, and a small used bookstore which paperbacks go for fifty cents. Love this library! Don’t expect anything fancy.

If I’d only ventured into this library earlier, when I actually lived in the area, I’d have been able to fully appreciate the space. I was recently there for a workshop held in the community room there, however, and it’s better late than never to discover such a wonderful resource.
I love public libraries and libraries in general. I love sitting in them, visiting them, wandering around and looking at their circulation materials, and I also like to see the various eccentricities that are built into the library for its patrons, such as eco-​friendly architecture or art installations which tell a story about the space. With that said, the Julian Dixon Library in Culver City isn’t much to look at. It’s plain and smacks of an old-​school practicality, both on the exterior and in the interior.
But, it’s a wonderful library. I walked in and was amazed at the light and space inside, which the flat old exterior belies. Given the small size of the parking lot (one of the drawbacks), you’d expect the library to be much smaller. I did. But, it feels cavernous for such a small city like Culver City. It’s also one large space, with each open quadrant representing a different patron section. It’s a little less than homey, particularly the children’s section, but it seems to have a wide selection of materials and everything feels accessible. It’s also very quiet and seems like an ideal space to study, given the natural light pouring in.
The library is nearby many civic buildings and resources, like the Culver City Pool and the Adult School and the Ballona Creek Bike Path. It’s around the corner from some nice restaurants too.
*If you can’t find parking in the lot, there’s street parking available. Just make sure that you read all the signs before leaving your car, particularly on the residential side streets. Most of those areas have two signs posted, one of which states that you need a permit to park there at certain times.
UPDATE: There’s a sign when you’re first entering the parking lot that designates two other nearby parking lots that are sanctioned for library parking. I think street parking might be closer, but just make sure you pay attention to the posted signs.

This library is small and old. I did however set up an account as they had a few books I needed to help with my studies.

I’m a bit of a library connoisseur, and this library is fine, but lacks the nuances that make for a truly great library. It’s a little loud, with people taking calls on their cell phones, and after school tutoring. It’s not the most comfortable, lacking the nooks to curl up in with a good book, or even sometimes a comfy chair to sit in at all. It’s a little down on it’s luck, with the self checkout out-​of-​order a lot, or not possessing the greatest collection.
Still, it’s a library, struggling to stay relevant in the modern internet age, so I give it credit as a community center, an office for the unemployed and a place that still gives you something for nothing. We need more reading in this world and they are trying to help that happen. Read on.

Great neighborhood library! It’s pretty spacious with plenty of tables for studying and it’s clean. Staff is very friendly. I don’t have a library card yet, but needed to use their computer and printer. You can just get a temporary card with a PIN number for computer use only. It’s good for a month and printing up to 10 pages is free per day!
I was in and out in about 10 mins., but I will definitely come back to do some studying. The parking lot is located behind the building. Parking may be a hassle as it get filled quickly. I went only an hour after the library had opened and it was already full.

Yet another jewel in the LA County Public Library system.
This particular branch seems a bit more urban than the Marina and Manhattan Beach ones. In other words, it’s busier with more families and school kids. Proximity is a large factor, as the Marina branch isn’t particularly close to schools.
The DVD section is here is interesting. Main feature (aka ‘movie’) DVDs aren’t as many as other branches, but their TV selection is quite good and varied. Quite a few Vietnamese DVDs and even some Korean ones. By contrast, the Marina branch is heavy on Russian DVDs.
A nice, sizeable branch and a good parking lot, too.

It upset me when they decided not to open on Sundays but it broke my heart when they took Mondays away too. Not in their hands since it’s due
to budget cuts but still man.
This library could include more selections. Sometimes I have trouble finding the books I want. Its very limited. But its within walking distance so it will do for now.

Nothing super special about this place, except the magic of a local library. My kids love it and my oldest is rapidly reading all the Harry Potter look-​a-​like young adult stuff on the shelves.
Sadly, it is now only open Tues-​Sat. Sunday’s got cut due to budget constraints. BOOOO.
The free wifi is nice, but the seating situation is not terribly conducive to private concentration. Not that it’s loud, just that it’s a flat table with five other people sitting at it using their computers, too.
Their collection isn’t extensive. The place is somewhat small. But, they can get anything eventually. You just gotta wait.

While nothing like the greatest libraries I’ve seen in Seattle and Illinois, the Culver City library is a gem in Los Angeles County. The staff is friendly and by placing online requests you can get whatever book, movie, or CD you want delivered to the library for pickup.
When the small parking lot fills up (it doesn’t happen often but it sometimes does) you can park in the lot to the north of the library.