The Rockwood Library is a branch of the

Multnomah County Library Multnomah County Library is the public library system serving Portland, Oregon, Portland and Multnomah County, Oregon, United States. A continuation of the Library Association of Portland, established in 1864, the system now has 19 branches offer ...

, located in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. The branch offers the Multnomah County Library catalog of two million books, periodicals and other materials. The library also features a 30-person capacity meeting room for hosting community events at no charge on a first come, first served basis.

History

In 1961 the Library Association of Portland (LAP) examined library use compared to population demographics and recommended the construction of five additional branch buildings. Three buildings would consolidate six "inefficient" branches and one would replace an existing but outdated structure. The Rockwood Library was the only new building in the proposal that would not replace another branch. The LAP announced the purchase of a building site in April 1962. According to the LAP's 1962–63 annual report, "The Rockwood Branch, located about halfway between the Midland and Gresham branches, will serve a growing area with a population of over 20,000, a high percentage of which are children." The building was designed by Stewart, Richardson, Allen and McMath; Neilson Construction and Investment Company served as the contractor. The Rockwood Library was dedicated on April 10, 1963. The building housed a new collection of 12,000 books with the capacity to hold 20,000 volumes. Helen Gorder became the branch's first librarian. A reading center was established at the library in the late 1980s, to serve the needs of illiterate adults learning to read. The center was funded by a grant from the Library Services and Construction Act, which also paid for a reading center at the Central Library in downtown Portland. Rockwood was selected due to its proximity to the Mt. Hood Literacy Coalition Group, connected with

Mt. Hood Community College Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) is a public community college in Gresham, Oregon, United States, named after Mount Hood. Opened in 1966, MHCC enrolls around 30,000 students each year and offers classes at the main campus in Gresham, as well as ...

and the

Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

. In 1999 the branch underwent renovation and expansion, opening on September 14 with and the capacity to hold 30,000 volumes. Renovations were designed by Thomas Hacker and Associates; contract work was provided by Andersen Construction Co., Inc. In 2008, the library was reported to have about a dozen volunteers, many fluent in Spanish and Russian, available to assist library patrons. As of 2010, the library had about 10 tables and 15 computers. That year, Rockwood was the 12th library in the Multnomah County system to implement a new

RFID Radio-frequency identification (RFID) uses electromagnetic fields to automatically identify and track tags attached to objects. An RFID system consists of a tiny radio transponder called a tag, a radio receiver, and a transmitter. When tri ...

-based self-checkout system designed to reduce costs and theft of library materials.

Community role

Over the years the library has hosted numerous activities, including computer classes,

ESL English as a second or foreign language refers to the use of English by individuals whose native language is different, commonly among students learning to speak and write English. Variably known as English as a foreign language (EFL), Engli ...

classes, finance education classes, knitting groups, language exchange programs, and Spanish-speaking book clubs. The library has also been called a "safe and dry to hang out" space for teens. A majority of the staff members are bilingual. Rockwood Library features Spanish and Russian literature. In 2011, ''

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the West Coast of the United States, U.S. West Coast, founded as a weekly by Tho ...

'' reported that nearly 800 items are circulated by 600 people visiting the library daily. The newspaper also reported the library had a budget of $804,477.

References

External links

Gallery: The Changing Role of Modern Libraries
''The Oregonian'' (2010)
Rockwood Library
Multnomah County Library {{Authority control 1963 establishments in Oregon Libraries in Portland, Oregon Library buildings completed in 1963 Multnomah County Library Libraries established in 1963 Southeast Portland, Oregon