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

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.

The library partners with Ooligan Press to publish one Library Writers Project book a year in print. This year, author Kristin Burchell, worked with Ooligan Press on the publication of her book Court of Venom.

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.”

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 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.

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.

The 2023 national theme for Black History Month is “Black Resistance,” in recognition of the historic and ongoing oppression that Black and African American people have resisted.

To support Chinese as one of its primary service languages, the library offers a robust Chinese language collection and culturally relevant services and resources.

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.

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.

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.

In 2021 the library formed an Indigenous team to provide better representation of Indigenous people in the library. The Indigenous team strives to offer multi-generational programs and better access to resources. They also create displays that value elders, youth, storytelling, tradition and activism.

The granddaughter of the Chief of Celilo Falls, Linda Meanus is a beloved Native American Elder from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, an author and educator.

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