Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library |
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| Campus entrance to the library | |
| Type | Public |
| Established | 2003 |
| Location | 150 East San Fernando Street San Jose, California 95112 |
| Coordinates | 37°20′08″N 121°53′06″W / 37.33545°N 121.88496°W |
| Collection | |
| Size | 1.6 million volumes |
| Access and use | |
| Population served | City of San Jose San Jose State University |
| Website | https://www.sjlibrary.org/ |
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library, often called the MLK Library or the King Library, is a huge 8-story building. It's a special place in downtown San Jose, California. This library opened its doors on August 16, 2003. It's unique because it serves two groups: the people of San Jose and the students of San José State University.
In 2018, it was the largest library building in the western United States built in one project. It has over 475,000 square feet of space and about 1.6 million books! The King Library was named "Library of the Year" in 2004. This award recognized its amazing teamwork between the city and the university. Even in 2013, ten years after opening, it was still the biggest joint university-city library in the U.S. More than 2,000 visitors can be in the library at one time.
Contents
Discovering the King Library
The King Library stands where two older libraries once were. It's a place filled with knowledge and resources for everyone.
A Special Building
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The library has many floors, each with something different.
- The lowest level has public computers, magazines, and government papers.
- Floor 2 holds reference books, which are great for quick facts.
- On Floor 3, you'll find books from the City Library system. Non-fiction books are organized by the Dewey Decimal Classification system. This system uses numbers to group books by subject. Fiction books are simply in alphabetical order by the author's last name.
- Floors 6 to 8 hold books for the University Library. These are organized using the Library of Congress System. This system uses letters and numbers to sort books, especially for research. Some books might even be found in both systems!
The middle of the library has a big open space called the Koret Atrium. On the first floor, a large screen in the atrium shows how many items the City Library System has loaned out since 2000. As of March 2026, this number was over 240 million!
Most public computers are on the lowest level, Floor 2, and Floor 3.
Floor 4 is a great spot for students to use their laptops. The lower floors also have large round tables. These are perfect for groups to meet and work together. All floors, except the first, have quiet spots for studying. Floors 6 and 8 are for quiet study, and Floor 7 is for silent study.
Art and Open Spaces
As you explore the library, you'll see cool artworks by Mel Chin. This art series is called Recolecciones, which means "recollections" in Spanish.
The open area in front of the library is named the Robert L. Caret Plaza. It was named after a former president of San Jose State University in 2003.
Amazing Collections
The MLK Library is not just about regular books. It also has many special collections.
Unique Treasures
On the 5th floor, you can find several unique collections:
- The Ira F. Brilliant Center for Beethoven Studies focuses on the famous composer.
- The Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies is dedicated to the author John Steinbeck.
- There's also a California History Room, full of information about the state.
- The SJSU Special Collections & Archives keeps important historical documents.
- On the 3rd floor, you can explore the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil Rights Collection. This collection honors the life and work of Dr. King.
Tech and Study Spots
The library offers many ways to connect and learn.
Computers and Wi-Fi
You can use public computers throughout the library. You can even reserve a time slot online. Students can also book study rooms this way. The computers have special settings for typing in different languages, like Chinese and some European languages. Some computers are just for looking up books in the library's catalog.
In the Koret Atrium on Floor 1, there's a special area with eight computers. You don't need a library card to use these, but each session is limited to 15 minutes.
The lowest level has about 20 public computers. Floors 2 and 3 each have around 50 computers. To log in, you need a San Jose city library card number and a PIN. You can usually use a computer for up to 2 hours a day. If not many computers are busy, you might get extra time! Your computer session will end automatically when the library closes.
All floors have Wi-Fi! You can connect to the "King_Library_WIFI" network for free.
Study Zones
Need to print something? You can find cash-only printing stations on Floor 1 and other floors. Some stations also accept print cards. Cash-only copy machines are available on most floors too.
The library is a busy place for students at San Jose State University. Many students bring their laptops and work together in study groups. They use the tables and study rooms.
During certain times of the school year, the library stays open all night for university students, staff, and teachers. This is called "extended study hours." It's a great help during exam times!
Images for kids
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The Robert L. Caret Plaza, in front of the southeast entrance
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Main street-side (northwest) entrance
See also
