Hillsboro Public Library
Encyclopedia
The Hillsboro Public Library is a two-location public library
system in Hillsboro, Oregon
, United States
. First opened in 1914 in a Carnegie library
building, the system provides services to a population area of 157,000 people. As of 2004, the system had a usage of 674,000 visits per year. One library is located near downtown in Shute Park
, with the other newer location in the central portion of the city near the airport
. Circulation exceeds 1.75 million per year, and the system has over 59,000 registered users. As of 2008, the director of the library is Mike Smith.
was dedicated. This was one of 2,500 plus libraries built by money donated by Andrew Carnegie
around the world, and the only public one in Washington County, Oregon
(the Carnegie Library at Pacific University
was a private, academic library). The land at Northeast Second and Lincoln Streets where the library was built, was also donated to the city. Designed by architect Ernest Kroner, the $10,000 building was constructed by the firm Book & Engeldinger.
In 1925, the library had a circulation 19,445 and a total of 4,855 volumes. Total fines charged that year were $92.28, while expenses totaled about $250 for the year to maintain the grounds, pay for heating, and pay for water and electricity. The Friends of the Library group was started on February 6, 1968. In May 1971, this group began campaigning for a new library building, including paying some of the early costs for designs, with voters later approving a bond measure to pay for the new facility. On January 21, 1975, a new library opened to replace the Carnegie building, located at Shute Park
. The new building was designed by Martin, Soderstrom & Matteson. Circulation at the library totaled about 130,000 in 1975 with around 40,000 books. The year after the Shute Park location opened a library was opened in the Tanasbourne
area on the east side of Hillsboro. In 1990, the city took over those operations, moving it in 1996 from the former Tanasbourne Mall location.
In 1998, a Books-by-Rail branch was opened at the Hillsboro Central MAX Light Rail station
in a 168 square feet (15.6 m²) space. Two times in 2002 and again in 2004, the city had property tax levies on the ballot to build a new $25 million library. Plans called for building a 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) building on Cornell Road at 206th in the Tanasbourne area to replace the Tanasbourne branch. The levies to build the new library and remodel the Shute Park location failed. The first measure in 2002 received majority support at the voting booth, but lost due to low voter turnout and the state’s double-majority law.
The library closed the Books by Rail branch in 2003 due to a reduced budget. Hillsboro cut their library funding by $350,000 that year. In 2005, the city decided on an alternate plan of buying an existing building and renovating it at a total cost of $13 million, with $1 million of the funds coming from private donations.
The city purchased a two-story, 77000 square feet (7,153.5 m²) office building on Northeast Brookwood Parkway near the Hillsboro Airport
for $6.8 million in September 2005. With the opening of the new location in a more central area of Hillsboro, the Tanasbourne location was closed with its inventory moved to the new main library. The new library location opened in May 2007 after the building was renovated.
The Hillsboro Main Library is housed on the first floor of the city owned building, utilizing 38000 square feet (3,530.3 m²). The library’s collection includes more than 200,000 items. Story readings at the main library are given in a variety of languages including Mandarin, Japanese, Bengali, and Spanish. Additionally, the location has books in roughly 50 languages. This library includes a privately owned coffee shop with leased space in the building. There are approximately 300 parking spaces at the site.
The Main library also houses the collection of the Hillsboro Independent and The Hillsboro Argus
newspapers, dating back to 1887.
Opened in 1975, the Shute Park Branch is the oldest of the two libraries in the system. The building was designed by Will Martin and cost $760,000 to build. With 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²), it is also the smaller of the two locations. The building is triangular in shape, with the north facing wall all glass. Shute Park houses over 105,000 library articles ranging from books and videos to audio materials and periodicals. It contains 36 seats and 31 computer terminals.
As of 2004, the library system had a service area population of 150,000 residents. That year the Tanasbourne branch served 401,000 people and the Shute Park branch 273,000 people. In 2006, the library system had a rating of 683 from the Hennen's American Public Library Ratings
, down from 705 in 2004.
For 2006 to 2007, combined the library has over 286,000 items in its collections and a circulation of over 1.75 million. Revenue for the library totals $5.6 million, with expenditures slightly exceeding that number. Between the two branches there are 55 staff members including librarians. Hillsboro Public Library has 59,275 library card holders, and is part of the Washington County Cooperative Library Service. Total visits were 644,000. The library is the third largest in Oregon by population served.
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
system in Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. First opened in 1914 in a Carnegie library
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
building, the system provides services to a population area of 157,000 people. As of 2004, the system had a usage of 674,000 visits per year. One library is located near downtown in Shute Park
Shute Park (Oregon)
Shute Park is a municipal park in the city of Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Acquired in 1906, the park is the oldest park in the city. Located at southeast Tenth and Maple streets along Tualatin Valley Highway, Shute Park includes an aquatic center, a branch of the Hillsboro Public Library,...
, with the other newer location in the central portion of the city near the airport
Hillsboro Airport
Hillsboro Airport , also known as Portland-Hillsboro Airport, is the name of a corporate, general aviation and flight-training airport serving the city of Hillsboro, in Washington County, Oregon, USA. It is one of four airports in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area owned and operated by the...
