Oregon State Library
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Oregon State Library in Salem, is the library for the U.S. state of Oregon. The mission of the Oregon State Library is to provide quality information services to Oregon state government, provide reading materials to blind and print-disabled Oregonians, and provide leadership, grants, and other assistance to improve local library service for all Oregonians.
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 came to Oregon from the Wisconsin Free Library Commission to become 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. In 1969 the Library took over talking book and Braille library services for blind and print-disabled Oregonians from the Multnomah County Library in Portland.
Today the Oregon State Library provides information services to over 37,000 state government employees. The State Library also circulates library materials in cassette and Braille format to approximately 7,000 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.
Since its founding, the State Library has been governed by an independent Board of Trustees. The present board consists of seven citizens from throughout the state who are appointed by the governor to serve four-year terms.
The historic State Library Building, located at 250 Winter Street NE, 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 1990's.
The Reference Room on the second floor of the Library contains the most comprehensive collection of family history research materials in the state, provided through a partnership between the Library and the Willamette Valley Genealogical Society. Members of the Society are available to assist with family history research. The Reference Room is open Monday through Friday, every week from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
