Los Angeles Public Library – Robertson Branch

I studied here last week. It’s very clean and nice inside. I wish they had more sunlight but I understand it’s difficult due to the way the windows are set up. The only thing I didn’t like were the lack of tables! There aren’t very many places to sit at this location. You sort of just have to walk up to someone’s table and ask if you can sit with them. Someone did that to me while I was there, so I made a new friend at least.

Some gripes I have with the LAPL branches is when the LAPL website says an item is on the shelf, yet it is not, and it is apparently lost or misplaced. I also want to say that I think the LAPL branches should have updated editions of some books and not have some books available only for reference.
Besides this, I like to borrow items from LAPL libraries be it for leisure or educational-​purposes. I believe that the loan periods for items are pretty lenient.
The Robertson Branch is the LAPL library I most frequent.

It’s a nice library for small children and elementary school kids, but if your a serious student who is trying to study for an exam. Or like myself a state board exam this would not be the place to study!!! Too many people walking around, kids crying and you can even hear them from the outside of the building still screaming. That’s if they are crying of course. Sorry to say I won’t be back here to study.
So although it’s a nice environment for children it’s not for the serious student that needs that quite environment to focus.

Conveniently located a 10-​minute walk from where I live, I adore this library. High ceilings and ample natural lighting, this location is a pleasure to visit. It’s fairly small, but if you utilize the holding system online, you can hold a book for pick-​up at any LA public library, which makes it easy for me because I can pick it up right here.
My favorite thing about this library is baby & toddler storytime every Wednesday at 10:30am, with playtime before and after. Ms. Amy, the children’s librarian, is wonderful with the kids, even when it gets packed. So keep in mind, tots WILL be running around, singing, dancing, and reading stories Wednesday mornings, so plan ahead if you’re thinking about coming in to do some quiet reading.
Plus, there’s a parking lot! :)

I came to this library one wednesday afternoon to get some work done but unfortunately I went all the way to the back (near the children’s section), where it was empty at first. That quickly changed when mothers started to bring their kids in. I didn’t think this was going to be a problem of course, because I always assume the best in people, but I forgot that I was in Los Angeles. These mothers let their kids run rampant, screaming bloody murder the entire time. They were knocking things over, running into people, attacking other children, and the poor librarian had to come police them, while the mothers were doing god knows what.
I couldn’t hear myself think, so I had to get out of there.
If you’re one of these kind of «parents», that thinks allowing their kids to be kids (which means you’re a bad parent and your kid is a little shit), then do the world a favor and don’t have anymore. They’re going to grow up to be assholes, we need less of them.
The library itself isn’t too bad. It’s rather small, located on a busy street, with limited parking. Free wifi, but the signal and speeds are weak. I’m giving it a 3 star rating because it attracts and maybe encourages parents like that to come.

I haven’t stepped into a library in over five years. I decided to read more and got a library card here.
This library is super small as well as it’s parking lot. Great news — It’s open on Sundays! The library is so small that most likely this library won’t have the book you are looking for. However, since it is part of the Los Angeles Library system, you can order my books online and pick them up at this location. It’s super easy! As for renewals? I remember I physically had to go into the library to renew books, now you can renew them online!

Very small library and not very clean. The books were pretty well organized but I just wish they had a larger selection and more comfortable seating.

I’ve only been here twice, so perhaps my sample size is a bit off. This branch is my first experience in the LA library system. I have experience frequenting the Atlanta and DC public libraries (AKA. «Cred»). Just kidding.
So I went to the Robertson Branch on the way home from work looking for a couple of books. First, I needed a library card. The woman at the front desk was initially nice and kindly explained that I needed to bring in a bill because my address recently changed. She issued me a card for one book rental. So I decided to try and look for my book. I looked up the reference number and proceeded to the section. No book. Confused, I spent about 10 minutes looking up and down the isle for my book. No dice. So I finally gave up and went back to the woman I initially met. Before I could even complete my question she immediately pointed me to a woman across the library and shouted «not me, the librarian!». Ok, «that’s a bit odd» I thought.
So I go and try my luck with the librarian. This time before I could even start my question she says «what do you want?». «Well that’s also odd» I thought. Eventually after getting a few confused looks, she was able to answer my question. Apparently this library has 2 sections for the type of book that I was looking for — with the same reference numbers!
So in summary. –1 star for strange organization. –1 star for less than enthusiastic customer service. Everything else seems nice.

