Belmont Library

🏢 Multnomah County Library · Portland, Oregon

Belmont Library

Belmont Library reopened August 15, 2026, transformed into a 15,000-square-foot community hub — the final major project of Multnomah County's 2020 library bond. The ~$28 million expansion more than doubled the 1924 building's footprint, adding a 2,300 sq ft early-learning play area, a 550 sq ft teen space, new meeting rooms, and community art installations.

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📖 About Belmont Library

Belmont Library holds a unique place in Portland history: when it opened in 1924 it was the first time a neighborhood had fundraised to build its own library and donate it to the library association completely debt-free, with the original building designed by Jamieson Parker Architects. During the Great Depression the Works Progress Administration funded a 1937 expansion that added a children's room and staff work areas. A major 2000 renovation nearly doubled the building's size, and by the following decade Belmont had earned the distinction of being Oregon's busiest library measured by circulation per square foot. On September 7, 2024, the branch closed for the most ambitious transformation in its century-long history: a ~$28 million expansion funded by Multnomah County's $387 million 2020 bond that more than doubled the facility to 15,000 square feet. The expanded library reopened August 15, 2026, as the final major project of the bond program, featuring a 2,300-square-foot early-learning and play area for children housed in the historic building, a 550-square-foot teen area with a 75-inch screen and gaming technology, multiple meeting rooms with presentation and videoconferencing capability, and new community art installations throughout. The reopening celebration ran August 15–16, 2026.

⭐ What makes this library special

• Portland's first community-funded neighborhood library — residents built it debt-free in 1924 and donated it to the library association, designed by Jamieson Parker Architects
• Once Oregon's busiest library by circulation per square foot, reflecting the dense SE Portland community surrounding it
• Reopened August 15, 2026 after a ~$28 million expansion to 15,000 sq ft — the final major project of MCL's $387M 2020 bond
• New 2,300 sq ft early-learning and play area for children in the historic portion of the building
• Dedicated 550 sq ft teen space with a 75-inch screen, gaming technology, and study room; Indigenous cultural staff and Spanish-language collection available

📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card

Belmont Library cardholders can borrow, stream, and research for free through Multnomah County Library's digital collection:

📍 Nearby Libraries in Portland

Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

📚 This library has study rooms. See how library study rooms work — booking, time limits and quiet vs group rooms — and find other libraries with study rooms libraries with study rooms by state.

🖨 This library offers printing, copying & fax. See how library printing, copying, scanning and fax services work — costs and mobile printing — and find other libraries that offer them printing & fax by state.

📅 This library has meeting & community rooms. See how library meeting rooms work — booking, policies and fees — and find other libraries with meeting or community rooms meeting rooms by state.

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✓ Hours & details last verified from official sources in September 2026.