Built in 1985, San Mateo City Hall houses the City Council chambers as well as the City Manager's office, the City Clerk's office and several other important administrative offices. San Mateo residents are welcome to drop in during normal business hours and file papers or gather needed information -- and they are encouraged to come to the council chambers on those evenings (generally the first and third Mondays of every month, beginning at 5 p.m.) where the people's business is discussed and decided.
This quiet branch library has views of the lagoon outside from its floor-to-ceiling rear windows. It has a selection of adult and children's books as well as computer workstations for patrons' use. Patrons may also have material paged from the main San Mateo city library downtown. The Marina library is off S. Norfolk Street just north of Fashion Island Boulevard and Highway 92, right next to the Fish Market restaurant.
Since 1946, the Los Altos Library has been nestled in the historic apricot orchard that surrounds the civic center complex. Besides books, the library offers a selection of DVDs, computer games, CDs, audio books and computers with Internet access.
The library is filled with natural light, and the Children's Room features cushioned furniture that invites parents and children to cozy up with a book. The library hosts mystery book clubs, author nights, family movie nights and children's story hours for different age groups. There is a group study room for those who need to discuss material without disturbing other patrons. It also offers a program room, with capacity for 100 people, for use by organizations on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The current 28,000 square-foot structure opened in 1964 and was remodeled in 1993. In June 2010, voters approved a parcel tax to help maintain existing hours and programs at both the Los Altos and Woodland libraries.
