[LIB11189] - [Website]

[LIB6173] - What is now Multnomah County Library dates its existence from 1864, a time when Portland was a frontier town with frame buildings, muddy streets and few sidewalks. A small group of Portland citizens met to establish a subscription library and reading room, organizing under the name "Library Association of Portland." [Read more at the Website]

[LIB1829] Special Collection: The Portland Room The Portland Room, located on the 2nd level of the Main Library, was designed to house the Library's special collections. The materials represent the Portland Public Library's rich heritage and longstanding commitment to excellence. The collections include rare books (the earliest was printed in 1540), Maine newspapers, maps, photographs, broadsides, and other ephemera. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, Portland was an important printing and publishing center, a fact well-illustrated by the Portland Room's impressive collections of works printed by Portland's famous Anthoensen Press and Thomas B. Mosher Press, both of which enjoyed international reputations for fine printing. The Portland Room also offers the Maine News Index and Jordan Index of Maine newspaper abstracts dating back to the 1780s. Portland Room staff are available for research assistance at 871-1700 x747 or portlandroom@portland.lib.me.us. [Website] Portland Head

Founded in 1867, the Portland Public Library now has six locations. Portland Public Library Website