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Multnomah County Library - Central
Rating Details »
Neighborhoods: Southwest Portland, Downtown
801 SW 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 988-5123
801 SW 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97205
(503) 988-5123
- Hours:
Mon. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Tue-Wed. 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Thu-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
31 reviews for Multnomah County Library - Central
4.5 really
but I am here now on a computer finally.
Its old and stately a bit like a few of employees. I am also old and stately BUT I move faster and without creaking.
Others were great to me. I like this old table and the ambience.
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I understand that this is the nice white library and all- but can we be a little less militant about the whole library is closing policy please? If it doesn't close for 19 minutes, then leave me the heck alone for the next 17.
I'm trying to use the free wi-fi, man, and you're spoiling my ability to enjoy my internet surf-age.
Chill out angry Central Library people, You're in the nicest building in the system. If you were in the one off Freemont (that's in NE, ladies and gentleman) THEN I could understand wanting to flee so frakking fast.
(FYI- Fremont's locale is the dingy hole in the wall filled to the brim with children, paradoxically lacking the presence of parents, and it shares the same lot as some monstrously pretentious ~whole foods~/or whatever).
I give this militant library one star out of sheer spite.
And I request that we fund the libraries on my side of the river just a tid bit more please.
Thanks in advance to the nobody that does not read this pointless post.
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Overheard at the library this weekend, "I couldn't continue my search in that corner because of a really bad odor. It's what they call, occupational hazard."
The library was toasty warm this weekend. I couldn't smell anything because of my cold, but I could feel the stuffiness and warmth. Cutting the heat would save the county funds and maybe then the odors would not be as strong. The library was crowded! Is there library expansions in the plan; if they isn't, it should be considered.
I like the library. I don't LOVE the library. I need to visit more, to see if I fall in love. Be prepared for the stairs, and a lot of them, because the floor heights are high. The librarians are helpful and plentiful. The catalogue is easy-to-use.
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Portland's central library is precisely what a library should look like in my mind; stately, stout, beautiful, and somewhat understated. It's quite a shame that many cities have knocked down their old central libraries to replace then with incredibly hideous monstrosities like in *cough* Se_ttle.
The greatest thing about a library system as large as Multnomah (the entire system, not just this branch), is their reservation system. From any computer, personal or library, you can request any book, audio book, CD of DVD and have it shipped to the branch closest to your house for pick up. It's like a free netflix! And their selection is amazing!
Although not my favorite, central is great. I think the biggest highlight is their zine selection. The Independent Publishing Resource Center, located down the road across from Powell's, curates it, and there is always a great selection.
Of course the library is beautiful, including the grand scale of the library, the architecture, details in the staircase, and the dark wooden shelves. A great spot to show off to your mother when she comes to visit.
My only critique, and I know this makes me into an insensitive asshole, is that on rainy and wintry days this branch does feel like a homeless shelter. Of course, this is an endemic problem of any library, especially in an urban environment, exacerbated by Portland's famous vagrant culture. It does make me enjoy the smaller, neighborhood branches a bit more.
This is a great branch, and a great spot to kill time downtown.
Call me spoiled, call me a snob, but the Multnomah County Library didn't do it for me.
I really, really wanted to like the library. Structurally I did. The staircase is undeniably beautiful. The portraits of past library chairmen were really cool. But for me, a library is only as great as it's collection.
I'm not saying this place didn't have its fair share of books -- new and old. That of course is pinnacle, but also expected. My love of libraries goes beyond the book selection. I haven't had a Blockbuster card for years because wherever I live the DVD selection at the local library does it for me. Los Angeles, CA or Whistler BC, it could take years for me to watch all the DVDs they had. Here, not so much. Not at all, really. The almost empty DVD cases boasted nothing I wanted to watch or wanted to watch again. Even the documentary section (which they store away from the 'entertainment' DVD section) had almost nothing to pique my interest. I got the Rufus Wainwright documentary, which I'm looking forward to watching, but...ya know. I don't think Rufus blew up a bridge or lead a country when he was a baby (maybe he did?).
Oh, and don't bother with their CD selection either. It's OK, but nothing like Whistler's, which serves about 5% of the population of Portland but has an infinitely more desirable collection of contemporary music.
I'm sure I will come to appreciate this library. Having just moved here I weeded out my personal collection of 'read' and 'read-not' and so have a good five months of reading on my hands before I have to check out a new book. Hopefully by that time a dear Yelper will enlighten me about a better branch?!
