Irvine University Park Library

I’ve never thought that I’d say this. But this library is so loud! I came in the morning at opening to work on a test with some students and we were sitting in the children’s section. There was a meeting room of some sort where a lot of people were coming in and speaking really loudly, right next to our table!
So we moved to the adult section hoping it would be quieter. But then someone was drilling something and being very disruptive! (The librarian said that they are getting a new AC unit installed.) What in the world?! Why can’t they do this after the library closes, or before it opens?!
If you are trying to study quietly without any distractions, find another place. I guess the library is no longer a «shhh» place. :(
I think it’d help for them to build some private rooms (not during library hours of course).

I go to the attached book store all the time and I love it there, but the couple of times I walked into the library itself, the librarians were a little rude and the place seems a little disorganized.

This is a nice library — it’s located in a residential area of Irvine, far enough from UCI to be a less attractive option for students who would want to travel all the way over here to study — which is a great thing and which is why it’s always reasonably quiet here haha.
The library is pretty small, but does a good job utilizing the space it does have with a wealth of books, periodicals and DVDs. There are several fairly decent public-​use computers as well. A smart design feature, considering it’s small footprint, is that the Children’s section is located on the opposite end of the non-children’s area — which while has some effect on overall noise, you can still hear the really loud kids (come on parents!) and the occasional screaming baby (there’s one that’s been screaming for the past few minutes since I started this review).
Ample seating and desks throughout this facility, including private study cubbies. If you walk all the way to the far end of the library, there’s a single cubby adjacent to a large community table that is usually always available and rarely occupied. One downside, the community tables only have two outlets. Luckily, I always travel with a multi-​outlet charger, so it’s easy for me to ask if I can plug my travel charger in — turning one outlet into three.
There is free wifi here but it’s fairly slow. On the bright side, I hear Google Fiber is thinking of making Irvine/​CA it’s next project…
Parking is a bit congested, especially after 3pm when the elementary school kids get out. You may be able to find spots near the park adjacent to the library.

I came here to study. Luckily, I didn’t need the internet, because although this library offers free wifi, it is actually a test of your patience because it’s so slow. You get what you pay for, I guess!
It’s not the most quiet library; you can hear the hustle and bustle of people doing things: talking, beeps from books being checked out, papers rustling. It’s not terrible. But if you need absolute quiet and/​or good wifi, this isn’t the place to go.

I like coming here because it’s a nice quiet place to study. This is much quieter than Heritage Park. They also have Wifi, which is good… and the little kids area is far enough away where its not too noisy.
The problem is that it opens on NOON on Sundays… there’s a mess of people waiting outside for the library to open. You would then think that they would open earlier.
Other than that, I would give it a higher rating.

Looks like it’s still in the 80’s. Not many newer books but you can request them! Don’t come after 4. The kids and parents are EXTREMELY LOUD. They obviously don’t care about the rules of a library. Also during the day, the ladies in the back get really loud. Free wifi but it’s a little slow. You can also donate books to the library so they can get new books!
This place is O.K. but nothing great. There are better libraries.

Pretty good library, sometimes it can be packed with a lot of kids but that’s a good thing. We would rather have the kids in the library reading books than out on the streets or on videogames.

I really wish they opened earlier than 10am but what can you do. After reading some reviews I do have to agree that this library isn’t quiet. Luckily I don’t need to do some hardcore studying so a little noise was okay. They do offer great places to do homework and outlets for your laptop and chargers so I’m satisfied.

This library isn’t the best for studying. There are kids making noise and their parents also talking at pretty noisy levels.
It did have free wi-​fi, good air conditioning, and adequate workspaces available. The Internet connection was really slow compared to most libraries I’ve been to. Couldn’t run my tutorial videos for my class.
Again great for kids, but for adults I would recommend elsewhere.

This is my go to place to study as a non-​UCI college student who comes to Irvine a lot. I never have trouble finding seats or outlets and it is relatively quiet (especially during the day). It can get a little noisier after 3pm when all the kids go loose, but it’s never been unbearable.
Parking is plentiful and free which is amazing as a Los Angeles resident! :)

Many year ago I used to visit here very often to borrow books. Later, borrow video then later DVD. There were also a large selection of Asian books which reflect the Asian population of Irvine.
Since the day I have high speed internet at home now I rarely read books. What a sad change.

