I just love this library! Its very quiet and there are tons of interesting books that you can check out or literally just sit in a chair and read them at the library. The librarians are really nice and let you browse for a looong time. Its average size combined with the bookshelves makes you feel cozy and they even have a wide selection of movies that you can take home! I think everybody should go to this library once in a while.
Sally S.
Place rating: 3 Seal Beach, CA
Great librarians. Good selection of books. Not an environment for reading. Adults tutoring students(some speak quite loudly), and kids are aloud to run around and scream as if it is a playground.
Vic C.
Place rating: 4 Duarte, CA
This library is rather small but I do like this place because of a few reasons: –Free wifi(for everyone, you do not have to have a library card to access it) –Clean restrooms –Books and magazines can be purchased very cheaply(as cheap as $ 0.10 a piece), which are sold right outside the entrance of the library hallway. –Very friendly employees that can help you with your research and where you may be able to find the resource in the library(old school way of doing a report, not the electronic Google search and Google scholar search) There is plenty of street parking if you do not want to park in their tiny lot. I have never parked in their lot actually. Great little place to go in case you need to do some research for a report/paper or if you just want to find a particular book.
Van H.
Place rating: 5 Los Angeles, CA
I’m liking this library so far. It’s quiet and relatively average-sized for an OC library. I haven’t checked out the used bookstore section but I plan to do that, since it was one of the only reasons I wanted to go here. :) I like that the Orange County Public Library Branches offer free Wi-Fi even if you don’t have a library card. There are a number of tables with outlets, which might be hard to nab if you come at a particularly crowded time. It is located on Electric and 7th with the entrance facing north and a small private lot.
Dan B.
Place rating: 5 Seal Beach, CA
The Seal Beach/Mary Wilson Branch is my favorite place in Seal Beach. This library is top shelf. The environment is calm, the facility is clean and kept well. The most impressive aspect of the place, however, is the people who work there. The librarians are kind, intellegent, helpful ladies. I have found everything I have needed at the Seal Beach branch. I have made several requests from other libraries in and out of our OC system, and all were handled promptly and professionally. One of the reasons our children are both skillful, enthusiastice readers is the Mary Wilson/Seal Beach Library and it’s staff. Rooms full of books are nothing without their guardians and trustees-the Librarians. Seal Beach has great ones.
Chamomile T.
Place rating: 4 Seal Beach, CA
The most awesome thing about this library is the used book sale. It’s amazing. I find all kinds of wonderful books for 10 cents on the ten cent rack(in the hallway) and then in the little used book area, there are more«expensive» books — 50 cents each! I can’t begin to tell you how many great books I’ve bought here, and when I’m done with them, I just donate them back — no due date! Love it!
Virgil I.
Place rating: 4 Sasebo, Japan
Although we live in an era of technological advances, it’s good to know that there are still local libraries such as this one around still in existence. Libraries hold great resources for all ages to take advantage of and will always be a nice quiet place to relax and read a good book.
Taryn M.
Place rating: 5 Naples, CA
The kindest staff, super helpful when I was ill, got me books and books on cd. I love this place!
Karey R.
Place rating: 4 Seal Beach, CA
Mary Wilson Library is a gorgeous library located ¼ mile from the beach. The library is well stocked and organized. It’s the perfect place to grab a book and relax on the sand or pier. I would recommend parking on the street rather than the lot… the parking can be a little tricky at times in there. The book store is to the left when walking in, the books range from 10 to 50 cents. They sell cute book bags for $ 10 and Seal Beach plate frames too.
Stefannye S.
Place rating: 4 Honolulu, HI
It’s a nice library, moderate level of noise, could use a little more seating. The librarians are friendly and I even witnessed one of the librarians spend half an hour with an older gentleman trying to find him a Dial-a-ride for an upcoming surgery he was having. The only problem I have with it is one of the librarians takes personal calls all the time. I now know a good deal of her family business and I really wish I didn’t.
Lenny W.
Place rating: 4 La Quinta, CA
@Dao: Huh? This library is the local library for Seal Beach, which is located in the Orange County Public Library system. For online access you can go to Of course you will need an OCPL library card to check anything out. This library is pretty small, but has a very friendly volunteer and paid staff. I’ve always been able to get on a computer, whether it’s for the internet or catalog search, with no long wait. They have magazines to browse, a good reference selection and access to the entire OCPL database via the computers. You can place an item on ‘hold’ for 25 cents and it will be transferred from another branch to the local one within a few days usually. Closed all day Friday and opens later on some days. Government cutbacks, ya know?!:-(
Brinda J.
Place rating: 4 San Diego, CA
For a tiny little library in the middle of the street, this place is great for DVDs. They have a whole section with brand new movies. They had all the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Pretty cool. Friendly staff. Only complaint is that it doesn’t open early on some days. But otherwise very nice.
Dao N.
Place rating: 5 Chicago, IL
technically, long beach is not in orange county, but is just barely in LA county. the mary wilson branch of the orange county public library may be the closest library to me. it may also be small, but it’s staffed with friendly people. they have regular reading times, so if you have kids, it’s a great place to take them. although i haven’t checked out the children’s books, they seem to have a large selection on site. it’s really a nice neighborhood library where you can take your kids. they have some computers that are free to use. these days, it doesn’t even matter if the library has the book you want because they have a website, and you can request any book they have in the oc public library system via the website, and they will have it delivered to the branch of your choice for a mere 25 cents. how wonderful is that? i’m also a fan of being able to renew my books online. the other thing they have which i haven’t made use of are e-books which can be checked out for free via download as well as books on cds checked out like regular books. my only complaint is that they are not open every day.