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I love libraries, and I love old buildings, but I don't necessarily think the two should go together. This place just isn't very functional for the 21st century library patron. Laptop users have to huddle in corners near copy machines or on benches in the lobby areas because few of the tables seem to have outlets available nearby. And there's nothing sadder than a guy trying to balance a computer on his lap and a wireless mouse on his thigh. Except, perhaps, the people waiting nearby for an available public computer to use.
Here's the thing: I believe deeply and to the core that the Internet should be free. But because it's usually not, I am always looking for a good wifi spot. I also love cavernous buildings with lots of room, ie not a cramped coffee shop. So the central library should be the perfect place for Portlanders to plug in and surf the web. But it's not.
The collection is fairly browsable, but I never realized how spoiled I was by Seattle's central library book spiral. Having six separate rooms of books is less than ideal. However, the children's library is awesome, and I love the tree sculpture there.
What is up with the lame self-checkout machines? It takes longer than just waiting in line.
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Beautiful! An out of town friend and I wandered into the library for a gander and spent awhile admiring the space. A kindly librarian told us that the library was remodeled in the 90's and it has held up well. She also told me she liked my shirt, so she has good taste.
Things to see if you go:
The marble staircase with words and plants engraved in it. It is breathtaking.
The tree in the children's library.
Look at the ends of the bookcases to your left in the children's library. Artists have made amusing and witty miniature scenes.
The women's bathroom (can't speak for the men's) has beautiful 3 dimensional floral tile.
Keep looking up, the lighting fixtures and glass work is amazing.
Those are just a few things that we found interesting and beautiful. We didn't like the carpet. The librarian said it was custom made, and I know, City of Roses, but it looked like granny carpet.
The library has a delightful gift shop, offers free internet access, and the environment is pleasant and peaceful.
If I lived in Multnomah County I can see coming to this library often. It's a little slice of bibliophile heaven.
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Remember talkboys?
I found mine... well, I found my talkgirl (a pink spin-off). I can't remember what possessed me to want such a device... the extendable microphone was cool, as well as the toggle switch to slow and speed up the recording with ha-ha-hilarious results. But that was pretty much all it did right? Other than that it was just a glorified clunky walkman that got taken away if spotted at recess.
But I'll be damned if I didn't think it was neatest thing around for a while. The great thing about gadgets is that they have their initial awesome period, then you loose them for 15 years, and then when you find them again they're still pretty cool.
That's the vibe I get at the central library. It's a bizarre literary world of new hip ideas and old standbys that we unavoidably return to. We each have a cycle of discovery and remembrance and how these link with others is truly fascinating. We're all at our own moments of literary appreciation, and yet our relationships and intrigue are similar whether diving into Jacques Lacan for the first time or flipping through Beatrix Potter for the thousandth. There's a driver in each of us that makes us think "wow... this is really something" even if you're not sure why.
I've found everything here, from references in any language I can think of to geological maps of undersea volcanoes that once erupted where Portland sits now. Current periodicals, legal documents, arts, humanities, sciences, travel also find home here.... all of which are kept up by a staff of friendly Portland book aficionados.
I love checking out the new arrivals, or digging through the architecture and art stacks once again. Flipping through a dog eared copy of a familiar title and going "ohhhh yeah! I remember now!!!" is always fun.
Obviously you won't find anything that can make your voice sound like the chipmunks or record your mom on the phone discussing gifts around Christmastime (how'd she always know I was there anyway?) but the Central Library fosters the rarest of things: ideas (old and new), and the people who stand behind them.
Time to pull out the mic and hit record.
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It was funny, for the longest time I had no idea the library was in fact a library. I thought it was some giant holding cell for.. well it doesn't matter. I'll just say zombies and some foamy mouth diseased was in my original thought.
Okay, review time. It's huge. Don't expect to go to this library without getting your heartbeat up, because it will. There are many giant flights of stairs to climb to get to your knowledge.. woah that should totally be a philosophical statement!
The outside is usually strewn with homeless people, but it's not so bad. Mostly just post and pre punk teenagers smoking cigarettes.
The inside is glorious, like walking into a piece of art. In fact I'm pretty sure I heard violins when I walked in...
There's free internet, lots of books and plenty of room to sprawl out and study. If you do check out- don't turn them in late, otherwise you pay the fee. Luckily you can go online and renew up to two times, so if your in a time crunch, there you go!
Last hint: For the busy body, utilize the online system. Find the books you want, place them on hold. You'll get an email reminder, go pick them up. It's shopping online for books, for absolutely NO cost.
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My wallet contains 5 different library cards.
My sister is a librarian, and will get me anything I want.
Cost: Free.
I like the library.
