Honoring the Juneteenth legacy of Opal Lee and Clara Peoples
On June 17, 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday. This monumental day was made possible by the countless efforts of strong community leaders. Among them is Opal Lee - coined as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”
Celebrate Black History Month at the Library
February is Black History Month, a time to celebrate influential people, events and actions contributing to Black History in the United States. Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History selects a theme for Black History Month to focus the attention on one specific aspect of the Black experience.
National Library Workers Day
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.
Spring is here! Library staff share how they connect to nature
April is a month full of nature! It’s Native Plant Appreciation month, Plant Appreciation Day is on April 13 and Earth Day is April 22. This month, we asked our staff of color and culture how they connect with nature, plants, gardening and books.
Building community at the library
To support Chinese as one of its primary service languages, the library offers a robust Chinese language collection and culturally relevant services and resources.
Read with PRIDE: LGBTQIA2S+ voices and authors
Stories help us understand ourselves and empathize with others. Explore these lists featuring authors and characters who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, Two-spirit and more.
Sneak a peek at the new Mobile Library!
The Mobile Library is a custom RV that is the size of a band’s tour bus! It will bring library services to neighborhoods around Multnomah County. Along with space for storytimes and programs, the Mobile Library features bookshelves to browse, computer stations, wifi access, printers with scanning and faxing abilities, AC and heat.
Teens participate in designing new libraries
Since Multnomah County voters approved the Library Capital Bond in November 2020, the library has been hard at work with architecture firms to map out the design process for the construction and renovation of the Chapter One libraries. Throughout the process, the library and the firms have been meaningfully including teen voices with the help of two design programs.
Tech help
Assignment Alert
Form for teachers to ask for help from School Corps.
Research your family history
Research your family history with these popular resources.
Resources for LGBTQ+ youth and their families
Youth who identify as LGBTQ+ benefit from a caring network of family, friends and peers. Here are some organizations and resources that can help provide that support.
Juneteenth at the library: History and ways to celebrate with family
The first Juneteenth in Portland was led by Clara Peoples in 1945.
Every Child A Reader
Every Child A Reader builds on the American Library Association's Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library® initiative. This program helps families prepare their children to read by doing five daily practices: reading, talking, singing, writing and playing.
Know your rights as a worker
Wherever you work, you have rights under the law. These resources can help you learn about your rights as a worker and how to get help if you believe your rights are being violated.
Lunar New Year of the Cat and Rabbit
All across Asia, Lunar New Year is a time of appreciation, reflection and celebration with family and friends. At Multnomah County Library, Lunar New Year is a special time for fun and engaging library programs that share the history and traditions of this celebration with the local community.
About My MCL
My MCL is the library catalog where you can find library items and access e-books, online magazines, films and other online resources.
Frequently asked questions for vendors
FAQs for vendors for library capital building projects
History of Kwanzaa at North Portland Library
The North Portland Library has been participating in community-wide Kwanzaa celebrations since 2000. Educator and community leader Joyce Harris has been a staple for Kwanzaa in Portland since the early years of celebrations, dating back to the early 1970s in someone’s home.