Newport Beach Public Library — Attraction in Newport Beach

This is a beautiful local city library. The staff here have been nothing but kind and helpful to me. What follows is long but has some great TIPs for you for visiting this beautiful library... Part of a civic city building complex located between Avocado and Mac Arthur street. North of PCH next to the ocean there is a market area with a Bristol Farms market anchor store. Lots of fufu ladies clothes with a few eateries. Parking for the library is to the immediate left of the market area (photo). This main parking will access the front south ocean side of the library. With overflow parking from the civic center structure to the rear north east (photo) at the back corner. TIP - The 1N OCTA bus route drops you on the Avocado street west side. A small bridge will get you on to the south west corner of the library. Straight ahead is the entrance. TIP - However, the west side of the library has a shady bamboo patio with alternate entances to the library. Inside the library has two levels. TIP - From the main entrance is the right east corner there is a Friends of the Library with great used book and media deals, nice people. Check out and customer service desk is next on the right. TIP - Past the desk is an amazing media center. Magazines, newspapers, music CDs, movies on DVD or Blu-ray. On this right side there is the children's book area too. TIP - Restrooms are marked down the hallway on the left or west side. There is an Admin area but further is the Media Center and elevator. TIP - The Media Center has been a great resource. It has its own Audio area. Through the main entrance center are stairs up. You'll find the main book stacks here. With a cafe (unknown hours) and a bank inside. Continue forward to exit rear center with sliding glass doors. There are study/eating tables here and outside on the deck. A nice rest area here protected by the ocean breezes. Again from top of stairs, go right 180 past the bank and restrooms are close on your right. The main resource desk is here a little more forward floor center. As well as self serve check out and computerized book and media lookups. This whole floor also has study desks with power and desks with computer stations. See the resource desk to learn more about computer rentals. TIP - The resource desk can get you registered with a library card. The card number and a password gets you on the computers. BiG TIP - There is a great library APP as well to download on your smart phone. Your library user number and password get you logged in to the APP. With the APP you can self serve book renewal extensions and reserve audio books, music other media and more!!! Very very useful if you like modern digital library services. TIP - 2nd floor south ocean side are a few private study rooms. You need to reserve in advance for study rooms at the resource desk. I've heard there is a room with a scanner on the 2nd floor also. Most questions seem to be handled by the resource desk where nice people can assist.--- If you made it this far you can tell this library is quite special to me. The resources, books and staff have been excellent. Bests~

UPDATE - DEC 2024 - BIG construction changes in the front parking lot. There still is a small lower lot and two rows of front parking left. TIP - It does get full, but the City Hall parking structure has some parking. It is often at 80-90% capacity so look around. To be honest, even with construction, I've found parking in front. TIP - The library back entrance is off the ground level corner, by the EV charging station. My deepest thx library staff for...

I was leaving the library on Sunday evening shortly before closing time, & a mousy little Latina employee ( is she new?) standing by the door said "Have a nice day," as if i was a guest and she was the host. I don't think of myself as a guest at the library which I pay taxes to. I think of myself as using something that I PARTIALLY OWN! Which almost all of us here partially own unless I guess if you're from out of state. But if the library receives Federal funding which they probably do then even out-of-state people are partial owners as well.

And I definitely don't think of her as the host. I don't need her welcome in the morning or her "have a nice day" in the evening. And we don't need somebody standing at the door as we leave.

And I want to encourage management to be very careful about hiring too many persons of a specific ethnicity (which I will not name, but they are the actual majority in Southern California now) because once they get in to any establishment they gradually take over in subtle ways. And then it's all over. Newport Beach is our last hope. Stand strong 💪 👍 Prayers for employee Chris. He works so much and never takes vacation. Does the NBPL provide an employee path for "growth" at the library ⁉️ they need to...

Update 10/4/24: NBPL continues to serve its community by offering activities, cultural events and, of course, books, CDs, DVDs and more. Soon, The Witte Center will be open to just even more events.

Yes, you can find free parking, free books, CDs and movies in Newport Beach. They're at the library! Trade your credit cards for a library card. You won't regret it!!

Update: 3/22/24 - This library continues to surpass itself by offering not only books, CDs, DVDs, magazines, and many other things that you can check out. Also, they have a lab for digital graphics.

There is also great Friends of the Library store where I go to buy gifts for myself, for my husband, and for others. Today I got the latest Michael Connolly "Lincoln Lawyer", Resurrection Walk, book for just $6. He'll also find classics, all the different genres, and even jigsaw puzzles all offered at great prices!

Soon they will add a new auditorium. Due to the construction, some of the parking is limited on the south side of...