. Circulation exceeds 1.75 million per year, and the system has over 59,000 registered users. As of 2008, the director of the library is Mike Smith.
History
The first library in Hillsboro opened on December 9, 1914 when the Carnegie City LibraryCarnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
was dedicated. This was one of 2,500 plus libraries built by money donated by Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie
Andrew Carnegie was a Scottish-American industrialist, businessman, and entrepreneur who led the enormous expansion of the American steel industry in the late 19th century...
around the world, and the only public one in Washington County, Oregon
Washington County, Oregon
- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...
(the Carnegie Library at Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
was a private, academic library). The land at Northeast Second and Lincoln Streets where the library was built, was also donated to the city. Designed by architect Ernest Kroner, the $10,000 building was constructed by the firm Book & Engeldinger.
In 1925, the library had a circulation 19,445 and a total of 4,855 volumes. Total fines charged that year were $92.28, while expenses totaled about $250 for the year to maintain the grounds, pay for heating, and pay for water and electricity. The Friends of the Library group was started on February 6, 1968. In May 1971, this group began campaigning for a new library building, including paying some of the early costs for designs, with voters later approving a bond measure to pay for the new facility. On January 21, 1975, a new library opened to replace the Carnegie building, located at Shute Park
Shute Park (Oregon)
Shute Park is a municipal park in the city of Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Acquired in 1906, the park is the oldest park in the city. Located at southeast Tenth and Maple streets along Tualatin Valley Highway, Shute Park includes an aquatic center, a branch of the Hillsboro Public Library,...
. The new building was designed by Martin, Soderstrom & Matteson. Circulation at the library totaled about 130,000 in 1975 with around 40,000 books. The year after the Shute Park location opened a library was opened in the Tanasbourne
Tanasbourne, Oregon
Tanasbourne, Oregon is a neighborhood in Washington County, Oregon where NW 185th Avenue and U.S. Route 26 intersect. The area sits between Beaverton and Hillsboro, and is generally considered to be south of U.S. 26, north of Walker Road, west of 158th, and east of Cornelius Pass Road...
area on the east side of Hillsboro. In 1990, the city took over those operations, moving it in 1996 from the former Tanasbourne Mall location.
Hillsboro Central/3rd Avenue Transit Center (MAX station)
The Hillsboro Central/3rd Avenue Transit Center station is an American light rail station and transit center on the MAX Blue Line in Hillsboro, Oregon. Opened in 1998, the red-brick station is the 19th stop westbound on the Westside MAX, one stop from the western terminus of the line...
in a 168 square feet (15.6 m²) space. Two times in 2002 and again in 2004, the city had property tax levies on the ballot to build a new $25 million library. Plans called for building a 60000 square feet (5,574.2 m²) building on Cornell Road at 206th in the Tanasbourne area to replace the Tanasbourne branch. The levies to build the new library and remodel the Shute Park location failed. The first measure in 2002 received majority support at the voting booth, but lost due to low voter turnout and the state’s double-majority law.
The library closed the Books by Rail branch in 2003 due to a reduced budget. Hillsboro cut their library funding by $350,000 that year. In 2005, the city decided on an alternate plan of buying an existing building and renovating it at a total cost of $13 million, with $1 million of the funds coming from private donations.
The city purchased a two-story, 77000 square feet (7,153.5 m²) office building on Northeast Brookwood Parkway near the Hillsboro Airport
Hillsboro Airport
Hillsboro Airport , also known as Portland-Hillsboro Airport, is the name of a corporate, general aviation and flight-training airport serving the city of Hillsboro, in Washington County, Oregon, USA. It is one of four airports in the Portland, Oregon, metropolitan area owned and operated by the...
for $6.8 million in September 2005. With the opening of the new location in a more central area of Hillsboro, the Tanasbourne location was closed with its inventory moved to the new main library. The new library location opened in May 2007 after the building was renovated.
Facilities and services
The Main library also houses the collection of the Hillsboro Independent and The Hillsboro Argus
The Hillsboro Argus
The Hillsboro Argus is the twice weekly newspaper for the city of Hillsboro, Oregon. Published on Tuesdays and Fridays, the Argus has a circulation of 9,532 copies distributed in Washington County, Oregon, United States...
newspapers, dating back to 1887.
Opened in 1975, the Shute Park Branch is the oldest of the two libraries in the system. The building was designed by Will Martin and cost $760,000 to build. With 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²), it is also the smaller of the two locations. The building is triangular in shape, with the north facing wall all glass. Shute Park houses over 105,000 library articles ranging from books and videos to audio materials and periodicals. It contains 36 seats and 31 computer terminals.
Circulation
Public library ratings
There are several national systems for rating the quality of public libraries.-United States:The basic public library statistics are published by the National Center for Educational Statistics; the most recent version was published in July 2006, using data from fiscal year 2005...
, down from 705 in 2004.
For 2006 to 2007, combined the library has over 286,000 items in its collections and a circulation of over 1.75 million. Revenue for the library totals $5.6 million, with expenditures slightly exceeding that number. Between the two branches there are 55 staff members including librarians. Hillsboro Public Library has 59,275 library card holders, and is part of the Washington County Cooperative Library Service. Total visits were 644,000. The library is the third largest in Oregon by population served.