Brisbane Library

4.0 star rating
8 reviews Rating Details

Category: Libraries  [Edit]

250 Visitacion Ave
Brisbane, CA 94005
(415) 467-2060
Hours:

Mon-Thu 12 pm - 8 pm

Fri 12 pm - 6 pm

Sat 12 pm - 5 pm

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8 reviews in English

  • Review from Maria S.

    Brisbane, CA

    4.0 star rating
    10/19/2011 1 Check-in Here

    This place fits the community it live in - small, quiet and personal.  I love that I have access not only to the small collection they have, but to thousands of books just by looking on-line.  Because they are part of the San Mateo County Library, you can order almost any book you're looking for and they will send it here for pick up and email you when it is ready.  The self checkout is cool to save time and the area in back is fun for kids to hang out.  Staff is friendly and always there to help you.  Another Brisbane gem!

  • Review from Claudine D.

    Raleigh, NC

    4.0 star rating
    3/27/2011

    I LOVE this library. It's quaint and fits in nicely with the village-feel of Brisbane. The book selection on-site is decent especially for the classics. Austen? Dumas? Faulkner? Absolutely. Major plus there. New arrivals/New York Times best-sellers? Not so much. However, there's no reason to fret. Simply go online to place a hold and your request is pulled from the other libraries within the Peninsula library system -- as other reviewers have mentioned. The 75-cent hold fee is waved for Brisbane residents. Bonus!

    My 11yo likes spending time here to get her homework done. They have a good system for computer reservations. Once your time is up, the system automatically logs you off so you don't eat into someone else's time. The staff is always friendly and helpful.

    The only reason why Brisbane library doesn't get five stars is due to the noisy elementary and middle school students who hang out at the library, and it's obvious they're doing anything but homework. A few times I've been there, kids have even yelled across the library and it's a small library. So it's like somebody shouting in your ear. Other patrons have to tell them to be quiet. Perhaps this is the preferred way for staff to handle those unruly kids. On the flip side, the staff does recognize those students who are being courteous. Regardless, during these times of budget cuts, I consider us very lucky to have a wonderful library as this.

  • Review from jazzy l.

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    • 25 friends
    • 1284 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    3.0 star rating
    6/1/2011 3 photos

    See my QUICKTIP and PHOTOS

    Otherwise..I scored some recent DVDs including Michael Jackson "This is it" and Suze Orman, "The New American Dream" Audio book. It's perfect for my long commute!

    :)

  • Review from William L.

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    • 38 friends
    • 104 reviews

    South San Francisco, CA

    4.0 star rating
    10/7/2007

    Tucked away in the sleepy slopes of downtown Brisbane, this library is truly a hidden gem. It serves a population of just 5,000, but because it is funded by San Mateo County, its collection is ten times larger than what it should be (and what the small space can comfortably hold). CDs and DVDs are its forte. (Last week I checked out the John Lee Hooker Ultimate Collection and Requiem for a Dream.) The staff is extremely helpful. Parents will appreciate that the children's section is popular.

    Note: if you show the staff that you live or work in Brisbane, they'll waive all your hold fees.

  • Review from Kourtney Y.

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    • 6 friends
    • 4 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    5/21/2008

    I have been upset for probably over 10 years since the cozy library in Alameda that I frequented as a child was shut down and replaced by an unwelcoming lifeless bland poorly designed "modern" library.  Who cares if the old one wasn't earthquake proof or not, right?  It had so much character.

    I got my Brisbane Library card last month and have been addicted ever since.  I love love love this library.  It is tiny but clean and organized, although the lighting could be better.  The staff members are very courteous and helpful.  The selection of DVDs and CDs is huge and actually current and relevent (think cool bands like Arcade Fire, Silversun Pickups and old favorites too).  The book selection is not great, but as mentioned earlier, this is a branch of the San Mateo County Public Library so you can request holds and pick them up here, which is soooo convenient since I work in Brisbane and drop by on my lunch break.  Just show them proof that you live or work in Brisbane and they will notate on your account to waive the 75 cent hold fee.

    The one downside is that they don't have a lot of comfy chairs or desks so you can read or do work.

    Close to blissful for a nerd like me!

  • Review from Stella H.

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    • 11 friends
    • 35 reviews

    San Mateo, CA

    4.0 star rating
    12/1/2006

    This small public library is very convenient from my work. I can head to downtown Brisbane and get all my errands accomplished: post office, lunch/coffee pickup and library browsing. Since it's part of the good ol' Peninsula Library System, I sometimes have my holds sent to this branch so I can pick up in the middle of the day. My other local libraries close too early for me to make it home in time for a pickup. The building is a little dated but there's a lovely large tree out front...nature makes everything more attractive.

  • Review from Judy K.

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    • 119 friends
    • 239 reviews

    San Francisco, CA

    5.0 star rating
    10/8/2007

    They don't turn anyone away here- almost anyone can get a library card here- long as you live in California.  They open til 8pm, from Monday to Thursday.  There is always plenty of parking and close enough to my part of the City.  It's a small library, but they've got a huge library long as you can plan ahead.  Just log on to http://www.plsinfo.org/ and you can reserve almost any title you can think of.  For me, I mostly take advantage of their huge DVD selection- such as Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Law & Order, etc.  For 75 cents, they will transfer it from another branch, and email you when ready to pick up.  Bye, bye Netflix!

  • Review from Brianna Y.

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    • 0 friends
    • 3 reviews

    Brisbane, CA

    3.0 star rating
    7/25/2009

    They have a nice selection of books, cds and dvds. I used to come in for the computer all the time before I got my own. The staff and very friendly and helpful. My only complaints are that I wish they would open earlier than noon and that some of the rules were more strongly enforced. After three and durring the summer, the jr. high kids always come in and make too much noise. They hover over the computers which makes it a tad difficult sometimes for me to think. One time I actually felt the chair being pulled out from under me as I was getting off the computer. Nice library, but not always so quiet.

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