Locations, Hours, Spaces, & Facilities FAQs

  • General Questions

    We have a variety of group study rooms. These are are available at the King Library and SJPL branch libraries.

    You will need a full access library card to book a room.

    More details:

    • How to Reserve: You can reserve these rooms online, for free, up to 4 days in advance.
    • Room Capacity: These rooms are limited to individuals and small groups.
    • Max Hours: You may reserve a room for up to two hours per day.
    • No Fees: The rooms may not be used for any activities which require a fee.
    • Regular Courses/Meetings: These rooms are not to be used for regularly scheduled university courses or public meetings.

    Related Page: Reserve a Room

    In January 2024, we updated our booking reservation system to be more mobile- and user-friendly. This tool makes it easier for you to reserve rooms at our library locations.

    You will need a full access library card to book a room.

    BOOKING A ROOM BASED ON LOCATION:

    • Choose Room Type: Go to the Rooms page, opens a new window. Select if you are reserving a room at King or a branch library. Select the tab that says, "Search By Space".


    • Select Location: Under the "Category" dropdown, pick the location for your booking.

    Screenshot of the room booking page.

    • Search for Availability: Click the "Search" button to display available rooms at your chosen location.

    Screenshot of the room booking page.

    • View Room Details and Availability: Click "Show Availability" for a detailed description and availability grid. Pick your preferred date and time.

    Screenshot of the room booking page.

    • Finalize Booking Time: Adjust the end time using the dropdown below the grid.

    Screenshot of the room booking page.

    • Submit Booking: Click the "Submit Times" button and follow the on-screen prompts to complete your reservation.

    Screenshot of the room booking page.
    For Study Rooms:

    • Log in with your library card number and PIN.
    • Review and agree to the Terms & Conditions.
    • Click "Submit my Booking".

    For Community/Public Meeting Rooms:

    • Complete the required form.
    • Review and agree to the Terms & Conditions.
    • Click "Submit my Booking".

    BOOKING A ROOM BASED ON TIME:

    • Select Room Type: Choose the type of room on the Rooms page.
    • Specify Location and Time: Select your desired location (if specific) in the Category dropdown and adjust the date and time.


    • Search and Book: Click "Search". If a suitable room appears, click "Book Now". If not, adjust your search criteria. Follow the same final steps as mentioned in the "Booking a Room Based on Location" section.


    VIEWING AVAILABILITY FOR ALL ROOMS AND BRANCHES:

    This option also resembles the classic view of our room booking system.

    • Navigate to Availability: Go to the Reserve a Room page and scroll to your desired room type—Study Room or Community Room.


    • Check Availability: Click the "Availability" button instead of "Reserve".
    • Select Date and Time: Adjust the booking grid to your preferred date and time and choose a location. Complete your booking by following the same steps as in the previous sections.

    Related Page: Reserve a Room

    You have a few options for how to cancel and edit:

    • Online: 
      • To Cancel: 
        • In the email confirmation you receive, there will be a cancellation link.
        • Select the cancellation link in the email.
        • It will take you to the cancellation page.
        • Confirm that this is the reservation you want to cancel.
        • Select Cancel Booking.
        • You should get a success message on the same page.
      • To Edit: After cancelling, if you need a different time, then book a new reservation.
    • Call: Call the location where you would like to cancel or edit your reservation.
    • In-Person: Talk with a staff member in-person to help you cancel or edit your reservation.

    Related Page: Branch Study Room Usage Requirements

    Yes. Other members of your study group can book the room back-to-back. The room must be available at the time of booking.

    Related Page: Branch Study Room Usage Requirements

    Wi-Fi is available.

    Do you need to use a computer during your study room session? We have devices available to borrow via our SJ Access service.

    Related Page: Branch Study Room Usage Requirements

    No. You should receive an email confirmation. You can use that email as proof of your reservation if needed.

    Related Page: Branch Study Room Usage Requirements

    • Look at your email confirmation.
    • Make sure that you have the correct room and correct time.
    • Check with the people using the room. Ask them if they have the correct time and room reserved.
    • If they don't, ask them politely to vacate and refer to your confirmation.
    • If they don't leave, ask library staff for help.

    Related Page: Branch Study Room Usage Requirements

  • California Room

    What is the Index? 

