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Oakland Public Library history
Oakland Public Library company history timeline
The Oakland Free Library opened to the public as a municipal entity November 7, 1878.
It was the second public library founded in California (after Eureka) under the Rogers Free Library Act of 1878, an act of legislation allowing cities to levy taxes for the support of public libraries.
The precursors of our modern branches began in 1878 with Reading Rooms in West and East Oakland under the sponsorship of the Oakland Free Library.
First branch library, the West Oakland Reading Room, is established, 1878
The Rogers Free Library Act of 1878 allowed California cities to levy taxes for the support of public libraries for the first time.
Coolbrith's nephew Henry Frank Peterson replaced Coolbrith in 1892, greatly expanding the library's circulation as well as improving accessibility by completing a card catalog system.
In 1893 Coolbrith was succeeded by her first assistant (and her nephew), Henry F. Peterson, in spite of protest from the community.
Hired by Henry F. Peterson in 1895, Bamford established Oakland's first reference collection.
Peterson hired Frederick Irons Bamford, the city's first reference librarian, in 1895.
Golden Gate Branch Library is established, 1899
In 1902 the original Main Library building was replaced by the magnificent Carnegie-funded library building at 14th Street and Grove (now Martin Luther King, Jr.
Oakland hosts the first meeting of the California Library Association, 1903
Telephonic reference was established in 1911.
Piedmont Branch Library is established, 1912
The Oakland City Hall collection consists of photographs of the city’s city halls, including plans for and construction of the fifth and current city hall, built in 1914.
Dimond Branch Library is established, 1915
Melrose Branch Library occupies its current Carnegie-endowed building, 1916
Oakland Public Library participates in a book drive for soldiers during WWI, 1917
Golden Gate Branch Library occupies its current Carnegie-endowed building, 1918
Rockridge Branch Library is established, 1919
Librarian Mabel Thomas starts the California Collection (later the California Room) at the Main Library, 1921
Montclair Branch Library is established, 1930
Oakland voters reject a bond proposition to fund construction of a new Main Library, 1933
Eastmont Branch Library is established, 1945
Bond measure passed to finance construction of a new Main Library and new buildings to house the Elmhurst and Lakeview branch libraries, 1945
Friends of the Oakland Public Library is formed, 1950
The California Room (now the Oakland History Center) is founded, 1951
Brookfield Branch Library is established, 1957
Bookmobile service began in 1965.
Bookmobile service begins, 1965
The César E. Chávez Branch Library, formerly the Latin American Library Branch, was founded in 1966.
Branch is established, 1970
Project Outreach to serve senior citizens is established, 1973
Specialized services to Oakland's Asian community began in 1975, when the Asian Branch Library was founded as part of a Federal Library Services Construction Act grant to create a model library serving the Asian community in Oakland with multilingual staff and collections.
Asian Branch Library is established, 1976
Oakland Public Library celebrates its centennial, 1978
Oakland Public Library Association is formed, 1978
Cityline is established, 1978
The California Room becomes the Oakland History Room, narrowing its focus to East Bay history, 1978
American Indian Library Service is established, 1979
Dimond Branch Library moves to its current location, 1980
Second Start Adult Literacy project began in 1984
Martín J. Gomez is appointed Director of Library Services, 1990
The African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO) is created, 1994
PASS! (Partners Achieving School Success) homework centers are launched, 1994
As part of the Oakland Chinatown Redevelopment Project, the current location of the Asian Branch Library in the Pacific Renaissance Plaza opened to the public in 1995.
Oakland Public Library Foundation is incorporated, 1995
Oakland Public Library begins providing Internet access to the public, 1995
Books for Wider Horizons, a partnership with the City's Head Start program, is launched, 1995
Business Information Center is established, 1995
Billy Dancy is appointed as Director of Library Services, 1996
Oakland voters approve Measure I, a general obligation bond, which includes funding to seismically retrofit several Carnegie libraries, 1996
Cityline began in 1997 as a partnership between the library and Volunteers for Oakland.
Library begins extended services for patrons with disabilities, 1997
First teenaged member, Esther Fuentes-Garcia, appointed to the Oakland Public Library Commission, 1997
Cityline is transformed into the Oaklanders' Assistance Center and becomes part of the Mayor's Office 1999
Temescal Tool Lending Library opened in 1999 in the Temescal Branch Library
Renovation and expansion of Montclair Branch Library's Children Room completed, 1999
Books in electronic format (e-books) are offered via the Internet, 2001
Formerly housed in the Golden Gate Branch Library, AAMLO moved into the renovated Charles S. Greene building in 2002.
Reference service via electronic mail and live chat begins, 2002
Oakland Public Library celebrates its 125th anniversary, 2003
The branch opened at its current site in the Fruitvale Transit Village in February 2004.
First digitized materials from the Oakland History Center are made available online, 2006
81st Avenue Branch Library opens, 2011
Toy lending begins, 2015
Renovation of Dimond Branch Library completed, 2017
Voters approve the Oakland Public Library Preservation Act (Measure D), leading to expansion of library hours, 2018
Melrose, Golden Gate, and Temescal Branches celebrate their 100th birthdays, 2018
Former Miller Avenue Branch building destroyed by fire, 2018
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Oakland Public Library competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trenton Public Library | - | $1.4M | 18 | - |
| Bartow County Library System | - | $3.0M | 10 | - |
| Ann Arbor District Library | 1957 | $16.1M | 350 | 3 |
| Westlink Branch Library | 1987 | $41.0M | 150 | - |
| California State University, East Bay | 1957 | $10.7M | 200 | - |
| Los Angeles Public Library | 1872 | $49.9M | 930 | - |
| Berkeley Public Library | - | $3.2M | 46 | - |
| Denver Public Library | 1889 | $230.0M | 750 | - |
| SF Public Library | 1878 | $38.0M | 503 | - |
| Fresno County Public Library | - | $1.0M | 5 | - |
Oakland Public Library history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Oakland Public Library, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Oakland Public Library. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Oakland Public Library. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Oakland Public Library. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Oakland Public Library and its employees or that of Zippia.
Oakland Public Library may also be known as or be related to City of Oakland and Oakland Public Library.