Arcadia Public Library

During high school, I never came to the library after school or at any time of the day, really, because I just used the library on campus. I’m a college student now who just came here to find a quiet place to study while at home. Considering it’s a public library, my expectations weren’t high to begin with, but listening to the AHS students scream out stories about «making that pussy clap» and blasting their music about big dicks, and watching the staff here do nothing about it, really makes my skin crawl. I don’t mind listening to school related or intelligent conversations, but if you’re trying to play a full out game of basketball and tell your friend about your wildly made up sex life, you’re certainly in the wrong place. This library seems to be used more as a social hub and breeding ground for ignorant prepubescents than it does a resource for study space or books. In which case, I would suggest the rowdy groups here spend their after school hours at the mall or café or any more appropriate place, which is literally anywhere besides a library. There’s also plenty of elderly people here reading the magazines or newspapers, who seem just as, if not more horrified than I am. Some of older folks are getting up and leaving because of the obscenities in here, and I feel bad because they really shouldn’t have to. If the students who came here were this disgusting and disrespectful while I was a student at Arcadia High, I’m glad I never came.
Aside from that, APL does offer wifi which works decently most of the time, and plenty of tables for group studying and individual studying. The individual desks all have outlets and spot lights, which is fairly useful considering the not so great lighting fixtures in here. As far as I know, none are broken and everything here is functioning decently. It’s certainly no Chapman Univ., but you can get stuff done here. Just avoid any student-​heavy traffic hours of the day.

Nice, big and quiet. I just don’t like the librarians. They are extremely rude. If I can just go behind the counter and check out books myself so I don’t have to ask for assistance I would. I’m sorry I thought their jobs as librarians was supposed to assist people with their questions, not be RUDE to them and expect them to know where everything is on their first visit!

Parking: easy but says on sign near library entrance that it is strictly enforced & to move your car from the 2 hour to the 4 hour West parking lot if you plan to stay more than 2 hrs. If I do, I will be moving my car soon.
Seating: love the cubicle-​like seat I found with a high-​back wooden chair!!!
Noise: perfect EXCEPT a man is SNORING as he falls into deep sleep while sitting in a chair against the wall! The chair is located right behind a sign that says «Silent Room»…Ummm, snoring is not silent. Shouldn’t librarians specify that people cannot sleep here or is it allowed??? If it is supposed to be silent though, & you obviously don’t know who snores & sleeps silently, wouldn’t sleeping automatically be out the door?
Come on librarians. Some structure has to be enforced; otherwise, the «Silent Room» will soon be full of snoring sleepers as I have seen it be in some Unilocal pics!
Other than that though, it seems like a greatttt place to study. I heard the Internet connection is slow here but haven’t had to do much on the internet yet so can’t tell. I will update my review if/​when I encounter a problem.

I was in the area so I stopped by. Plenty of free parking in the lot. Well manicures hedges and no trash in the entrance area. Walking in, everyone looked neat and orderly and it was quiet! I walked around the floor and saw lots of workspace – tables with four chairs and many individual work stations as well as individual chairs for reading. I saw maybe two potential bums but no one that smelled or anything. I’ll be back to do work, study, or read:)

It gets pretty crowded here and there are a lot of people that come in here and make a lot of noise especially older people or fobs. They have free wifi. No password required. Lots of books and seats to sit.

Don’t come here to study or read during immediate after school hours (3−6pm), unless you possess the uncanny ability to be able to study/​read amid the babble of a day care center.

This library is the worst. It’s directly across the street from arcadia high. After school is over (3pm) it seems like the most ANNOYING kids come here to hang out and bug the living hell out of you. These kids are seriously everywhere, there’s no escaping them. They’re out by the entrance throwing around paper planes, yelling and screaming inside the conference study rooms, hogging all the seats and tables so they can play cards and make noise… kicking, rolling around in the grass, cursing, you name it. These kids are full of trouble.
It seriously baffles me that a «library» would allow such loud, obnoxious behavior. Someone needs to rename this place to «daycare center» instead of «library.» To continue calling this place a library is a huge disservice, you’re misinforming the whole damn city.

Rude ass librarians! I came in to get a card, they told me I need something with my current address since my DL has my old one. OK, no problem. I come back the next week with a vet bill that has my address clear as day. They tell me no it has to be mailed to you, we need to see the postage stamp.
I’m just trying to read some fucking books! What the hell kind of Oceans 11 scheme do you think I’m trying to pull here? Like I’m gonna steal your books and take them to my secret lair but you won’t know how to get them back because I gave you a decoy address, bitches!
Do you think that I incurred a $ 145 vet bill so that I could put my alias address on the bill and fool the Arcadia Library into giving me a library card under false pretenses???
Ughhhhgghhhhhhhnsbdnkkskdvdhsb

I love this library and I go at least once a week. They have a section for new books as well as DVDs and blu-​rays. I like that they’re always getting new materials in. I was able to borrow some new blu-​rays and even one of my favourite tv shows that Netflix used to have but no longer carries — Pushing Daisies. Ugh I love Lee Pace and the show’s quirkiness but I digress.
There’s ample parking but make sure to park on the west side of the library if you’re staying for longer than 2 hours! If you park out front you *may* get a ticket.
Free wi-​fi, lots of study areas, and great program for kids.