The library is a bit small but I guess it has everything a standard local library should have. It can get loud with the kids especially when school is out. They have a large farsi book selection if that’s your thing.

Not the newest looking facility but it’s still a really nice library. However, I’d recommend this as a library that’s better if you have kids. The children’s area is in the front and there are a lot of little colored tables and children’s books. They separate the books for the little kids and the preteens although they’re still around the same area. When I used to babysit this little girl when I was in college, she would love it when I would take her here on her minimum days to do homework and look at books!
Plenty of parking and there’s a park on the other side of the library’s parking lot so after the kids get bored of books, you can take them to play at a really nice playground.
If you’re a college student or adult trying to get some quiet study time, I wouldn’t really recommend this library unless you come during a time when all of the kids are at school. Otherwise, the library gets kind of loud since it’s so small and the childrens’ voices carry over. There aren’t any solo study desks either so you have to be willing to sit with other people. :/​
But there are all of your basics: free wifi, air conditioning, computers, printers.

Quaint, small little library. Good for kids.
Don’t bother trying to study here though. It’s VERY loud! I don’t know what it is about the people who come to this library but they treat it like its a Barnes and Noble! The staff and patrons don’t even bother trying to whisper. You’re definitely better off staying at home than trying to study here.

It is a nice facility but very noisy during the summer months! During the summer there are kids playing games on the computers, talking on their cell phones, talking loudly in groups and eating. It seems like parents treat it like a daycare center.
I asked the librarian «What happened to the quiet, hushed atmosphere of the library we all grew up with?» She said, «This is how things are these days.» I visited twice and both both times was disappointed. I would have needed ear plugs to read.
Once again, the staff and facility are good, but the cell phones, group chat sessions, video games and eating at the tables is a real turn off. During the summer it is noisier than both of the local Starbucks on Culver.
Aren’t libraries supposed to be totally silent?

So I tend to work in the library because it’s quiet
Not so much this one however. I came in with the girlfriend last week to get some work done. There were children running around screaming and playing. You would think the parents would shut them up but instead they joined in with the laughing and yapping. There was also people eating.
Despite the chaos we found ourselves a corner, hiding from everyone and did what we had to do. The library is SMALL. Probably the smallest library I have ever been to. It can get pretty pack considering how tiny it is. I do like that most people without children are there to study. They aren’t just there to take up room and facebook.

I don’t come to this library very often — I only go when I need to a specific book for class or something. I almost always head straight to the Reference Desk to ask for help. All the librarians that have helped me are reallyyy friendly, helpful, and resourceful. There have been times when the book I was looking for was either checked out or at a different location. I love how they email you when your book is ready to be checked out.
I haven’t studied here yet, but it seems like a nice, quiet place. They have story times in the children’s section, and even sell used books by the parking lot.

another amazing place for college students to get away.
Sometimes…
–you dont want to go to campus, cuz your lazy or that your not in the mood to get distracted
–sometimes…your library just doesnt cut it and you feel awkward going to another universitiy’s library
–sometimes other librarys cost $$ to park there
–studying at starbucks/​panera breads/​etc… just doesnt cut anymore… its too loud… and the food is quite distracting
Welcome to Irvine University Park…
–easy parking
quiet
–free wifi
–AIR CONDITIONING!
–computers
–printers
etc…
This is my go to spot, if Im not feeling the college libraries!
UNTIL THEN! ^-^

So a neutron walks into a bar and asks for a beer.
The bartender fetches him a beer and the neutron says, «How much do I owe you?»
The bartender looks at the neutron and replies, «For you? No Charge»
I started going to the library to study for my exams and I’m pretty happy with this place. Parking is a breeze. There’s usually open spots and it’s not that far of a walk from the parking lot to the library. The library itself is relatively small, but there’s a good number of tables to study. There’s a pretty safe crowd that comes thru, so I feel okay leaving my textbooks, laptop, and cellphone out if I need to use the restrooms. There’s free wireless internet to check Facebook, Unilocal,or Gmail during study breaks. The AC is cranked pretty low, so if you get cold easily, you might want to bring a turtleneck.
About my credentials:
I’ve probably visited over a dozen libraries in my life time. I’m not much of a reader, but I like to go to libraries to study and hang out with friends. Now that I think about it… maybe this is the reason why I grew up socially awkward and single most my life. It all makes sense now.