Public Libraries in San Jose, California
California — United States
Public Libraries in San Jose, California
Home of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library — the joint city–university main library that opened in 2003 — and the 1908 East San José Carnegie Branch.
2
Libraries
Libraries in San Jose
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library
📍 150 E San Fernando St, San Jose, CA 95112
📞 408-808-2000 · 🕑 Mon–Thu 8–8, Fri–Sat 8–6, Sun 1–6
East San José Carnegie Branch Library
📍 1102 E Santa Clara St, San Jose, CA 95116
📞 408-808-3075 · 🕑 Tue–Thu 10–7, Sat 10–6, Sun 12–5, Mon & Fri 2–6
The Story of the Library in San Jose
The East San José Carnegie Branch Library at 1102 E Santa Clara Street opened in 1908 as a Carnegie-funded library and is the last Carnegie library in Santa Clara County still operating as a public library. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, and a major renovation completed in 2009 earned LEED Silver certification while preserving its historic character.
The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library held its grand opening on August 16, 2003 as the main library for both the San José Public Library and San José State University — a pioneering joint city-university library. On its tenth anniversary in 2013 it remained the largest combined university-municipal library in the United States, and it stays fully open to the general public.
About Public Libraries in San Jose
Public library service in San Jose is provided by the San Jose Public Library (SJPL), whose flagship is the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library — a landmark joint main library shared by the City of San Jose and San José State University that opened in 2003. Any California resident can get a free SJPL library card, which unlocks borrowing across every branch plus a large digital collection of eBooks, audiobooks, streaming video, and research databases.
California has no single statewide public-library portal, so a free San Jose Public Library card is what unlocks the digital collection here: eBooks and audiobooks through Libby / OverDrive, films and documentaries on Kanopy, plus online learning and research databases — all free to use at home with your card.
📚 What You Can Access
- 📚 Books, media and holds across every San Jose Public Library branch
- 📖 eBooks & audiobooks via Libby / OverDrive
- 🎬 Films & documentaries streaming on Kanopy
- 🔎 Online research databases and learning tools
- 🖨️ Printing, copying and public computers
- 📶 Free Wi-Fi and study space
- 🧒 Children’s and teen collections and programs
🏛️ Quick Facts
| Libraries | 2 (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library; East San José Carnegie Branch) |
| System | San Jose Public Library (SJPL) |
| Main library | 150 E San Fernando St, San Jose, CA 95112 |
| Phone | 408-808-2000 (King Library) |
| Opened | Carnegie Branch 1908; King Library 2003 |
| Library card | Free for California residents |
| Digital collection | Libby/OverDrive, Kanopy & databases |
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Frequently Asked Questions