Sacramento Public Library facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sacramento Public Library
Established	1857
Location	Sacramento, California, United States
Branches	28
Collection
Size	2 million
Access and use
Population served	1.3 million
Other information
Staff	280

The Sacramento Public Library is a big public library system in Sacramento, California. It has almost 2 million items, like books and movies. This makes it the fourth largest library system in California!

Library History: How It Started

Early Days: A Library for Everyone

The Sacramento Library Association began in October 1857. At first, it was a "subscription library." This meant people had to pay a fee to use the books. Many important people in Sacramento, like E. B. Crocker and Leland Stanford, were part of it.

In 1872, the library got its own building. But by 1879, it was having money problems. So, the library offered to give its books and building to the City of Sacramento. The only rule was that the library had to become free for everyone. People voted on this idea, and it passed! The Sacramento Free Public Library opened on June 14, 1879. It had 5,695 books for everyone to enjoy.

The Carnegie Library Building of 1918

By 1913, the library had grown a lot. It needed a bigger space! So, the city asked the Carnegie Corporation for help. Andrew Carnegie was a very rich man who gave money to build libraries all over the world.

The Carnegie Corporation agreed to give $100,000 for a new building. The City of Sacramento added another $30,000. A special contest was held to pick the best design. Loring P. Rixford, an architect from San Francisco, won. His design was for a beautiful building in the Italian Renaissance style. The new Sacramento Free Public Library opened on April 23, 1918. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

Serving the Whole County

In 1908, the Sacramento Free Public Library made a special agreement. It became the first city library in California to offer free services to people living in the county, not just the city. They set up small "deposit stations" in towns like Elk Grove and Folsom. These were places where county residents could borrow books.

Later, in 1919, a separate Sacramento County Library system was created. For many years, the city and county libraries were separate. But in 1966, they decided to join forces. They became the Sacramento City-County Library.

Today, the Sacramento Public Library is run by a group called the Joint Exercise of Powers Agreement. This means the County of Sacramento and several cities (like Citrus Heights, Elk Grove, and Sacramento) work together. Their goal is to provide great library services to everyone in their communities. They want to inspire learning, help people read, and make community life better.

Modern Library Services

The Sacramento Public Library is always finding new ways to help people. In 2011, it was praised for being a leader among libraries. That same year, it got an Espresso Book Machine. This cool machine can print a book for you in just a few minutes!

Since 2015, the library has started lending out more than just books. They have a "Library of Things." You can borrow items like pots, pans, or even sewing machines! This helps people in the community who might need these items but can't buy them. It also brings more people to the library.

Library Locations: Find a Branch Near You!

The Sacramento Public Library has 28 different branches. This means there's probably a library close to where you live!