I am trying this review from inside the library. On a Sunday. Enough said.
Free computer access, free DVD rentals (newer DVDs arrive at the library about the same time they get into the stores), free books, free classes. What more can you ask for? Sunday operating hours? Yeah, they got that here too.
In all honesty, this library has a weird vibe, perhaps it is the funky architecture or the lighting, but this branch doesn’t feel as welcoming as some of the other branches I’ve been too, and I go to a lot of them because I like free stuff :)
This is what the building looks like so you won’t pass it driving by:
A few things set this library off from some of the other branches:
— When you check out a DVD, you get the case off the shelf and at the check-​out desk they will get the actual DVD from behind the counter and put it in the case. This can make the line slow, but it keeps people from stealing DVDs, which they do often.
— They have a Computer Research Room (I don’t know what is in there but it is a separate glassed off office set off from the rest of the public computers
— They are closed on Saturdays (other branches are open Saturday and closed Sunday)
— Like the Westwood Branch, the main library area is on the 2^nd floor of the building = stairs or elevator
Parking is in the small lot at ground level or on the street.
Libraries are great places to be on any day, but on a Sunday when your home internet is down, or you need to print and Kinko’s costs too much (25-​cents a page here), you want some DVDs but don’t feel like paying for Redbox, the kids need something to do, or you just want to get out of the house, this is the place to be.

This is a great LA branch. Quiet, nice staff, and small but not too small. There is a lot of good stuff on the shelves, especially since this branch doesn’t get the high traffic that a lot of LA branches get.

I love this branch! It’s the only LAPL branch that is open on Sundays, which is great for when you’ve procrastinated on your studying and you’re waiting to study on Sunday for your test on Monday (not that I’ve ever done such a thing). The trade off is that it’s closed on Saturdays but you’ve got all the other branches open.
This library is pretty to look at, it’s spacious, has a pretty good DVD selection, some computers, a small parking lot in the back, and some bike racks by the door. I usually bike to the library so parking hasn’t been an issue but when I do drive, I just park in the neighborhood (read those signs, less ye be ticketed!).The book selection is limited but place a hold on the LAPL website and mozy on over when your book arrives.
I’ve been to many libraries around LA and this is definitely one of the good ones.

I liked the library but they never go back to me about the book I ordered I don’t know if it’s because of the holidays or what but I ordered it last Friday they need to get back to me…

Fairly wide and open feel on the second floor with big windows.
Decent selection of materials, small parking lot in the back.

Cons: This isn’t the coziest of libraries, and it tends to get crowded after school. Plus, parking is truly a nightmare.
Pros: The librarians are helpful, kind, and welcoming and keep the place in great working order. Plus, even when crowded, this branch is surprisingly quiet and people treat each other with a lot of respect. The branch is small so its collection is limited, but LAPL’s great hold system really makes that pretty much a nonissue. Overall, I feel lucky to have this branch in my neighborhood.

I am a library aficionado. They need to be cozy, well used, friendly and well-​stocked for me to give full kudos.
The Robertson Branch is my nearest local branch, and (unfortunately) it falls a little short, but is still an infinitely useful and worthwhile place (as is nearly every library).
The good? It’s a great community hub — always busy (without being too noisy) and has a number of good periodicals in a hallway off the main entry downstairs. The DVD selection is also pretty good, though the discs are often too scratched to play in my DVD player at home. Oh, and this is one of the few libraries I’ve been to where older edition magazines can be checked out (not the most recent issue, but anything under the racks).
The okay? The selection of non-​fiction books is pretty strong, but they could do better on the fiction section (though they do get props for providing texts in multiple languages to serve this diverse community).
The bad? There are two people working usually, sometimes three, but there is only ever ONE person at the circulation desk. This is a problem at such a busy library — the lines never go very fast and people dropping books OFF during business hours have to use the same line (there’s no indoor drop box which I find odd). I have no idea why the other people who are working can’t open the other computer (which appears to be properly equipped) and help relieve some of the line. I’m just sayin’.
All in all, love the library, but for such a popular location, Robertson could use a little help. :)

The Robertson Branch of the LA Public Library is my local library, but this review also applies generally to the LA Public Library.
I discovered the LA Public Library in the last couple of months, and it is the best. EVER. Before, I would look up books in the online catalogue and become discouraged when the catalogue would tell me that my desired books were available only at some far-​flung location. But then, a friend taught me about the excellent «hold» feature, which lets you have books delivered from anywhere in the LAPL system to your branch of choice! So you have the entire catalogue available to you. I’ve increased my reading exponentially since I discovered this amazing feature.
As for the Robertson branch of the LAPL, it’s pretty decent. The parking is awful (the parking lot is tiny), and street parking is sometimes very difficult. Also, every time I park on Robertson next to the library, I always fear the cars that rapidly speed by very close to my car — as on Melrose Ave., you can’t really open your car door until traffic has passed by. But on the upside, the librarians at this branch are super-​sweet and helpful.
Bottom line: I am completely, absolutely in love with the LA Public Library and its wonderful transfer function. I don’t know what I did before it.