County of San Diego Library 4S Ranch Branch

A library fit for a village, yes the Village of 4S. Little noisy with kids — but that’s the fun. This library is like a Starbucks or Coffee Bean without the coffee but a bit of elementary school magic and vibe. I love children running, hustling around, and would rather grab a book from the shelves and just find a corner to read while the pitter-​patter commotion continues around. What a fun place to relax and let go of worldly woes.

Very small neighborhood library. Very noisy. Do not come here if your intention is to study, read, etc. HOWEVER, if you are visiting with small children, you’ll love this library.

Best for family with little ones as well. Friendly staff and wonderful environment to study

I love how convenient to me this library is and come here often! It is on the small size but they still have a great selection of children’s and adult books as well as a great bank of computers to use. Their toddler and infant classes with Miss Kathy are fantastic as well.
They lose two stars because the other day I literally waited for 10 minutes at the front desk waiting to be helped as four employees worked and talked in the back. I made eye contact with two of the woman (one was about 30 with brown hair and the other was about 45 with sandy colored hair) and called out several times but was still ignored.

Small, but serviceable.

This library is small. I might possibly have a larger book collection in my house! There aren’t too many books. But there are decent areas to study and adequate computers for the public to use. It’s clean, nicely air conditioned, and great for kids to read and play on the computers.
And don’t get me wrong, I love kids and being a parent I know that it’s difficult to contain the little one’s voices, but it is quite loud if you are trying to study. Fortunately, I’m generally good at drowning out outside noises when I need to focus. But it’s something to consider if you want somewhere quiet to study (I actually found Coffee bean to be quieter).

I came here on a Thursday with my two children, ages 3 and 18 months, to attend Miss Lee’s preschool program. I did not get a chance to explore the library very much but my son did find the children’s section and wanted to play with the train table. It looks like a great library for the nearby community since it’s conveniently located in the 4S Commons shopping center. If I lived nearby I’m sure I would come here all the time.

The librarians here are super nice! Once in a while, I stop by to borrow some books for my kids. Each time, I see more and more things for the kids. including a train table! It might not be like a University Library, but heck, this is a very family oriented/​young community. The library is definitely geared toward the needs of the community. Good Job!

Love, love, love this library! Here are my favorite parts about it:
1. The staff= nicer than nice
2. They have training on how to borrow books with your digital device
3. They have craft nights and my daughters love all of Mrs. Z’s fun ideas. Last time they blinged their phone.
4. They have family yoga!
5. Chess club!
6. Last Friday of the month is always «fine free Friday». They just want to promote reading.
7. Self checkout is fast and easy.
It’s a hop and a skip from my house and my girls love going there. Soon they can volunteer. :)

Easy to get a library card, apply online. And, pick it up in person with a valid driver’s license. If you do not have a current ID (e.g., current address) bring a recent bill with your name and current address on it.
Although this library is small and by that nature has a limited selection — it is a perfect little library. The staff is helpful and friendly. And, there is certainly a distinct English and Chinese flavor at the library that compliments the area of 4S Ranch. The importance of improving your language skills or starting for your child is important, and the library offers bi-​lingual children events in English and Chinese. There is also a far amount of Chinese newspapers, books, and videos available. There is a small section that offer a handful of other languages, but Chinese stands out. And, as a believer of learning Chinese, which is spoken among 1.3billion people, it’s a nice little start.
An additional note, you can order books online to be delivered to the 4S Ranch library! They will call/​email when it is ready to be picked up.
On the slight downside, room is limited (small building), and the children’s center is an open area, which can get a bit loud during their events.

The building is very small and the childrens area is particularly noisy. The selection is alright considering how small the space is. I liked that the children’s section had some little puzzles and coloring sheets for the kids.

Use your County Library card here, not your city card! :)
This branch is small, but it is new and well taken care of. Besides, you can order books from anywhere and pick them up here.
The kids section is great for younger children 7 and under. Above that, there are not many options for the older kids. I prefer to go to the city library over in Carmel Mountain Ranch library for a wider selection books.
This is definitely a neighborhood place, great if you live close by and offers many activities and events for the community.
Reading space is sparse, so finding a good place to sit and read can be a challenge.

Read, read, read and read more! This is a small but ample library. Lots of parking and tons of knowledge packed in one spot.

I just moved here, I have not been, but every day passing, having read so many high marks, I think this week I must go! I hope you can play together and we met!

This library is quite small, but very new and clean. I love their self scan system that you get to use when you check out books. Just scan your card, place all the books and dvd’s in front of the machine, and it will automatically scan everything for you! I was so confused when I first tried to check out books. Everything was done so fast and efficiently! I wonder if they had to let go of some of their employees for that. The lady in the front doesn’t have much to do it seems like:)
You can also reserve books online and go pick it up since they’ll save it for you for a week until you come get it. The library can be a bit loud when there’s a lot of kids, but overall it’s a nice library.
Oh yeah, and if your book is in a different library, they will send the book to your location to pick it up at the closest location. How convenient is that!

I adore this library. The staff are amazing, it is convenient, they have great hours and programs. I reserve most of my books from other locations in the county and I love that I am able to not only pick up there but also to check on my queue on the website. The renewal system is much better than the public library too. Favorite branch by far in SD.

I really like this library… new and clean. Check out their programs. 5 stars for the Self Scan system.

it was ok.
I am NOT a frequent library user and haven’t been to one in years and years… well, there was no signage telling us «newbies» what to do or where to go or where to be or anything. i was disappointed in that. i would think that they would want to cultivate new «clients». I just stood in a line, not sure if it was the right line or what.
the gal was somewhat vague on instructing me for what i needed to do (my sister sent me with specific instructions and, in hindsight, i think i was pretty clear). but i still felt like an idiot in what i was trying to accomplish…
but the location is convenient to me. the place was clean. they didn’t have what i wanted (my sister has «warned me» in advance) so we requested an interlibrary loan — which was much quicker htan they had stated it would be (stated 2 weeks, took about 3 days). of course, it was thanksgiving and they emailed me on wednesday while i was at work to say it was in, but i didn’t get it until they closed that night and they were closed for TG and that friday…
i don’t know. i just would think that they would be a little more agressive at APPEARING to want new customers…
i left just feeling «beige».

Their NEW self-​scan system rocks!
1. Scan your COUNTY of SD Library card
2. Place all your books on the mat
3. Tap «log out» on the screen
4. Grab receipt, books, and go!
I tend to reserve books online and pick them up when they have been transferred. It’s like a personal book assistant has set them aside especially for me. Did I mention that it’s free?

not to be confused with CITY of san diego libraries… county of san diego has a different system so you need a different library card…
it’s small, but nice and neat. books and facility both look very new. there’s a community center next door as well.
they have the system to self scan for check out here too.