{"id":133988,"date":"2026-01-15T01:22:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T01:22:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/133988\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T01:22:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T01:22:13","slug":"the-oakland-public-librarys-main-branch-turns-75","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/133988\/","title":{"rendered":"The Oakland Public Library’s main branch turns 75!"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is fitting that the colorful piece of art adorning the front entrance of the Oakland Public Library Main Branch<\/a> is a mural by the late artist Ed Cassel<\/a> titled \u201cGateway to Knowledge.\u201d<\/a> Inside the branch, which turns 75 this year, visitors can find over 350,000 books, as well as magazines, newspapers, maps, and historical archives.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The branch is also home to the Oakland History Center<\/a>, and a teen zone<\/a>, an area dedicated solely to teenagers \u2014 no grownups allowed \u2014 stocked with books, comics, video games, beanbags, and spots to do research.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In other words, the place is a bibliophile\u2019s dream.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Top, the dedication of the Oakland Main Library on Jan. 7, 1951; bottom, the library today. Credit: top, courtesy Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Center; bottom, Amir Aziz\/The Oaklandside<\/p>\n

The original main branch opened in 1878 at 14th Street and San Pablo Avenue. Although, according to librarian Emily Foster<\/a>, this was the year it became a taxpayer-funded institution open to all residents. Prior to that year, there were libraries in Oakland open only to dues-paying members. The main branch then moved to the spot where City Hall is now. In 1902, it was replaced by a Carnegie-funded library building<\/a> on 14th Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Way, which is now home to the African American Museum & Library<\/a>. That building was the main branch\u2019s home until 1950.\u00a0<\/p>\n

On Jan. 7, 1951, then-California governor Earl Warren presided over the unveiling of the new building at its current location. On the day of the dedication, Warren said, \u201cThe library would serve through generations.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Oakland public library main branch<\/p>\n

Main Branch 75th Birthday Celebration
When: Saturday, Jan. 24, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: 125 14th St.<\/p>\n

The Oaklandside asked the staff at the main branch what they are currently reading. <\/p>\n

Tyler Gilmore: \u201cAfterparties,\u201d by Anthony Veasna So<\/p>\n

Camille Peters: \u201cThe Book of Love,\u201d by Kelly Link<\/p>\n

Mana Tominaga: \u201cStarry Field: A Memoir of Lost History,\u201d by Margaret Juhae Lee (who\u2019s giving an author talk at the Main Library on Thursday, May 14)<\/p>\n

Amanda Lawrence: \u201cGirls Girls Girls,\u201d by Shoshana von Blanckensee<\/p>\n

Miriam Medow: \u201cLord of the Butterflies,\u201d by Andrea Gibson<\/p>\n

Remy Timbrook: \u201cSociopath,\u201d by Patric Gagne<\/p>\n

Ian Hetzner: \u201cA Song for Everyone: The Story of Creedence Clearwater Revival,\u201d by John Lingan<\/p>\n

Emily Foster: \u201cThe Food of a Younger Land: a Portrait of American Food Before the National Highway System, Before Chain Restaurants, and Before Frozen Food, When the Nation\u2019s Food Was Seasonal, Regional, and Traditional \u2014 From the Lost WPA Files,\u201d by Mark Kurlansky<\/p>\n

The new building opened at a time when the United States<\/a> had a booming economy \u2014\u00a0 prosperity that wasn\u2019t shared by all, sparking the fight for Civil Rights.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The new building cost $1.5 million, the equivalent of around $20 million today.<\/p>\n

To celebrate this milestone, the library will host a birthday celebration on Saturday, Jan. 24, starting at 11 a.m.<\/a> The staff is inviting community members to dress in their best 1950s attire and to share their personal memories of the branch.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The birthday celebration will include a ceremonial cake cutting and 1951 trivia and costume contests. Visitors will also have the opportunity to check out an exhibit on the history of the Main Library<\/a> on the 2nd floor, which extends into the Oakland History Center.<\/p>\n

In early 2024, the main branch raised $4.2 million from various sources, and the City of Oakland provided matching funds through Measures KK and U, to fund renovations of the building.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During a six-month closure in 2024, several repairs were completed<\/a>, including infrastructure upgrades, a new roof, skylight repair, critical electrical system upgrades, lighting and flooring improvements, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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