Salem Public Library (Oregon)

The Salem Public Library was established by the Salem Woman's Club in May 1904, with 50 donated books,^[2] and located in the city council chamber beginning later that year. The library board appealed to industrialist Andrew Carnegie to fund the construction of a permanent library, and was granted $27,500. The library, located at the corner of State and Winter streets, opened on September 12, 1912.^[3][4]

The Salem Public Library was a founding member of the Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service, a regional reference and catalogue system serving the Mid-Willamette Valley area, when it began in 1974.^[5] In 2004, library supporters attempted to create a consolidated library district for Salem, to be funded by a permanent property tax, but were rejected by voters in the November 2004 election.^[6]

The downtown library was relocated to a larger building in the new civic center on July 6, 1972.^[7] The library was closed in December 1989 to begin a $5 million renovation,^[8] which was completed on January 26, 1991, and added 35,000 square feet (3,300 m²) of space.^[9] A $18.6 million seismic and safety upgrade was completed in 2021.^[10]

The Salem Public Library opened a branch in West Salem on October 17, 1957, in the former West Salem city hall.^[11][12] The library moved to a larger, 5,400-square-foot (500 m²) facility at the Oak Hills Shopping Center on April 5, 1987.^[13]