San Francisco Public Library - Mission Bay Branch
960 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94158 (415) 355-2838
12 Reviews for San Francisco Public Library - Mission Bay Branch
A great neighborhood library branch. It's pretty brand new and as such there's wifi and self-checkout. Nice reading area. Super convenient next to CalTrain.
I LOVE this place. For one, it's right by my work, so it gives me something to do and somewhere to spend some necessary out-of-office time (usually during lunch). Also, they have a pretty good selection of all media (books, magazines, cds, dvds), and most of their stuff is pretty new (probably because the branch is relatively new).
I had never thought of checking out videos from the library before, but it's addictive. A great supplement to (not sure about a replacement for) NetFlix or Blockbuster online renting, or whatever else is out there.
But the greatest thing (and this isn't just this branch, it's really the entire SFPL, but this is the one I go to) is that if they don't have what you want, you can just have it sent over, so it's incredibly convenient. Great stuff.
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I like this branch because:
- it's a brand new one
- there's always a few nice DVDs on the shelves ready for checkout
- nice magazines selection
- Internet terminals
- small area for kids
- individual room
- wifi
- open on weekends
and well public libraries are public so there's always homeless people hanging out there...
I am not sure how Beau G. is viewing libraries de-emphasizing actual books, I mean, there's always shelves dedicated to new books, and some selected books put on display. The library is still very much about books, I mean just check out the pick up hold shelf, always many books waiting to be picked up.
The library is still very much about books and is simply offering more resources and services than before.
It's true that it's kinda small, but, the neighborhood isn't really residential, so for the population it serves, it is totally appropriate.
Yooooooooooooo!
Check it! So, I do this thing some Friday nights. I get way krunk on the red vino and then wake up to an inbox full of itunes receipts. One Saturday morning I awoke to $72.00 worth of itunes purchases that I DO FREAKIN' NOT RECALL PURCHASING! I was about to call customer service and be like "Yo! Some fool done stole my card info and is buying Lisa Stansfield, Squarepusher, Chante Moore, The Killers, Kool and the Gang, Gym Class Heroes, Rufus Wainwright, Syreeta, and The Amboy Dukes on my dollar! That's some bullshit!"
Then... in a foggy haze... it all comes back to me. The underwear dancing, the bad falsetto to Syreeta, the drunken choreographed moves I worked out, the people staring strangely at me from the street below. Remember, I'm both drunk and stupid... so sometimes I forget to close my blinds.
Sigh....
Then, one day on a walk around SOMA, there is stood, like a shining beacon. The Mission Bay Library. A little on the small side, but brand spanking shiny new without that "library full of old farts and old people" smell. I mean, I love old people and all... but, let's be honest... they smell like moth balls and Mentholatum. I don't need that all up in my nostrils while I'm trying to get my edumacation on.
Oh, they also have free internet access for those looking to get away from a crazy roommate, stalk my Yelp reviews or get down and dirty with a "casual encounter". Don't front. You know you've done it
::looking squarely at that ONE person I've heard about through Yelp rumor::
I had completely forgotten about the library as a resource for books and music. What was I thinking? Amazon, Limewire and itunes have poisoned my mind! It's not 1982 anymore! I'm not going inside to borrow copies of Clifford The Big Red Dog and Sweet Valley High (those were the shiz-nit! Although I had more of the Cheerleaders series than the Sweet Valley High series) books. Times have changed! The library is... shall I say it? Yes, I shall... the library is hip!
Why, this weekend I watched Path of Blue (Sidney Poitier people! Don't make me slap you for ignorance of the Poitier!), listened to Diana Krall and Jurassic 5 and read up on "Freelance Writing for Dummies" and Greece.
Funny, but the book didn't mention anything about John Travolta or Stockard Channing.
::shrug::
Minus one star for lack of a good workout DVD section.
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EDIT: I took down the original review because it could be viewed the wrong way.
The Mission Bay Library is a rather small, functional library. In many ways it's a good representation of where libraries are going. Actual books are de-emphasized while internet terminals, wifi, magazines, newspapers, DVDs and CDs get far more use. It's a half-step on the way to that Futurama joke about the university library of the future being a single mass storage DVD.
I only wish there were fewer homeless people taking refuge in here. Some manage to bring their shopping carts inside the library with them. They are often seen slumped in a chair sleeping with a magazine on their lap.
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Brand new library - first one in SF in 40 years. Everything is sooo nice and clean - they have tons of DVDs, music, and obviously books. Because its a branch library, it is supposed to cater to local neighborhood - more stuff on boating and baseball than normal, includes spanish and chinese collections as well. Would get 5 stars except its soo small. Nice design, lots of windows with views of 4th street and the water.
Only a block from the caltrain station at 4th/king (map puts it on the south side of the 4th street bridge, its actually on the north side).
Has Internet stations and Free wireless - not a cafe, but going on the list http://www.yelp.com/li...
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Yay! Brand new library! I love how I can fondle fresh pages of newly shelved books that haven't been touched(!!!). I haven't been to the library in a while, but decided to check this out and left with a couple (brand new) books and a CD.
Located right by the Caltrain station, this branch is nothing big---just a little neighborhood library in the middle of all the overly priced condos under construction. They have WiFi access and a bunch of computer/internet stations available for public use. There are meeting rooms you can reserve for groups. They also have a bunch of DVDs you can check out, so you can save some money from renting them out. Most of them are pretty old flicks, but they have a lot of TV shows that you can catch up on such as, The OC, Sex and the City, The Office, The Simpsons, etc. (if you're into that kinda stuff). Buncha CDs too so you can add some variety to your playlist without having to download or purchase any songs from the internet.
Plus, you get an amazing view of Mission Bay right out the reading corner---a bit distracting if you're trying to read though.
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I had the opportunity to check out the new Mission Bay branch last week after it opened the previous Saturday.
-great location for me as I work no more than 800 feet away
-air conditioned + furniture so I can take a nap there at lunch
-despite the small size, I just go online to get books, music, dvds transferred here so I don't have to go to other branches...
-hours are decent (open until 8 on Wednesdays)... open until 6 most other days which is great because if I can't go at lunch I have some time after work.
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New, clean, lotsa light.
DVDs displayed just like in the video store! So easy to browse.
Book drop outside the library you can use while the branch is open! Or swing by after hours and put the blinkers on. See how fast you can get from the car to the drop and back!
Beautifully laid out. Go support this library so that they'll get better hours!
I love this new library! It looks clean, it even smells clean (certainly compared to the main library). You can sit down in one of the comfortable chairs and read the magazines or the newspapers (I don't dare to sit down in the main library). And I can order books and dvd's online and have them sent to this branch so I don't have to go to the main library anymore. Yippie! Granted, it's a small library, but who cares if you can have anything sent down here from the other libraries? One negative: they shouldn't be closed on Mondays.
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Love this library -- clean, well-lit, plenty of books and computer teminals, brand-spanking-new children's books and a big children's area. However, do be warned: there is NO parking nearby. You have to go with another person and have them wait in the car if you want to return a book, and you have to really hike from whichever of the precious few 1-hour spots you found in the neighborhood after 25 minutes of circling. I asked about this and the librarian said, well, we are a transit friendly city, so no parking. I had to say, hey, I can't even get off the huge hill that is my neighborhood without a car, but oh well. 5 starts for the library, -1 for ease of access=4 stars.
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