This library is too crowded for me. I would suggest coming anytime before 3pm. After that the kids are done with school for the day and this is one of their hangout spots along with Honeyboba across the street. They’re everywhere. It’s hard to find a secluded area inside the library to study. I wish they had more cubicles for privacy rather than having to sit right next to someone. Overall, the library is big and they have a large selection of books. But wifi can be slow sometimes. Parking has a limit of 2 hours, lame.

Definitely one of the best libraries around. They have a great kid’s section, wide variation of books for all age groups, and the best selection of kid’s magazines. Worth going to even if it’s not your local library.
Good selection of Chinese books too.

I got a ticket from parking, I never heard a library will give a penalty for parking. My car parked the two hours parking lot, I only late less than 10 minutes, when I left, I found there is a ticket on my car. I think the library doesn’t welcome people. I have been a lot libraries, it never happens. The library is sucks.

Love this place so much… brings me soooooo much memories… Love this place so much… brings me soooooo much memories…

I’ve come to this Library for Over a Year. GET THERE before 2 pm Because after that its Nothing But Kids on the Computers playing their Games they can play at HOME. Seems Arcadia Public Library is Running a Daycare instead of limiting the amount of kids in the Computer room. There are People that Need to do their work, bills, or other things and shouldn’t have to compete with the kids being loud, or on the computers playing. Pick up a Book and Learn!

HA!!!
I was so angry I was going to give them a two. But, as you can see they earned my 4. Their website is horrible, unfriendly, and it appears you need a log-​in and pass word just to look for a book or check availability… My god, this is not homeland security.
I thought it was a PUBLIC library, not a private club for Arcadia’s over pampered students. But I thought, There must be a way around this, so I called the library and the librarian was very helpful. now 4 points from me.

Well organized, clean, polite staff, quiet, wifi. What more could you ask for?

Wow, brings me back so many memories!
I used to come here almost everyday in middle school and high school. It’s pretty clean in here but some areas are dusty. And their study rooms are fairly clean and quite. I think you have to make a reservations ahead of time and give them your id card.
Also, there was this one security guy who worked there for the longest time, and he was the sweetest guy ever! I forgot his name but he was a big african american :)
overall, its a good library for kids and adults. I’d visit this place again.

I have had too many problems at this library. Some of the problems include:
— inconsistent internet. Even when having problems, they are not much help telling me to keep «restarting my laptop».
— much too crowded on weekends & after-​school hours
— you can only reserve the study rooms for 2 hours (even when no one is here!)
— MEAN librarians/​staff
I would suggest driving 10 minutes east to the Monrovia Public Library.

I pretty much grew up with this library and I still come here every once in a while to study when I come home from college for a weekend or during the long breaks. They offer a pretty good selection of books for both kids and adults.
You can check out pretty much a million books at a time which was what I used to do when my dad brought me when I was a little kid. Books can be checked out for 3 weeks and I think DVDs and other things like audiobooks and CDs have to be returned after 1 week. There’s self check out which is always a plus. When I was a high schooler and I needed books for my English classes I was always able to find them here instead of having to go buy them. If you would rather borrow books for class instead of buying them definitely come here early because they only have a limited number of copies of whatever book you need!
They host a summer reading program for children over the summer to encourage kids to read even when school is out and they can win little prizes for however many hours they read for that week. I used to participate as a kid and when I grew up I volunteered to help out. It was always really fun and its nice that they have community service opportunities for high schoolers over the summer. Older kids can also volunteer year-​round at the check out counter/​shelving books.
So why 3 stars? Its sort of dark and dank and I can’t help but compare to my university library and wish it were bigger and… not as gross-​looking. Arcadia definitely deserves a nicer library and its unfortunate that ours is only one story and doesn’t have very many windows or better lighting or a higher ceiling. It also closes way too early!!! 9 PM on weekdays and 6 PM on Fridays and Saturdays is ridiculous, not to mention ITS NOT EVEN OPEN ON SUNDAY WHAATTT. That and their website needs some serious revamping my goodness.
High school wangsters loitering around aren’t that big of a deal since they usually just hang outside and mess around until they’re picked up by their parents. Location is pretty good since its within walking distance from AHS and First Ave/​Dana Middle Schools. There’s also boba right across the street and Café Maji is just a block over! :)

Reasons why I give this place a 1 star
1. Crappy WiFi
2. Parking is a PAIN. Why? They are STICKLERS when it come to parking. Here I am visiting a public library and I park in the 2 hour space and notice that they are chalking tires on the way in. So 2 hours later what do I find but a 53 DOLLAR ticket on my window. On top of that I was with a friend that parked five cars down and she didn’t get a ticket. when we both came out to move our cars.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! THIS LIBRARY SUCKS