Oakland Public Library

They have a tool lending library, at the Temescal branch. They have branches all over town that each have their own specialty: Spanish language books at the Cesar Chavez branch, books in Chinese and Japanese and Vietnamese and Korean and lots of other languages at the Asian Branch downtown, a bookmobile AND an adult literacy program based out of the West Oakland branch, an American Indian Collection at Dimond, a Gay and Lesbian Collection at Piedmont... you could explore these branches forever. But they have more than that. They have a website where you can search for magazine articles, books, newspaper articles, e-books and downloadable audiobooks. They have a summer reading game, art exhibits (like Italian Heritage or Paul Robeson), a Gay/Straight Alliance.... they spill over with wonderfulness. And that's not all! They have "Lawyers in the Library," specific days when lawyers come to specific branches to give people free legal advice. They have the African American Museum and Library, an impressive collection of archives and reference materials that used to live at the Golden Gate Branch but merged with the African American Museum in 2002 - which itself is housed in what used to be the second Main library from 1902 to 1951. They have information about their services for persons with disabilities, and meeting rooms that you can have for free once a month. Thanks to the dedication of the library staff, and the generosity of Oakland voters in fundig them, there's practically no end to the wonderful stuff at the Oakland Public Library! Residents of other cities are welcome. more

Like Huey Lewis asys, "The heart of the library, HEART of the library, is a-beatin'!" Sorry. But it's true. The Main Branch is huge. It has several stories. I came here from Davis, which has one library for the whole town, none of these crazy branches for different neighborhoods, and this is what I expect a library to look like: tons of books, all in one place, with extra room or floors if necessary. But one place! Not "oh, we have that book, but it's ten miles away across town." The Main Branch, if I understand them correctly, has a place where you can go find out how old your house is and who lived there before you, or at least who owned it in the olden days. And it has a whole room just for science-fiction and mystery books. It is VAST. It has a whole room for kids, which has its own exit to the outside world. It has miles of nonfiction, kilometers of reference desk, and pounds of computer. I love it with a passion unequalled by any mere (if spectacular) branch. more

What a service! We've been able to borrow miter saws, masonry books, reciprocating saws, trowels, drills, you name it. This place allows folks to home improve without investing in costly tools they may never need again. And the people who work here are very nice and dedicated. The clientele can be a little nuts, but they handle the chaos and interpersonal oddity with grace. They deserve raises. more