Oakland Main Library

About us

Located between downtown and Lake Merritt, Oakland's Main Library is one of the largest public library facilities in the Bay Area. In addition to large collections of over 350,000 reference and circulating non-fiction and fiction books, the Main Library offers hundreds of current and historic magazines and newspapers, a major collection of sheet music, and thousands of maps.

There are federal, state, and local government publications and a large collection of compact discs, videocassettes, DVDs, and audiobooks. We are also home to the Oakland History Room, a significant resource on the history of our area, the Community Kiosk and Veteran’s Center, where organizations provide drop-in social services, a large and active Children's Room, and the TeenZone.

The branch is equipped with 33 computers with Internet access available for public use, available on a drop-in, first-come, first-served basis. Adaptive technology is available, including screen readers and enlargers for those who are blind or who have low vision or learning disabilities.