The Library Foundation
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Shining a light on Multnomah County Library’s exceptional programs and services. We ♥️ public libraries. What is it that we hope to achieve? Johns and Hollywood.
The Library Foundation and Multnomah County Library work together to determine where private funds can be leveraged to have the greatest impact. We also work to raise visibility for the library's importance in our community, bolstering public support for a strong, lasting library system. Last year, our support allowed the library to reach more than 145,000 of our county's most vulnerable children and adults. We focus on initiatives that reach those in our community who face serious literacy risks, such as poverty or language barriers. Our work demonstrates what a small, determined nonprofit can achieve in partnership with a strong library. Simply stated, it is a stronger, better-educated, more vibrant community. This vision defines what we do, guides our principal efforts, and solidifies our commitment to:
Support Literacy
We expand the library’s work with the hardest-to-reach and most-at-risk in our community, taking books and effective programs directly into the lives of thousands of children, parents, grandparents, childcare providers and educators. Promote Arts and Culture
The library is a hub of arts and culture—showcasing regional talent, exhibiting book arts, offering classes and programs in partnership with local arts organizations and schools. By offering events and educational opportunities for free, the library makes a profound impact on our community’s cultural vibrancy. Build Collections
Everyone should have access to books. Donations to the foundation help purchase books for a wide range of literacy programs that reach deep into our community. Last year, the foundation helped to purchase nearly 90,000 books for children and adults. Fund Buildings
The Library Foundation's first project raised private support for the renovation and preservation of our beautiful Central Library, completed in 1997. Since that time, we've helped finance branch renovations in several neighborhoods, most recently St.
Which updated Multnomah County Library location's aesthetic are you?
• Holgate Library
• Midland Library
• North Portland Library
• Albina Library
• Northwest Library
• East County Library
• St. Johns Library
• Belmont Library
All of the above, thank you!
09/17/2026
🏮Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at your local library! 🥮
Throughout Multnomah County Library locations, families and community members can celebrate the season together. Enjoy Chinese music and dance at Central Library, listen to the guzheng at Woodstock, attend Vietnamese bilingual storytimes at Midland and Holgate, make lanterns at Rockwood, Holgate, East County, and Central, and join family celebrations with music, crafts, and connection.
📖 Giờ Đọc Sách Song Ngữ | Bilingual Storytime
📅 Saturday, September 19
🕚 11:15 AM - 12 PM
📍Midland Library
🎶 古筝演奏 | Guzheng Music (Chinese Zither)
📅 Saturday, September 19
🕑 2 – 3 PM
📍Woodstock Library
📖 Giờ Đọc Sách Song Ngữ | Bilingual Storytime
📅 Sunday, September 20
🕚 12:15 - 1 PM
📍Holgate Library
🏮 折纸为灯，点亮中秋 | Origami lanterns
📅 Sunday, September 20
🕑 2 – 3:30 PM
📍Woodstock Library
🐰中秋月兔灯笼 | Rabbit Lantern
📅 Sunday, September 20
🕑 2 – 3:30 PM
📍 Central Library
🏮 Mid-Autumn Lantern Making
📅 Tuesday, September 22
🕠 5:30 - 7:30 PM
📍Rockwood Library
🏮Làm Đèn Trung Thu với Gia đình | Mid-Autumn Lantern Making
📅 Wednesday, September 23
🕒 5:30 - 7:30 PM
📍 Holgate Library
🏮Mid-Autumn Lantern Making
📅 Wednesday, September 23
🕕 6 - 7:30 PM
📍 East County Library
🌏 中秋快乐, Tết Trung Thu | Mid-Autumn Festival
📅 Wednesday, October 7
🕔 5 - 7 PM
📍 Midland Library
🥮中秋节手工制作 | Mid-Autumn Festival DIY Crafts
📅 Saturday, October 10
🕑 2 – 4 PM
📍 Midland Library
These cultural celebrations bring people together to share traditions and discover something new. Support from The Library Foundation helps make these celebrations possible. Events run through Saturday, October 10.
For the full list and more information on all the Mid-Autumn events at your library, visit:
🔗 https://ow.ly/zTgj50ZNxAV
09/16/2026
Do you know someone who is always eager to learn something new?
Let them know now’s the time to get a Multnomah County Library card. A library card connects them to so much more than books: classes, lectures, technology, Wi-Fi, online learning resources, career tools, homework help, and culturally reflective programs.
Whether they are exploring a new idea, learning a language, working toward a career goal, or following their curiosity, the library has something for everyone.
Tag a friend who would benefit from a library card and encourage them to sign up online 🔗(https://multcolib.org/contact/get_a_library_card) or at any Multnomah County Library location.
09/15/2026
¡Celebra el Mes de la Herencia Hispana y Latiné del 15 de septiembre al 15 de octubre en la biblioteca con horas de cuentos, reuniones comunitarias y eventos para todas las edades!
Celebrate Hispanic and Latiné Heritage Month this September 15 through October 15 at the library with storytimes, community gatherings, and events for all ages!