    The California Room Index is searchable on California Room computers.  The Index contains citations to people, places, and historical events of San José, Santa Clara County, and California. The index contains citations that are not found in the Library Catalog, opens a new window, including: 

    • Maps 
    • Newspaper Clipping Files 
    • Primary Resources 
    • Scrapbooks 
    • Vault Items 
    • and more! 

    For assistance with the California Room Index, visit us in-person at the California Room or give us a call 408-808-2167.

    Help Searching the Index on California Room Computers 

    Sorting Results
    By default, results are sorted alphabetically by Subject. Click a column header to re-sort results by Title, Author, Location, Call Number, or Source instead.  

    Locating the Information
    An entry’s Location field tells you where you can find the physical material in the California Room. 

    Related Page: California Room

    San Jose Public Library offers free do-it-yourself obituary-searching options to California and out-of-state residents.

    Four free do-it-yourself obituary searching options are available:

    1. San Jose residents and other customers can visit the King Library and conduct their own newspaper database and microfilm searches.
    2. Residents of other California cities should contact their local public library for assistance in obtaining free obituary searches via California State second-level reference networks.
    3. The Santa Clara County Library District provides a free, three per month, obituary/death notice search request service.
    4. Out-of-area customers can contact their closest public library with microfilm reading equipment and request the Interlibrary Loan of newspaper microfilm from the California State Library.

    This SJPL blog entry provides tips to help you find an obituary using SJPL resources.

    You may visit the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library and search the San Jose Mercury News on microfilm going back to 1861.

    Due to the time typically involved, we are unable to perform these searches on your behalf. Visit our Obituary Searching page for more suggestions.

    Some of our genealogy resources can be used online. Some must be used in person in our California Room on the 5th floor of King Library.

    Visit our Genealogy Tips page to learn more.

    The California Room on the 5th floor of King Library has many yearbooks from local schools.

    Our School Yearbooks page contains a full list of the yearbooks in our possession.

    Related Page: School Yearbooks

    The CA Room collection, located on the 5th floor of the King library, includes maps, directories, permits, tax rolls, and aerial images useful in establishing details of properties in the Santa Clara Valley.

    See our Property Research page to learn more.

    Related Page: House and Property Research

    California Room items can be found in several ways: 

    1. The catalog search will return bound volumes, videos and microfilm.
    2. The CA index will return items such as maps, ephemera, newspaper clippings, and listings of names and subjects found in historical books. The California Room index is available at the front desk and public computers in the California Room.
    3. Digitized content, including audiovisual materials and documents, can be searched on our Internet Archive page and in SJPL digital collections.
    4. Individual collections pages point the way to all items relevant to those collections.

    New materials are added frequently. For collection inquiries, please call us directly at 408-808-2167.

    Related Page: Archives Unbound

    Due to staffing and the time involved, staff are unable to provide research assistance beyond simple lookups of indexed items.

    Related Page: Visiting the California Room

  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

    • To Get: Visit our Become a Member page to learn about San José Public Library cards.
    • To Replace: San José Public Library can re-issue or replace library cards at any of our library locations.

    Please call into the library to report your card lost or stolen and library staff will block your account to prevent unauthorized use.

    Related Page: Member Services

    The Digital Humanities Center is a welcoming space on the ground floor of the King Library where everyone—students, faculty, and the public—can use technology to study and explore topics like history, literature, and art.

    This space offers workshops, expert support, and digital tools to help with research, creative projects, and building digital skills. It’s a space where technology and the humanities work together to make learning more interesting, accessible, and fun.

    This center is a partnership between San José State University Library, the College of Humanities and Arts, and the San José Public Library.

    Related Pages:

    For SJPL customers, the best way to submit a purchase suggestion is through our online form on the SJPL library website.

    Using the forms ensures that the purchase suggestion goes straight to the appropriate person.

    Visit the San José Public Library Events page to find current library events. You can see a calendar of upcoming events at all locations, including King Library, or narrow the results to a particular branch or location.

    Related Page: Events

    The library has an interactive touchscreen table on the 4th Floor near Student Computing Services that can be used on a first-come, first-served basis.

    The touchscreen:

    • Allows up to 4 users to simultaneously access the internet.
    • Is equipped with a whiteboard that allows users to sketch, graph, writes notes, share ideas, and email each other.
    • Offers interactive games for up to 4 users at a time.

