Dougherty Station Library

Love this place. Great choices of books and media. Friendly staff and adequate parking.

Do not come here to study! This library is really small and is basically one giant room where you can hear everything! Lots of kids running around and people talking. There are signs that say «quiet study area» but there is no quiet area here. I don’t even think there are conference rooms you can use. One plus is the free Wi-​Fi, which I’m currently using to give them a bad review.

Don’t waste your time coming here. The library is small and nice but the librarians are the rudest, unfriendly, most unhelpful old women I have ever met. I’ve been 3 times and every time they have been obscenely rude and disrespectful. Nothing would make me happier than to see them fired. Trust me, GO SOMEWHERE ELSE if you want to be welcomed, helped and treated kindly, because this library is NOT the place.

Start my review by saying thank you to Bernadette! She was the only one who was helpful, nice and with a pretty smile! The one older blonde lady who had her hair pinned up, was very rude & a noxious! And the shorter hair told me once, «I have to go in the back»! The second time told me, «I’m busy… you have to wait»! The third time she just pretty much ignored and tried to have no eye contact with me! Omg! How rude! I could not believe it! I had never ever had such a mistreatment from any libraries in my entire life! They were under dressed as if they were doing their house chores; wrinkled attire… embarrassing!
I happen to be in the area, as I usually go to the Danville library. I shall never return to this branch, again!
Yes, it’s such a tiny library. But for me, the problem was the noise! Everyone was talking loud; way too many very young kids unattended without their parents; the cell phones were ringing; there were constant loud DING sounds every time the books were being checked out! Kids were playing video games on the computers!!!
Lastly, the bathrooms! Oh, boy, let me you… Stinky, dirty, bathroom papers all over the floor! Shame on you DOUGHERTY STATION! It’s very disappointing! Had it not been for Bernadette, I would have given this branch a minus star!

This is a nice resource for the community, especially the students. Kids can study here. Believe you can volunteer as a public service — also a learning experience. They have lots of interesting materials, although not a very large facility.

Decent, but small. Problem is having an open library on a college campus. It’s very difficult to study as a student with little kids running about. DVC should also have it’s own private library in addition to this one. Great for kids-​bad for college students.

Its small and good

Call me spoiled, but I am used to the beautiful libraries of Dublin and Livermore. I am «thrifty» and come to libraries for my books. I remember walking into the Dublin library when it reopened in 2003 in the new location and stayed for hours just looking at all of the books and frequently settle down in a quiet area to study or read. I accidentally discovered the Livermore Library (Civic Station) and have yet to find a more beautiful, large library.
I go to DVC and went to explore the Dougherty Station Library and I was VERY surprised by how tiny it is. It also seems very old fashioned by its lack of creativity and blank spaces. The other San Ramon library near Buffalo Wild Wings is also extremely old fashioned– I’m really surprised by how a city like San Ramon hasn’t invested more in its libraries. I sometimes bring my 3 year old but it’s pretty boring for her so we go to the Dublin library where the kids section is segregated from the adult section so the librarians aren’t circling us saying SHUSH!!! I don’t know… I just don’t ever want to stay at the San Ramon libraries for hours on end, and that’s not how it should be!

This is my local library where I come often. They have lap sit, toddler time, preschool story time once a week. They have acrobats, magicians, informational talks, performances, and a slew of other kid and family related activities that take place often. I find the librarians very nice and friendly often greeting me and my kids and answering all our questions. My only gripes are that I wish their hours were longer, that they would open on Sunday, and it would be nice if they would have more than one check-​in station. From over five years of using this library, I would have to say that they’ve only made a couple of mistakes as far as billing me once for an item that was already on their shelf (which showed that I had checked it in) and a late fee here and there. They have a good selection of books and videos, and you can also request an item be sent here from another library (free) for pick up if it is not found there already. During the story time days and after school hours (Windemere Middle School is less than a block away), you will find it quite noisy here with a lot of kids running around with their heads chopped off so if you want peace and quiet then those times would not be the best to go sit down quietly or study. The librarians try to enforce a quiet atmosphere, but sometimes and unfortunately it falls on deaf ears.