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This is a gem of a library and worth every accolade. A handsome, open, inviting, beautifully restored building that is as modern as it is welcoming. I've visited before but spent quite a bit of time today enjoying the periodicals collection [reading the National Post and Guardian Weekly] while trying to imagine what the city would be like without such a well-stocked and staffed resource.
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This library location rivals the rest of Multnomah County. It's what all libraries should look and feel like. The gigantic staircases that lead you to the next level are awe-inspiring, the computer areas are actually quiet and not gag-inducing, and the staff are quick and friendly.
And they have U-scan checkout-- quite possibly the best invention since sliced bread (and self-checkout kiosks).
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This is a beautiful library. I'd go see it if I was a tourist. Just stunning inside. Free internet and all the current magazines. Really well done and run.
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I will add another 5 star review to this jewel of governmental competence. It's a labyrinth that rivals Powells - full of marble steps and volumes upon volumes that beg for more time than you are willing to give. Whether you go with a list or just to browse, it's like Costco: you always come out with more than you bargained for. But at the library, there is no spenders-regret! Just enjoy and return. Can we stop to recognize the brilliance in this?
Recently playing piano for a friend's wedding, I got lost in the vast collection of sheet music - while my friend indulged his guilty pleasure of all things science and fiction: settling on something that involved more dragons and spaceships than I could digest.
Granted, the librarian was a bit confused by the final selection of Debussy sheet music, a cook book, an economic strategy text by Porter, and the glossy covered 'Wizard of Earthsea'. But what can he expect from a selection so vast?
All of your guilty pleasures in one place for FREE! (well, most of your guilty pleasures...)
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A Multnomah County Library card is the key to this city, so get one first thing upon moving to Portland. Next, cherish it and use it often. The Multnomah County Library system is one of the most loved library networks in the country. It seems I'm not the only one who is enamored with their book selection and their incredibly extensive CD and DVD collection. (The audio-visual component is great for us broke 20-somethings. Go browse at Powells, Jackpot, and Movie Madness, for those great books, CDs and DVDs and quickly go put a hold on those titles at the library). While some particularly popular titles do demand a long hold period, there is enough selection to last you a great deal of time.
A few tips: Program the reference line number (503) 988-5234 into your phone--it's a great resource for resolving trivia disputes.
For a personalized and well though out book recommendation list, click on the Ask Us button and write them a note explaining the books (authors and titles are helpful!) that you most love to read. They will email you back with an impressively detailed and valuable list of things you might like.
If you work for a school, get an educator card. Just bring your pay stub to the desk and they'll give you the Multnomah County Gold Card--it buys you a much longer stamp and unlimited holds.
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Libraries: The medicine chest of the soul.
Forget Powell's. Just a few blocks away sits one of the best libraries you're going to find.
Books. Magazines. Internet access. CDs. DVDs. Multnomah has just about everything you could desire, and if they don't, just request it. They are amazingly receptive to requests for materials (except for porn).
The librarians here are incredibly knowledgeable. Mine knew about the clauses in the PATRIOT act that allow the government to secretly request and obtain your library records AND they even had a plan to deal with it (Multnomah periodically erases your library record). Multnomah actually turned down federal funding so that they could maintain unfiltered internet access. Mmmm. Intellectual freedom.
For extra super fun, check out the displays on the third floor or run amuck in the rare book room.
--- Hours for the downtown location ---
Sun: 12 - 5
Mon: 10 - 6
Tues: 10 - 8
Wed: 10 - 8
Thurs: 10 - 6
Fri: 10 - 6
Sat: 10 - 6
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Neil Diamond thinks this Portland Library is "da bomb"
Everything from the wonderful architecture, to the hobos smoking crack outside on the benches, this library has a distinct charm you can't find in just any library
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Is it possible to give something a 10+ on Yelp?
How bout a 43?
Multnomah County is consistently ranked in the top libraries in the country for many reasons. I'm glad they are. They have found a way to make it easy for anyone to get materials they need.
Need something? Got a phone? Got an internets connection? Got feet? Got a mouth? You can get it. Don't got feet? You can still get it!(they can send it to you)
Of anything that I think is the most useful thing in Portland, this is it. They have rarely let me down on a book or cd or magazine that they may not have. They rival Amazon in sheer volume and possibly even beat them on finding some obscure items.
Rock on MultCo Library! Rock on.
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The architecture is just so beautiful - I can't even accurately describe it. Kind of art deco, beautiful wide staircase, plenty of natural light. The shelves are very well-maintained, but I am not even a card-carrying library card carrier, so I haven't perused the books much.
I would just recommend it based solely on the beauty of the building.
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In addition to having a lovely physical presence, the Multnomah County Library has a fantastic web site, in which one can search for and put a hold on any book in the system. How great is that? Now I can hang out in the children's section with my toddler and still come home with a stack of grownup books. Bliss.