    Related Page: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

    Yes, the library has more than 20 whiteboards throughout the building for students to use, as well as an electronic whiteboard on the 4th Floor that students can use to save their work to a USB or laptop.

    Note: Dry Erase markers and erasers are available for loan during regular King Library operating hours (as well as during extended study hours) and may be checked out for 4 hours at a time from the Student Computing Services center.

    To save to a USB:
    • Press the ON/Standby button and switch on the power.
    • Insert the USB memory device into the USB port of the capture board.
    • Press the Scroll/Stop button to display the image you want to store.
    • Press the Save button to store your image.

    Note: Make sure the indicator has changed from a flashing to a steady light before removing the USB stick.

    To save to a laptop:
    • Turn on the capture board’s power and connect your laptop using the USB cable to the dedicated laptop USB port. The USB cable can be checked out from the Student Computing Services center.
    • Press the save button to store your image.
    • On the computer, open "My Computer" and click the capture board icon, which is identified as a removable device.

    Related Page: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

    Report noise issues at King Library by calling 408-808-2635 or texting 408-595-5614.

    Provide a good description of location. Library Security Officers will respond as soon as possible; however, there may be other activity happening in the library that they need to attend to first.

    Related Page: Contact Us

    Currently enrolled SJSU students, staff and faculty can take advantage of King Library’s extended study hours. Visitors must show their current SJSU Tower Card to remain in the building during extended hours. During these hours, all floors but the Lower Level will be available for study.

    Related Page: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library

    We have a variety of group study rooms that are available at the King Library for groups of 2-12 people.

    You can reserve these rooms online, opens a new window, for free, up to 4 days in advance.

    You may reserve a room for up to two hours per day, in 30-minute blocks. You can have one active booking. These rooms are not to be used for regularly scheduled university courses or public meetings. The rooms may not be used for any activities which require a fee.

    Related Page: Reserve a Room

    SJPL Works is located on the 3rd floor of the King Library. SJPL Works offers resources, programs and services for job seekers, small businesses, and entrepreneurs.

    Please visit SJPL Works for more information and the latest updates.

    All San José Public Library locations have limited parking spaces available. Branch library parking is always free.

    The King Library is near the Fourth Street Garage, which offers 90 minutes free parking.

    The garage is located at the corner of S. Fourth St. & E. San Fernando St. Other garages and metered street parking are nearby.

    The San Jose Public Library has a service desk on the 3rd floor of King Library. See the King Library Hours, opens a new window page or call 408-808-2100 for more information.

    If you have lost an item at the King Library, visit the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor. To recover valuable items such as cell phones and laptops, talk to King Library Security.

    For items lost at branch locations, please contact the individual branch directly.

    For the most up-to-date schedule for San José Public Library branches please visit the Locations page.

    For King Library, see the SJPL King Library hours page.

    Note that King Library's hours for SJSU students, opens a new window may be different than hours for the general public.

    Public restrooms on floors 2-8 are located near the elevators and the stairwell.

    There are additional restrooms on the 1st floor near the self-checkout machines, on the 2nd floor near the JA-Z reference collection, on the 3rd floor near Non-Fiction 999, and on the Lower Level near the A-H range.

    Related Page: King Library Floor Plans

    TeenHQ is located at the King Library in the Mezzanine (above the Children’s Room).

    TeenHQ is a special area for the library reserved for middle and high school students.

    Some of the special features include:

    •  A recording studio with a sound damping room with microphones and editing equipment to make your own songs or podcasts.
    •  Teen Reading Room with teen fiction, magazines, comics, manga, graphic novels, and audiobooks.
    •  The Gamer Lounge allows students with a library card to check out gaming consoles, controllers, and games to use in TeenHQ.
    • MakerSpace programming offers use of 3D printers, a poster printer, a GlowForge, sewing machines, button makers, and more.

    Finding your device’s Wi-Fi settings

    Android—Although there are many flavors or Android, this is fairly typical procedure for connecting to a Wi-Fi network.

    1. Swipe down from the top of the screen.
    2. Tap on "Settings" (gear icon)
    3. Tap Connections
    4. Tap the Wi-Fi slider to its "On" position then tap Wi-Fi again.
    5. Go to "Connecting to the Network" (below)

    iOS

    1. Tap "Settings".
    2. Tick the Wi-Fi slider to its "on" position.
    3. Go to "Connecting to the Network" (below).

    Mac OS X

    1. Click on the Wireless icon located in top menu OR Click on the Apple icon→click System Preferences→click the Network button.
    2. Go to "Connecting to the Network" (below).

    Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7

    1. Click the "Windows" button.
    2. Click on "Network & Internet".
    3. Click Wi-Fi→tick the Wi-Fi slider to "On".
    4. Click "Show available networks".
    5. Go to "Connecting to the Network" (below).

    Connecting to the Network

    1. Click or tap on the wireless network you would like to join:
      • For branch locations, this is "SJPL-WiFi".
      • For the King Library, this is either "SJSU_Guest" or "King_Library_WIFI".
    2. If you see a notification specifying the need to "sign in," tap it.
    3. Wait for the "Acceptable Use Policy" page to appear on your screen.
    4. Read the page and click "Accept" if you agree to the terms.

    Related Page: Computers, Printing, and Copying

    No. All San José Public Library wireless networks are "open". Data is sent in clear text with no encryption. Be careful about sending sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, on an open public network. Turn off file and print sharing when you are not using it. The library is not responsible for any loss of any information that may arise from the use of the wireless connection.

    Related Page: Computers, Printing, and Copying

    Connection speed depends on how many devices are using the wireless network and how much information is being sent, as well as proximity to a Wi-Fi access point. Look around for anything that may get in the way of a wireless signal, such as walls, pillars, or potted plants. Being close to the access point may also help.

    Related Page: Computers, Printing, and Copying

    Unfortunately, none of the library locations have fax machines for public use. Postal Annex+ and FedEx offices provide faxing service.

    Related Page: Computers, Printing, and Copying

    All library locations offer free, high speed, 24/7 wireless Internet access in and around library buildings. At all of our branch locations, you can use the Wi-Fi without logging in.

    Public library customers at the King Library can connect to the wireless network called "SJSU_Guest."

    See more Wi-Fi FAQs.

    Related Page: Free Wi-Fi

    San Jose Public Library users: Printers in the King Library are located on the 1st and 3rd floors and accept Gold Points cards (a print card that can be purchased with cash) or credit cards.  

    Learn more about printing on our Computers, Printing & Copying page.

    Yes. The San José Public Library (SJPL) is committed to helping people meet their education and job preparation needs. We offer job search programs and computer assistance at library branches.

    SJPL Works is based on the third floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. Staff can help with everything from searching for a job to starting a small business.

    You can also use online learning programs through the San José Public Library's website to study more and brush up on your basic skills.

    For adults who need to practice speaking and listening in English, we recommend the Library's Conversation Clubs.

    Related Pages: SJPL Works

  • Open+

    With Open+, you can use the library outside of normal, staffed operating hours.  All you need to become an Open+ member is a library card in good standing.

    Related Page: Open+ Library Access

    Customers 18 years of age or older must meet these requirements: 

    • Have a current SJPL library card in good standing. 
    • Complete the Open+ Agreement Form. 
    • Attend an Open+ Orientation with library staff in person. 

    Related Page: Open+ Library Access

    You can use your own library card to gain entry to the library during Open+ hours. For your card to work, you must meet the following requirements:

    • Have a current SJPL library card in good standing.
    • Completed the Open+ Agreement Form.
    • Attended an Open+ Orientation with library staff in person.

    Related Page: Open+ Library Access

    • Pick up holds.
    • Browse library collections and use the catalog.
    • Use self-checkout machines.
    • Use computers, printing, and Wi-Fi (wifi).
    • Use study Rooms.
    • Use restrooms.

    Community Rooms will NOT be available.

    Related Page: Open+ Library Access

    Open+ hours are unstaffed and self-serve. You may leave a comment, question, or concern in the comments box near the Information Desk.

    You can also contact us in the following ways:

    Related Page: Open+ Library Access

    Yes. There 21 internal and external security cameras. These cameras are activated during Open+ hours. These cameras are never used during regular library hours. They are motion-activated after regular library hours and before Open+ hours.

    They are subject to the same privacy policy as our other surveillance cameras.

    Related Page: Open+ Library Access

    No.

    • Open+ approved access is not transferable or to be shared with unapproved users.
    • Registered Open+ customers may not open the library to non-registered customers.

    Related Page: Open+ Library Access

    You must be accompanied by an adult.

    Related Page: Open+ Library Access

    The study rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

    Related Page: Open+ Library Access