📖 Hora de cuentos | Storytime
📅 Thursday, September 17
🕙 10:15 - 11 AM
📍Midland Library
🎨 Acuarela sobre papel botánico | Watercolor on botanical paper
📅 Saturday, September 19
🕑 2 – 4 PM
📍East County Library
🎨 Pintar alebrijes con Corazón Arts | Painting alebrijes with Corazón Arts
📅 Saturday, September 19
🕒 3 – 5 PM
📍Troutdale Library
🪈 Música de Sudamérica | Latin American Folk Music
📅 Saturday, September 19
🕒 3 – 4 PM
📍Gregory Heights Library
🎭Comedia y magia con Ángel Ocasio | Comedy and magic with Ángel Ocasio
📅 Saturday, September 26
🕐 1 – 1:45 PM
📍 St. Johns Library
🗨️Dar voz a nuestras preocupaciones | Giving Voice to Our Worries
📅 Saturday, September 26
🕑 2 – 4 PM
📍Central Library
💍Taller de Joyería | Jewelry Workshop
📅 Saturday, September 26
🕒 3 – 5 PM
📍 Rockwood Library
🌺Flor de Origami | Flower Origami
📅 Saturday, September 26
🕞 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM
📍 Albina Library
🎭Comedia y magia con Ángel Ocasio | Comedy and magic with Ángel Ocasio
📅 Saturday, September 26
🕓 4:00 PM - 4:45 PM
📍 Hollywood Library
Visita tu biblioteca para celebrar los cuentos, la creatividad, la familia y la comunidad hispana y Latiné durante todo el año. Las horas de cuentos de la Biblioteca del Condado de Multnomah son posibles gracias a las donaciones de la Fundación de la Biblioteca.
Visit your library to celebrate Hispanic and Latiné stories, creativity, families, and community year-round.
Multnomah County Library storytimes are supported by gifts made to The Library Foundation.
🔗Info: https://ow.ly/yBpL50ZLExL
09/14/2026
During Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, we celebrate families like Atia's who are creating a future filled with opportunities through reading together.
Growing up in Afghanistan, Atia did not have access to books. Now, as a mother here, she is opening doors for her daughter. Together, they read in English to build new skills and in Dari to honor their family's culture. By participating in adult education, Atia is strengthening her own English literacy and nurturing in her daughter a lifelong love of reading and pride in their heritage.
Stories like Atia's show how family literacy transforms lives, connects generations, and helps create a resilient and thriving community for us all.
09/11/2026
☕Celebrate the vibrant cultures, artistry, and traditions of Somali Midabayn at the library.
Join Multnomah County Library’s annual celebration of the Horn of Africa at Capitol Hill Library! Gather to experience traditional Somali Midabayn (tea and coffee ceremony). Learn, connect, and celebrate the rich cultures and traditions of hospitality and storytelling of the Northeast African community.
Traditional Somali Tea & Coffee Ceremony Saturday, September 12, 2–4 p.m. Capitol Hill Library. All are welcome. This celebration is made possible by the National Endowment for the Humanities Fund of The Library Foundation.
🔗More info: https://multcolib.org/events-classes/traditional-somali-tea-coffee-ceremony
09/10/2026
If you have seen this bookshelf in person, you have visited a very special room.
In a tucked-away room in the Multnomah County Library Central Library location, book artifacts ranging from 2350 BC to the dawn of the printing press grace the shelves of the John Wilson Special Collections. This hidden gem holds 12,000 volumes, including rare books, manuscripts, artists’ books, Native American literature, natural history collections, and pieces of Pacific Northwest history. You can even find a clay tablet from 4,375 years ago written in cuneiform and a complete set of John James Audubon’s Birds of America.
Named for Portland book collector John Wilson, whose personal collection was donated to the library in 1900, the Special Collections preserve stories about how books are made, what they contain, and the people and places they have connected over the centuries. Book lovers and history buffs may plan a visit to explore these impressive collections. John Wilson Special Collections Room is supported by gifts to The Library Foundation.
https://multcolib.org/hours-and-locations/central-library/john-wilson-special-collections
09/09/2026
2026 midterms will be here soon. Belmont Library will host a meeting with the Portland City Elections team on September 12, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., where you can learn more about the November 3 election and ask questions about ranked-choice voting.
If you are new to Portland elections or want a refresher, this is a chance to learn, ask questions, and feel confident about taking part in our community's democratic process.
To learn about upcoming elections and educational events, visit portland.gov/vote/events.
It’s been a month since these avian visitors landed in our city. How many crows have you spotted so far? 🐦⬛👀
Visit St. Johns Library and Central Library to spot two of the Wildwood: Follow the Crows sculptures, inspired by the world of Colin Meloy and illustrated by Carson Ellis.
The art trail runs through October 30, in the lead-up to the highly anticipated LAIKA Studios film, so don’t miss your chance to find them all!
09/06/2026
Your lazy Sunday assignment: read a book. 📚
Whether you are drawn to a page-turner, a comforting story, a new genre, or a book you have been meaning to read, there is something for everyone. At the Library, your next great read is always within reach. Your library offers a multitude of stories and resources to inspire everyone.
Happy National Read a Book Day!
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