Collection Development Manual > Libraries & Collections

Central Library

Scope of collection

Central Library, located in downtown Portland, opened in 1913 and is a National Historic Landmark. In 1997, the extensive awarding-winning $24.6 million renovation of Central Library was completed. Central Library acts as the resource and referral center for the library system.

On an average day, several thousand people of all ages and interests come to Central Library to check out materials from its collection of books, audio and video materials; to tap its vast resources of periodicals and reference materials; and to see the ever-changing exhibits and participate in educational programs that make Central Library one of Oregon's premier cultural institutions.

In addition to offering basic, expanded, and resource collections, customers visiting Central Library can expect to find:

highly trained reference staff to interpret and direct the information needs of customers
centralized reference services, such as document delivery, that efficiently and effectively distribute information to branches and to individuals
an in-depth collection of general interest, popular periodicals in print and other formats, including historical coverage
sufficient to meet the diverse needs of the Library's users system-wide
access to specialized periodicals and databases
a large number of titles that are unique to Central Library's collection
special collections that meet identified system-wide or community needs

The following are in-depth descriptions of Central Library Subject Collections and the development guidelines for those collections, including alternate format