Los Gatos Public Library

I recently went in there for the first time in my 20 years as a Los Gatos resident. I found very friendly staff, technology-​friendly resources such as self-​checkout and a computer to search their inventory, and even the ability to request new books for them to buy and offer for checkout. There’s a lot of light in there, and they seem to have a bit of everything, at least in the Adult Non-​Fiction area. I was hoping to find a biography of a famous rock musician and didn’t find anything along those lines, but I did find some interesting books on self-​help and meditation.
I would like to see more chillout areas at the library, where you can just sit down and read. It would also be great to have an area where you can sit with a small group and work on something — a quiet but not silent area. There were some public computers with an older crowd using them, but I didn’t see any more inviting area for me to sit down and do some work on my laptop. Although I did use the free wifi!

The library itself is very nice, in great location. It is very clean and well organized. However all the parking lots around are limited to 90 minutes. This is extremely annoying if you have to stay longer.

It has been awhile since I’ve been to the library in Los Gatos. I had last been a few years ago before they moved into the new building. There’s plenty of parking right in front of the library but I am so disappointed that it is only 90 minute parking. Coming to this library to study will impose even more stress on you as you keep looking at your watch to avoid the meter maids giving you a ticket.
The library itself is beautiful inside and very well maintained. I chose to sit upstairs in a corner and didn’t notice noise that would distract me from studying. There’s a variety of places you can sit and a variety of things you can sit on… comfy chairs, chairs at a table, benches, floor, etc. There’s plenty of areas to charge/​keep electronics charged.
All in all I think this would only be my library of choice on Mondays since the branch closest to my house is closed on Mondays. If the parking issue is resolved, I’m 110% I’d come here more often.

Modern, pleasant library with good facilities BUT often extremely noisy — children crying and playing and high school students treating it more like a coffee shop than a place to work. The staff seem completely oblivious to noise. Not like the tranquility of libraries when I was a kid.

Though this review is solely for the sake of those whose home printers break down and have the thought to go to this library to print something — DON’T!!!
Walked in around 12 noon today — place was dead! The receptionist, though very nice and friendly, when I asked her how and where to get something printed from my e-​mails told me to go up the stairs to the information desk so that the clerk could set me up on a computer! NOT necessary nor true!
I walked up and waited patiently while he helped someone look up a book and then after conversing for a bit he walked her over to the section of books (still patient) and then proceeded to chat more with her (still patient) an then went on the computer closer to that aisle of books where she was to further assist her (still patient). When he then began conversing for the third time (patience just ran out!) I walked all the way over to the aisle where they were and excused my self for a quick question to find out that all I needed to do was to log in MYSELF to any one of the 50 or 60 (remember the place was dead) computers and then when I was done to go over to the printer to pay and retrieve them!!!
20 minutes later (are you kidding me???) I walked out with my 10 printed papers!
Btw, the pizzazz of the opening has worn off too! So much lackluster than its inception.

We love the Los Gatos library! Not only is it housed in a phenomenal building but the staff are always helpful and friendly and they provide outstanding customer service. It’s one of our favorite places to go. Thank you so much to the staff who make it such a great library!

One of my favorite libraries to take my 21 month old to. They have great story hours and he really enjoys play time afterwards. Starting them to like books really early is super important and they make books fun

Very fine and practically laid-​out new library. In the same league as the Mountain View Library & Palo Alto’s Mitchell Park Branch. Surrounded by trees & bristling with windows, much of the seating area on the second floor, and some on the first, is bathed in natural light. The balance of the illumination comes from warm white fluorescents. Much attention has clearly been paid to the lighting scheme, as it’s easy on the eyes in bright or cloudy weather.
Schoolkids aren’t quiet, nor are they encouraged to use «indoor» voices. But the loudest offenders seem to be the soccer moms cutting up near the exit doors. Their prattle reverberates throughout both floors. Earbuds, –phones, or –plugs recommended. Alternatively, if you write dialog for histrionic TV screenplays, come here for some unmatched source material.

What a great library! Parking is a problem, but the facility is gorgeous and the staff are more than helpful. They have tons of computers and everyone is very polite.

Great library! My 4 year old loves the place. Great selection of materials for adults too.
— Could be open for longer on Sundays and weekday evenings when most of the office/​school goers come.

I used to go to this library before it was remodeled. It was old, dark, and dingy. Now it’s bright and well laid out.
The children’s area is amazing. Especially when you compare it to the old library. They have tons of computers with great games for kids. They have reading nooks and a great selection of books.
My only complaint would be the librarians. They are a little too over bearing with the kids.
Oh and the parking isn’t great. Almost everywhere is 90 minuet parking which is barely enough time for story time and picking out new books.

This is a fantastic library. I took my 14 month old to their story time and it was amazing. We did songs, story, and after was free play. The children’s section was a fun place for him to explore. Parking is limited but I arrived a few min early and had no problems.

