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Located in North Portland in a historically Black neighborhood, Albina Library has been a beloved part of the community.

Attend fun multilingual events for all ages

Thanks to the support of Multnomah County voters in 2020, Multnomah County Library is making history with major transformations. Learn more about the library’s building projects and explore the library’s history in more detail through the Oregon Encyclopedia’s entry for the Library Association of Portland.

Portland’s historic Central Library in downtown first opened in September 1913. The original architects were Doyle, Patterson & Beach. Notable features throughout the library include; the bronze tree in the Children’s Library by Dana Lynn Louis and Barbara Eisworth, the black granite grand staircase and the massive light fixture in the second floor by Larry Kirkland, and the John Wilson room.

Belmont Library has served its Southeast Portland neighborhood since 1924, when community leaders raised funds by public subscription. This was the first time in Portland that a community had built its own neighborhood library and presented it to the association debt-free. The original architect was Jamieson Parker Architects.

Northwest Library opened in 2001 in a 5,000 square foot space in a historic Northwest Portland building that was previously home to a pharmacy, a potter's workshop, a winery and café. Thanks to the 2020 voter approved library bond, the Multnomah County Library Capital Bond Program purchased a new, permanent site in Northwest Portland for a larger Northwest Library. The library will relocate once renovations are complete.

The 6,000 square foot Troutdale Library building is located in the Cherry Park Market Center. The library opened in 2010 and was constructed with Forest Stewardship Council-certified Douglas fir ceiling and wall panels. It has eco-friendly paint, carpet and furniture, and other sustainable features.

North Portland Library began as the North Albina Reading Room in 1909. The Jacobethan-style library was built in 1913 and renovated in 1999. The original architect was Joseph Jacobberger and Alfred H. Smith Architects.

Rockwood Library has been serving east Multnomah County since its construction in 1963. The original library building was 5,724 square feet. In 1999, the building was renovated and expanded to 6,435 square feet. The original architects were Stewart, Richardson, Allen and McMath.

Built in 1990 and renovated in 1998, today's Gresham Library replaced a small brick building that had become far too small for Oregon's fourth largest city.

The library serves residents of Gresham, Troutdale, Wood Village, Fairview, Corbett and other East County communities. The original architect was SERA Architects P.C.

Hollywood Library has been serving its Northeast Portland community since 1917, although not always called by the same name nor located in the same spot.

Since it opened in 1958, Midland Library has been one of the busiest libraries in Multnomah County. To meet the demand, the building underwent several renovations to expand its space.

The current Woodstock Library building of 7,500 sq. ft. opened in 2000, replacing a smaller library on the same site. The library building received numerous awards for its elegant and functional design, including a national honor from the American Institute of Architects and the American Library Association.