Good local library to go to. There’s only one check in station so if someone’s there taking forever you aren’t inclined to use it and just use the book drop off’s in front outside. Its an easy location for someone living in the area as I use the online book holds so picking up is easy. Service is ok — some of the librarians are nice and helpful and others seem like you are bothering them. Contra Costa’s library system offers a lot of books so ordering online has served me better than hitting the shelves there. It is nice that it is a safe place where the kids can go to. There are some study rooms and computers with printers. Its just a basic library.

bad place to study because it’s small and cramped, meaning kids’ voices carry and their parents and the librarians do nothing to promote «inside voices». the only good thing is the study rooms, but those you can only use for a max of 2 hours. here’s the real killer and why i will never try to study here: they dont allow coffee. first library in the area ive been to that doesn’t. limited access to quiet study rooms and prohibition of caffeine… no wonder education is declining — ppl have nowhere to study comfortably!
besides being a bad studying environment, i really dont think they have a very good collection or variety of books here. their collection textbooks and study guides did pleasantly surprise me, though.
the only pro is that the staff i’ve encountered are quite enthusiastic and pleasant to talk to. i was asked ever-​so-​nicely to finish my coffee outside without being glared at.

The library is beautiful and most books are in great condition. People of all ages can comfortably sit and read or study since there are multiple areas to sit. Some staff are hilarious, and some are plain rude. Sometimes you just gotta know them too. When I volunteered at the library years ago the entire staff was friendly. But before that, and even after, they’ll give you glares for doing anything not related to books. If you’re going to talk with friends, make sure you whisper because even a laugh can get you kicked out without warning. Warning to couples, don’t be making out either because the librarian doesn’t like that.
Services are terrible, period. If you have a question, you’re better off asking another person in the library or finding an answer yourself. They take forever to receive your attention even if they’re just on their computer. Plus your answer might be given with a rough attitude.
The system is flawed. Never return your books last minute to the box because you can’t argue for the fact that you turned them in on time. A lazy worker who doesn’t check in all the books by the end of the day means you will have a $ 0.25 the next morning. The librarian aint going to believe that you actually turned it in on time, don’t bother arguing with her. And this has happened several times. Friends who have volunteered at the library agree that it happens frequently.
Then what is this library good for? If you, or your child attends Windemere Ranch MS then let them hang out there after school. If you attend DVC, nice place to quickly grab resources for your class. Or if you simply want a place for a giant study group, there’s a few rooms for you to do so.

The Dougherty Station Library is clean & recently-​built. The librarians (most of them) are pretty friendly, but if they catch you eating something, they will kick you out without sparing any mercy. It’s pretty close if you live in the Windemere area, and has lots of comfy chairs so you can just sit down and grab a book and start reading.
To the reviewer up there who said it was too small… remember that you can always place a hold on a book you want on the Contra Costa library website, and pick it up here.

I’m really tempted to give it a one star except that the building is quite new.
1) This library is REALLY small. One check-​in station, 2 check-​out stations. One side is kids, the other side adults with the librarians stationed in the middle.
2) Bad customer service. It was my first time in this location and I didn’t see a self-​checkout so I waited at the desk while both workers were on the phone. When one was done, I placed my books and card down and the person asked if the self-​checkouts were broken. I said that I didn’t even know where they were (you can see the back of them from the desk), so he told me they were easy to use and placed my card and books there and turned away. Really, how hard would it have been for him to check my books out the old fashioned way?
3) If you are coming from San Ramon, you can turn right at Watermill and loop around the block to get in… or you can follow the sign. I went in through Watermill but came out through the side street and was only able to make a right on Bollinger. THEN, there were no U-​Turns on Bollinger so I ended up in Dublin. Fun…