Belmont Library

The Belmont Library is a branch of the Multnomah County Library, located in Belmont, Portland, Oregon.[1] The original library building opened in 1924 and was expanded in 1937 with the addition of a children's room. The brick building had small round windows and large oak tables. Renovations during 1999–2000 nearly doubled the library's capacity.[1]

Belmont Library
Library exterior in 2012
General information
LocationBelmont
Address1038 SE César E. Chávez Blvd.
Town or cityPortland, Oregon
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45.515166°N 122.622786°W / 45.515166; -122.622786
OpenedMarch 7, 1924
OwnerMultnomah County Library
Technical details
Floor area5,954 square feet (553.1 m2)
Design and construction
ArchitectJamieson Parker
Main contractorW. C. Moore
Renovating team
ArchitectThomas Hacker and Associates
Renovating firmAndersen Construction
Website
Belmont Library

The branch offers the Multnomah County Library catalog of two million books, periodicals and other materials. The Belmont Library features a 24-person capacity meeting room for hosting community events at no charge on a first come, first served basis. A decorative quilt made by residents of the Sunnyside neighborhood is also housed within the building.[1]

History

In 1923, residents of the Belmont and Hawthorne areas of southeast Portland raised funds to construct a library building at East 39th Avenue and Taylor Street (now S.E. César E. Chávez Blvd. and S.E. Taylor Street). The Library Association of Portland paid for the building plans. According to the association president, the Belmont effort was one of the first in Portland during which library users raised funds to erect a branch library building in their own neighborhood.[2] The neighborhood presented the building debt-free to the association in early 1924, and the 2,924-square-foot (271.6 m2) library opened on March 7, 1924.[2]

Federal funds through the Works Progress Administration paid for expansion of the library in 1937. The addition of a children's room and staff work areas increased the building's floor area to 3,554 square feet (330.2 m2). Even so, circulation at the library continued to grow until the floor area was considered inadequate. In 1996, voters approved a bond measure to renovate the county's libraries and to pay special attention to four of them, including Belmont. The branch closed in June 1999 for remodeling and reopened in March 2000. The resulting expansion added 2,400 square feet (220 m2) to the library's floor area, bringing the total area to 5,954 square feet (553.1 m2). The renovated library can hold up to 20,000 volumes.[2] Self-checkout stations and security gates were installed in 2011 during a minor renovation.[3][4][5]

Over the years the library has hosted numerous activities, including a children's jamboree,[6] knitting groups,[7][8] lectures and readings.[9][10][11] The building also serves as a ballot drop-off site during elections.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Belmont Library". Multnomah County Library. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  2. "Belmont Library History". Multnomah County Library. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  3. "Belmont, North Portland and St. Johns libraries to Close for Equipment Installation". Multnomah County Library. February 23, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  4. "Belmont Library Closed March 28 Through April 1 for Service Updates". Multnomah County Library. March 10, 2011. Archived from the original on March 20, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  5. Buxton, Matt (March 22, 2011). "Belmont Library to Close for Improvements from March 28 to April 1". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  6. "Lorna Miller's Little Kids' Jamboree". The Portland Mercury. Portland, Oregon: Index Publishing. 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  7. McMullen, Peggy (January 4, 2011). "Knitting Groups in Portland Libraries Offer Something for New Knitters, Kids, Bilingual Learners". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon: Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  8. "Knitting Groups". Multnomah County Library. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  9. "Lessons from Lincoln: Is Political Bipartisanship Possible?". The Portland Mercury. Portland, Oregon: Index Publishing. Archived from the original on September 29, 2014. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  10. "Kim Weitkamp". The Portland Mercury. Portland, Oregon: Index Publishing. 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  11. "Andrew Halloran". The Portland Mercury. Portland, Oregon: Index Publishing. 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
  12. "Oregon Ballot Dropoff Sites and Southwest Washington Ballot Dropoff Sites". Portland, Oregon: KPTV. October 30, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
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