Contra Costa County Library

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The Orinda Library.

Contra Costa County Library is a large public library that is part of Contra Costa County, California with over 400,000 cardholders and approximately 5 million items borrowed annually. The use of the Contra Costa County Library increases in the age of the Internet and in the year 2005-2006, there were 411,403 online subscription database searches, 613,937 items renewed online, 685,608 holds placed using the online catalog, 4,929,783 materials circulated, 33,697 eBooks circulated, and 149,884 program attendees.

1 History
2 Locations of the Contra Costa County Library
3 Strategic Plan
4 Collections
5 Library Card
6 Technology
7 Business Connection
8 Project Second Chance
9 External Links

[edit] History

Founded in 1913, the Contra Costa County Library brought a commitment to widespread, county-wide service. Prior to this time, libraries for the public included the Martinez Free Reading Room and Library Association established in 1896 and the Richmond Public Library established in 1909.

By the 1920s, there were over 40 branches and the Contra Costa County Library also provided service to 64 public schools. During the years following World War II, the Library began to reflect the newly developing suburban nature of the county it served. In the mid-1950’s, the Library began an ambitious program to construct much larger branch buildings. This eventually led to the construction of most of the buildings that the Library uses today. Between 1958 and 1974, 15 of the 21 library buildings now in use were opened. Among these were the County’s first central library and the adjacent administrative and technical services center, which opened in 1961. At the present time, there are 25 community libraries with the Web site or “Virtual library” considered the 26th location.

Current library construction projects are underway in the following communities: the Lafayette Libraryand Learning Center,considered the largest civic project in the history of Lafayette, CA, and Walnut Creek's New Downtown Library Project.

[edit] Locations of the Contra Costa County Library

There are 25 community library locations serving specific cities or communities in the County with a wide range of collections for library users of all ages. These locations are Antioch, Bay Point, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Crockett, Danville, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Hercules, Kensington, Lafayette, Martinez, Moraga, Oakley, Orinda, Pinole, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Rodeo, San Pablo, San Ramon & Dougherty Station, and Walnut Creek Downtown & Ygnacio Valley.

[edit] Strategic Plan

Over the last two years, Contra Costa County Library staff and the Library Commission have worked with library consultant Joan Frye Williams to conduct an in-depth strategic planning process. After considering all of the information gathered, the Library identified 4 top strategic priorities (reading, life-long learning, collaboration, and branding), proposed a new organizational model, and developed new service approaches to customer service, reference service, collection development, staff development and innovation.

[edit] Collections

Current, high-demand, and high-interest materials in a variety of formats for all ages and languages are offered. The Contra Costa County Library provides appropriate, accurate, and diverse physical collections complimented by a wide-variety of electronic resources that give customers instant access to a multitude of full-text magazine and newspaper articles, reference resources, book recommendations and discussion guides, practice exams, online tutoring, and much more!

[edit] Library Card

The Contra Costa County Library card is free and may be obtained by visiting any library location. Contra Costa County residents who do not have a library card may apply for an e-Card online to begin using the virtual services from outside the library.

[edit] Technology

Wireless (wi-fi) “hotspots” have been created in all Contra Costa County Library locations. This free service allows the public to use their laptop computers to connect to the Internet in the library. The following news feeds (RSS) are available: Library News, Friends of the Library Book Sales, and Library Jobs.

[edit] Business Connection

The purpose of the Contra Costa County Library’s Business Connection Web site is to help local entrepreneurs and the small business communities connect more easily with the information they need and with each other. The site includes a business calendar where individuals and organizations are welcome to post their upcoming events.

[edit] Project Second Chance

Project Second Chance (PSC), the Contra Costa County Library Adult Literacy Program, was founded in 1984. PSC offers free, confidential, one-on-one basic literacy instruction to adults. Since it began, the program has helped more than 4,000 people improve their reading, writing, and spelling skills. Tutoring is done by trained volunteers who meet with their students twice a week providing customized, personal lessons.