Lodi Public Library

I always bring my child here, but the front desk staff seems to be really rude. They should really hire young nice staff with personalities, because the staff that is now here seem to be bored boring and not welcoming.

This review really saddens me. As a native Lodian, I was raised going to this library and I still remember the Children’s Programs I saw here as a child. The female librarian with the distinctive lisp would put on puppet shows and read books and do crafts and I can still remember how excited I was to go there. All through school, I would utilize this Library and I remember in middle school and high school hanging out with friends there and studying. I remember the old cards where you had to look up your books by hand. I also took my own son for years to the Children’s programs. Every week we would do activities and read there and then bring home as many books as we could carry, The last few years however, I have only been a dozen or so times. It’s unfortunate that the library has turned into a daytime shelter for the homeless and a hangout for people to use free internet. The last 3 times I have been inside there has been a very smelly, obviously disturbed male, seated near the front talking to himself. Near the back I have seen people selling at the tables and I even walked in on a woman washing herself in the sink in the bathroom. I guess this is just as much a comment on society as it is the library itself. I am sure the staff do what they can, but I just don’t feel safe there and I won’t even take my little niece to story time anymore as the last time I was asked for money twice between the parking lot and the front door and that is not an exaggeration. I’m just sad that the days of good clean fun at the library and the excitement of being surrounded by literature have fallen into disrepair. With the technology they have now, I guess it won’t be long before libraries are a thing of the past all together, and as much as I used to love this place growing up, I certainly wouldn’t miss it now.

The library is one of the cleaner public libraries in San Joaquin. The folks who work there are really helpful also. I go there for the «Friends of the Library» bookstore where you can buy books in really good condition usually for $ 1 to $ 2. And these are books that are actually good literature, not just the usual Danielle Steel type. It’s a small room but surprisingly good selection of fiction. The room is located right by the entrance to your left.

It has been a while since I visited the LPL, but here are some observations:
1. Customer Service: Uneven. Some of the check out folks are friendly and some are distant to the point of rudeness.
2. Book Inventory: About what one would expect in a small town library… neither exceptional nor deplorable.
3. Atmosphere: Generally pleasant, except for the occasional unwashed street person or psychotic talking to himself…

Lodi Public Library is great. They have a ton of resources and the staff is always nice. The story time for kids is great and it includes a fun art project at least once a month. They have reading for children with a dog to encourage them to like reading more. How very sweet the lady and dog are that provide this program.
My only issue with this library is the homeless people that tend to frequent here during the cold weather months. I don’t mind that they are there. However, they don’t follow the rules as to whispering in a library. In fact, they talk extremely loud and it disturbs the students that I work with.
All in all, Lodi Public Library is great. Not many safe libraries exist. It’s nice to have one in Lodi.

Ah, the venerable Lodi library.
Despite wacky hours, LPL mostly gets the job done. Nice job on the online services. If you have a little one you must check out the read to a dog program. Yes, a dog is trained to pretend to listen as they read. Great way to encourage kids to read.