This is the best library that I have ever seen in the entire Bay Area. It’s only 2 years old and almost brand new inside! The design is super modern and futuristic inside, as well as outside, and it just overall creates a very pleasant environment to work in.
Internet:
The internet here is pretty fast! It’s free, so I can bring my own laptop to work here instead of having to work on the desk top computers.
Computers:
They have lots of relatively new apple desk top computers here, and they have two computer labs to work in. One of them is more closed in within a glass room while the other one is more out in the open. I personally like both but prefer the one thats enclosed in the room.
Space:
Even though the overall size of the library is slightly smaller than the Saratoga library and the Cupertino library, it’s still designed very spaciously and there is always plenty of room to sit down and read a book or work on one of their desk top computers.
Staff:
The staff here is very nice and pleasant. I’ve had some very good experiences with the staff at this library and they really do everything they can in order to help you with any of your problems regarding checking out books.
Downsides:
The only downside to this library is the overall space, as it is smaller than the Saratoga library and other libraries within the region. However, this library is still a fantastic, very unique, and pleasant library to be in.

This is a lovely library. New facility with a nice layout. Quiet area for reading. I especially like the children’s area. The librarians are very helpful. I give 5-​stars for this.
Where my rating drops: is that almost every time I return books, they don’t always end up checked back in. Several times I have received notices of a book being checked back in months later after I actually did return it (usually with a bunch of other books), and then ended up with a high late fee. There have also been a couple of times where I’ve tried to check out books and couldn’t, because they weren’t check back in by the previous person who returned them. I recommend taking a picture of the pile of books you are returning before you start putting them in the return slot. Also, pay close attention to your email notifications with your list of books returned. I returned 11 books on my last visit and only 10 were listed in the email notification.

Love our beautiful new library! The staff that is there is courteous and is patient with everyone… including all of the high schoolers who like to just go & hang out there! My teens love having this beautiful place to study or hang out with friends while they wait for me to pick them up.
What a great asset to our little town :)

Dare I say this is my favorite library to come work/​study at, and I don’t even live in the Town of Los Gatos. The interior lighting is remarkably natural and the air quality is much better than some of the other libraries in the Bay Area.

I’m updating my review because this place is seriously bordering on harassment. I VERY rarely write a one-​star review, but this place is just the epitome of what people HATE about Los Gatos.
I don’t recommend coming here if you don’t LOOK like you should be driving a Bentley. Girls, make sure you put on your pearls and pink cardigan.

I heart this place a lot. There are tons of outlets etc to be able to use for laptops and the place is quiet enough to get work done– but if you talk in a hushed tone you don’t get the death stare. It has been a go to as I am finishing up my thesis.
Having coffee/​snack bar below is GENIUS!

I wonder, as a matter of Unilocal policy, if the old reviews should be deleted in a situation like this. I guess it is the same institution, but it’s about as different of a structure as the Taj Mahal is to, um, my apartment building. For one thing, the rating would be a lot higher!
Yeah, so before you had a, well, a hut, or a hovel (the second floor was subterranean) and now you have a glass palace with plenty of room to move around in, all kinds of furniture, plenty of outlets, and so on. You also have an even more dedicated «graphic novel» and manga section which is not even hidden inside of the YA section (maybe I should be shamed for looking for that, but I’d rather not be!). And now they have blu-​ray as well, and a nice fully-​stocked coffee cart (if I didn’t always go to Purple Onion or Los Gatos Brewing Co.), I would have tried it by now; perhaps I’ll update when I finally do).
One thing that they already had in the old building was some spiffy iMacs, and while maybe they could’ve gotten a better deal elsewhere, it sure beats the pants off of the aging computers they have in Santa Clara and Sunnyvale. This might seem trivial but unlike me (who is writing this review from one of those iMacs right this moment) I think that most of the people here actually rely on this computer lab for Internet access, and having ancient systems doesn’t help when you’re trying to navigate today’s Internet.
I’m sure this part is true everywhere, but using this lab I’ve had the opportunity to overhear the very patient people who work here help out some of these hapless folk, and I’m very impressed with their ability and willingness to help, so props for that as well.
Probably the only downside for you, if this is your city library, is that they are not connected to Link+ or part of the county system, so you can’t request anything that’s not on site without getting ILL and paying a minimum of $ 5. The selection, however, is pretty good from what I can tell, so hopefully that will never be an issue for you!
Santa Clara’s is bigger, but this is prettier. Oh yeah, and it has slightly better hours.

This newly opened library is so beautiful: glass everywhere, gorgeous circular nooks in the children’s reading area, gigantic iMacs for public use, a «floating» staircase, bathrooms that would make most high end restaurants proud, I could keep going.
If I lived in Los Gatos, I would seriously consider telecommuting from here.