The State Library of Oregon in
Salem, is the library for the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. The mission of the State Library of Oregon is to provide leadership and resources to continue growing vibrant library services for Oregonians with print disabilities, the Legislature and state government, and all Oregonians through local libraries.
History
The Territorial Library was first housed in the Territorial Capitol Building that burned in 1855 with most of the library collection lost to the fire.
[''First State House''. Oregon State Capitol, R HMC-1111 ( Salem Public Library)]
The Oregon State Library was established as the Oregon Library Commission in 1905. The original mission of the Library was to establish public and school libraries throughout Oregon.
Cornelia Marvin
Cornelia Marvin Pierce (December 26, 1873 – February 12, 1957) was an American librarian, originally from Iowa. She moved to Oregon in 1905 to become the first director of the Oregon Library Commission and, later, the first Oregon State Librar ...
came to Oregon from the Wisconsin Free Library Commission to direct the commission, and later became the first State Librarian. Soon the State Library was also providing information to state government agencies and collecting and preserving the publications of state agencies.
Prior to the completion of a stand-alone building in 1939, the state library was located in the basement and first floor of the
Oregon Supreme Court Building.
[OSB Bulletin Magazine: June 2003]
/ref> This building and the Oregon State Capitol were connected by tunnels used for heating and electricity. The fire that destroyed the capitol in 1935 also caused damage to the library collections, when the water used to fight the fire drained into the basement.[
In 1969 the Library took over Talking Book and ]Braille
Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are Blindness, blind, Deafblindness, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on Paper embossing, embossed paper ...
library services for blind and print-disabled Oregonians from the Multnomah County Library
Multnomah County Library is the public library system serving Portland and Multnomah County, Oregon, United States. A continuation of the Library Association of Portland, established in 1864, the system now has 19 branches offering books, magaz ...
in Portland
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
.
Operations
Today the State Library provides information services to over 37,000 state government employees, circulates library materials in audio and Braille format to over 5,000 blind and print-disabled Oregonians, and provides grants and assistance to help develop and improve local library services and to foster greater cooperation among all of Oregon's libraries. The library is also a regional depository for the Federal Depository Library Program
The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) is a government program created to make U.S. federal government publications available to the public at no cost. As of April 2021, there are 1,114 depository libraries in the United States and its ter ...
.
Since its founding, the State Library has been governed by an independent board. The present State Library Board consists of nine members from throughout the state who are appointed by the governor
A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
and confirmed by the senate to serve four-year terms.
Building
The historic State Library Building, located in downtown Salem, was dedicated in 1939. It was the first building to be constructed on what is today known as the Capitol Mall, and was completed only two years after the dedication of the Oregon State Capitol in 1937. The State Library Building was extensively renovated in the 1990s. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 2022.
See also
* Mark O. Hatfield Library
* Parish L. Willis
References
External links
Salem Online History: State LibraryOregon Geology: Library renovation
*
*
State Library of Oregon -- Contact Us
{{Authority control
1905 establishments in Oregon
Buildings and structures in Salem, Oregon
Culture of Salem, Oregon
Federal depository libraries
Government agencies established in 1905
Libraries in Oregon
Library buildings completed in 1939
Library, Oregon State
State libraries of the United States
Works Progress Administration in Oregon
Libraries established in 1905
National Register of Historic Places in Marion County, Oregon