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Vailey Oehlke, Multnomah County’s longtime Director of Libraries, will retire in June after serving as director for the past 15 years.

Lecia Michelle is the author of The White Allies Handbook: 4 Weeks to Join the Racial Justice Fight for Black Women. She is a librarian by trade with experience at universities and public libraries.

Letter from Vailey Oehlke, Director of Libraries, on her retirement

Multnomah County Library offers library services in Vietnamese, Chinese, Russian and Spanish. The library’s Vietnamese team helps patrons find materials and library services in Vietnamese.

National Library Workers Day is a day of recognition for all that library staff, administrators and volunteers do for our libraries. Library workers play a critical role in our communities. At Multnomah County Library, employees across the organization keep the library running.

May is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AANHPI). It’s a special time where we can reflect on and celebrate the remarkable role of the Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander community. In honor of AANHPI Heritage Month, join us in celebrating with programs and crafts at different libraries in May.

The Spanish language team collaborates with schools, community partners and nonprofits to connect with patrons in and out of the library.

Multnomah County Library offers Chinese and Vietnamese language services to serve Portland’s vibrant Asian community. Patrons and Multnomah County voters make the library and its services possible, and some of them have shared how the library has made a difference in their life.

Multnomah County Library Deputy Director Annie Lewis is temporarily serving as Multnomah County Library Interim Director of Libraries, following the retirement of longtime Director of Libraries Vailey Oehlke.

Albina Library — its past defined by growth-triggering relocation — has a storied history in its current home.

Multnomah County Library’s Tween Council provides youth ages 9-12 the opportunity to advise the library on services for tweens. Youth can socialize with peers and earn volunteer credit at the same time!

Notable Two-Spirit figures in history

This Pride Month, the library is recognizing the LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) communities. Through the sharing of their own experiences, talents and advocacy, they’ve become influential voices for our time.

Multnomah County Library's Indigenous and teen services teams will welcome acclaimed Native author Cynthia Leitich Smith (Mvskoke) to two high schools.

Central Library, beloved by the community since 1913, is now open with modern enhancements for you to enjoy. This historic building maintains its charm while offering new updates to better serve you. The refreshed Central Library is now brighter and more open, with new modern features for library users.

On May 19, Multnomah County Library broke ground on one of its most historic building projects, North Portland Library.

The last day Woodstock Library is open to the public is March 17. It is scheduled to reopen in summer 2025. Woodstock is one of 11 libraries receiving small but essential refreshes to provide a safe, modern and welcoming space for library patrons. Similar projects at other libraries have taken about four months to complete.

February is Black History Month, a time to honor and celebrate Black history and culture. The Association for the Study of African American Life and History has selected a theme every year since 1928. The theme for 2025 is African Americans and Labor.

The first Juneteenth in Portland was led by Clara Peoples in 1945.

The library’s new Operations Center is complete! The building is the first of the library’s capitol building projects, funded by the 2020 voter-approved bond, to open on time and within budget.

The theme for Black History Month 2024 is “African Americans and the Arts.” Celebrate this year’s theme with these suggestions.

Spanish-speaking library staff can help you find connections and resources that are applicable to your specific cultural needs.