San Francisco Public Library

A homeless camp! I have to constantly bring my own anti-septic wipes to clean the germs and stains left by sleeping, unclean homeless people. Food remains and trash everywhere on the floor. On some tables, the stench left by a squatter is unbearable. Security personnel and SF Sheriff always following people around. There are hardly any magazines to check out. In the 6th floor study room, you are required to hand over all of your belongings (minus your wallet, purse, laptop and cellphone) over to library staff. There is only one restroom on the first floor which makes it very inconvenient. I guess this environment is very typical of libraries in California.

They have the street ambassadors, the library's own officers, the SFPD, the SF sherriffs, judgemental aphid librarians and possibly undercover all patrolling library hence occupying limited space in a poorly design library.

They have no computer labs. I gave up my seat with a desk twice to white Americans. Short statured Asians in sherriff uniform reduce exit points to stairwell guarded by spotter.

There were these giant John Wick sized men in library and they like me needed a computer lab. They perhaps also needed jobs

Fantastic, visually stunning and completely breathtaking example of what a library can be. The staff are knowledgeable, polite, and kind, treating guests from all walks of life with dignity and respect. The bumped up security and addition of bathroom monitors helps keep everyone feeling safe and prevents the restrooms from being misused or loitered in. The selection of titles and materials is absolutely astounding, and the rotation of exhibits and installations keeps your attention and makes each trip an adventure. There's technology available to use when you register with the library, which opens countless doors for guests, from educational opportunities and advances to career paths opening and developing, to contact with family or friends around the globe. There's workspaces for studying or projects, and several sections of dedicated space for specified topics of study or research. Honestly, the library is just the front door, opening to an endless array of ideas, paths, possibilities.for EVERYONE.housed or not, rich or poor, young or old, the library is for everyone, it's an inclusive space and just because you may not understand why a person is there, doesn't meant they don't belong. In fact, the only people who don't belong there, are those who believe the countless resources offered by the library are only meant to be shared by specific groups, excluding others. Shame on you, reviewers who complained that homeless people were allowed in the library. You seem to have missed the point altogether.

OMG, what can I say about the library staff that would adequately portray be absolutely wonderful job that they do every day. I stop here once a week for a few books, and yes, some graphic novels and Sheldon Cooper says on the big bang theory, I myself still call them comic books. Are the friends of the library store that sells used books there which are donated by library patrons who have too many books at home, is there really such a thing as too many books? I would rather read a PRINT edition of a book than any electronic version. The events that are held at the main branch are very elaborate, fun, and educational. My thanks to all of you library staff who work so hard for so little money to make sure to keep Benjamin Franklin’s dream alive.

Always a great place to go to get your ducks in a row. Just recently went to review all the requirements for starting a small business and they had a very convenient booklet dedicated to just that at the 4th floor desk. Just needed a library card or ID to use it. You cant check it out to take home but it was very easy to follow and explained everything I needed to understand and then some. I was also given a small business check list that had all the steps you have to go through in order to get started to take home. Thanks SFPL!

A great place for books, music, teens, and performances. The main library is an architectural gem.

Library is staffed by numerous political hacks who seek surreptitious ways of trying to discredit or undermine people they don’t agree with.

It is almost every week that I have to enter a new complaint about disservice and prejudicial behavior here. Staff members repeatedly go out of their way to kick me out when there are other people left on the floor who have not even started packing up. Though we had just heard the five minutes until closing announcement and there were plenty of other people still on the floor who had not budged, one employee started yelling hysterically at me to leave, despite my having already started to pack and whilst not bothering to say anything to others on the floor. The other day, I was denied a service which allows you to access to an occupied quiet study room when there are no others available. The reason I given? This service does not exist.

Yet today, this same service was not only used to kick me out of my room, but the library even escorted this man whose eyes were on my room with a security detail. I cannot image a starker image of wildly inconsistent administration of services. The theme of prejudicial behavior and undercurrent of hate crimes I experience at what is supposed to be a public institution that provides equal access to all is not disguised by the cowardly cover up move of trying to spring security on me when I am pointing out your nefarious behavior. It only makes the prejudice and hate all the more obvious. There are decent folks I have encountered among the staff at the library, but unfortunately they have become a footnote in contrast to the overwhelmingly morally bankrupt attitude of the staff. Once one sees it, it is not hard to imagine how the tragedy of the commons in San Francisco came about.

Curiously, after I first posted this review, the library comically put up signs on their entrance doors that read "National Library of the Year". I am not sure where such a ludicrous idea comes from, but this library is more deserving of a title denoting how clearly it reflects general social malaise in San Francisco. Its book collection is as extremely politicized as the staff. I am not able to find key resources without having to have them sent in from other libraries - that or they don't exist within this library system at all (Looking up critical analysis of Dostoevsky only yielded two out of five volumes of the well-known Joseph Frank biographical series, while books by much less accredited scholars which trot out very biased narratives about "nationalism" abound; one title I checked out I found to be disturbingly misrepresentative). A sorry music collection is likewise reflective of how this library administration does not live up to the building and position it has inherited, let alone such an unbelievable title. Indeed, if you look up "san francisco library of the year 2022" on Google News, you will not find anything there. It seems reasonable to conclude this is merely a title which a prejudiced junta has conferred upon itself.

With the exception one or two occasions in which I received decent service worthy of such an important public institution, everything I have experienced from the staff here reeks of a complete and utter INVERSION of PUBLIC SERVICE. I truly hope this rot does not spread from San Francisco to other parts of the country.

A paradise for book worms. A place where a person can safely invest his/her or their time. Definitely I will be keep in touch with SF public library. Super satisfying for me.

The team there was very helpful. Felt very safe. It is kept very clean. Highly recommend it

Very nice, clean and modern library the only problem is is when you want to use the computer it’s a little difficult to navigate. Other than that, it’s great.

This library is quiet, with office tables everywhere and a good place to work. I did so much work I had to take a break. The architecture is equally good, but for some strange reason the second floor is divided in two.
The service staff here are friendly and the selection is also good. Security is reasonable too.

Love the beautiful, bright library. Generally, it's pretty safe inside the library, outside there's security at every corner of the block. Which makes walking in the neighborhood doable.

I'm partial to libraries, so I love all of them. I don't spend much time here, but it's easy to get my books and go. Why did BART have to take the escalator out by the entrance?

I like to read so I'm biased when it comes to libraries but San Francisco has an excellent library