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I love all libraries. There is something magical about being surrounded by so many books and people who love books. The Central Library is one of the most enchanting. Built in 1913, this beautiful library was refurbished a few years ago. If nothing else, you really should check out the obsidian staircase, with carvings and hidden pictures throughout.
They have a great children's library with a reading room for stories. The third floor (arts and culture section) has rotating exhibits about books and other interesting subjects. They also have live music here (usually classical).
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Public libraries rock, this one more than most. A fantastic flagship building for an incredible county system!
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I'm not as much of a library user as I should be (I tend to just buy books instead of checking them out). And when I do check out books, I tend to just use the Multnomah County Library website to place holds, then have them delivered to my local branch. Seriously -- not that I don't enjoy wandering around the library looking for books, but I can't get over how completely awesome that is. (Homebound patrons can even have books mailed to them.) Note also that the Multnomah County Library allows patrons to renew books online. Again, nice and user-friendly, especially when the user in question is a lazy, lazy person like yours truly.
But for those occasions when it's necessary to make the hike downtown (or for when, you know, I just feel like it), I've found it's very much worth the trip to check out the central library downtown. A nice large children's reading room named for the awesome Beverly Cleary, several special collections, and a huge periodicals room...yes, I could stand to spend a lot more time in the central library.
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Library offers so many good freebies
This is by far the best library that I've taken advantage of in my life. Sure, they have lots of great books and quiet space to have a good read but it's the extra items they carry that get major kudos. My friend and I virtually planned our whole European adventure here by renting Rick Steves' books and videos. Even the stuff that was already rented didn't take long to get on the waiting list. The videos of the countries were awesome because we could see where we were wanted to go or could pass on. Best of all, it was all free.
Tip: Parking is a pain around here, so take the streetcar.
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I love libraries. I live in the city with the best library I've ever seen. Which is the only reason I can't give 5 stars to Portland's. It is a gem, gorgeous and expansive. It is architecturally pleasing, and the collections are more than ample as well. The graphic novels deserve a special mention, as Multnomah seems to have put special effort forth in acquiring a substantial and diverse collection of these oft overlooked documents. The multimedia selection is also top notch, though you are best off using the online queue system to request your DVDs and CDs, since the collection is dispersed among the neighborhood branches. Man I love the online system though. Multnomah's is famously excellent in terms of navigability and ease in actually finding the things you want to find. But I digress. The library itself is awesome- beautiful, peaceful and a haven for information. Ok, I'm giving it 5 stars now. It's still not as good as Boston's, but it is damn fine.
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Wow. i can not think of a book that is not in this library!! if you need a book and do not want to buy it then this is the place to go!
Love this place. Where else can I borrow books for free and it's right in downtown Portland. The building itself is a wonderful piece. This is my library.
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Such a neat, interesting building! It looks so formidable, the people that work there are all so nice, as well! I love it!
I've always felt at home in libraries, and Central is no exception. I used to walk past it every day on the way to work and I loved looking over the architecture and the names (explorers, composers, authors, philosophers) carved into the stone. Their homeless population is part and parcel of the Central Library experience. I think it's admirable that these unfortunates are accepted there, as long as they're not disruptive (in some way or another), considering that other less liberal libraries might just turn them away automatically. There's few things I love more than huge aisles filled with books, peace, and quiet. And I believe that for the most part, it's treated with the reverence that it deserves. It's a temple, it's a sanctuary, it's a mecca, it's where I saw a grizzled man in his 60's reading a collection of Aimee Bender short stories, it's the setting I'd chose for a hypothetical "I Saw You..." ad, identifying me, and it serves to dissipate office-induced stress.
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I've used and abused this library as much as some of my former friends have heroin. I've sat hunched over the keyboards drunk off my ass, teaching myself HTML and style sheets by using multiple library accounts; I've been excluded from the library for doing just that; I still get scowled at by a librarian I used to shamelessly hit on years ago, again usually wasted; I've lost tons of books and paid Croesus' treasury in fines from having lost books while hitch-hiking to and from Eugene and Seattle with a pack of traveling punk rockers; I've recommended and gotten a couple books on their shelves. This library is absolutely gorgeous, the library staff very helpful to people who aren't wasted and trying to sleep with them, workshops and guest speakers appear multiple times during the week, artwork is regularly featured on the third floor, as is music played by live performers, and it's part of a library system that has one of the largest public book collections in the nation! No thanks to me, of course. Now, if people would just turn their fucking cell phones off or on silent when they visited the place, all would be nigh perfect.
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