PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Multnomah County has opened a temporary library in Northeast Portland as it continues construction on three libraries in the area.
The temporary library is located at the University of Oregon’s Portland campus in the Concordia neighborhood. Residents will find the space in room 120 of the university’s Library and Learning Center at 2800 NE Liberty St.
At the new location, which opened on Monday, Portlanders can borrow and return books, use computers and wi-fi, and print, fax and scan for free.
“Our academic library includes a small children’s library with a family study space that will support our student parents and is also open to the community,” UO Portland Library Manager Michael Brown added in a release.
According to the county, the temporary library services aim to offset the closures of the North Portland, Gregory Heights and Albina libraries earlier this year.
The North Portland location is expected to reopen this fall with an additional 1500 square feet of space, while the Gregory Heights library is expected to reopen this winter with a renovated interior.
The Albina location isn’t slated to reopen until spring 2025. The building will expand to 30,000 square feet, making it the county’s largest library.
“Multnomah County Library is undergoing a profound transformation and we are working to be nimble in serving the community during this period of disruption, including this temporary space,” Multnomah County Director of Libraries Vailey Oehlke said.
County officials said the temporary space could be open through summer 2024 to allow library employees to return back to the now-closed locations.
The library will be open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
