Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
🏢 Corvallis-Benton County Public Library · Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
The Corvallis-Benton County Public Library has been one of Oregon's most acclaimed public libraries since Pietro Belluschi — the architect who later received the AIA Gold Medal — designed its 1931 Jacobethan building at 645 NW Monroe Avenue. Named three times among the top ten public libraries in the nation (1997, 1999, 2000), the library today serves all of Benton County through its central branch, three community branches in Alsea, Monroe and Philomath, and a bookmobile.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 9am–7pm |
| Tuesday | 9am–7pm |
| Wednesday | 9am–7pm |
| Thursday | 9am–7pm |
| Friday | 9am–6pm |
| Saturday | 9am–6pm |
| Sunday | 1pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 645 NW Monroe Avenue, Corvallis, OR 97330
Phone: (541) 766-6793
Website: cbcpubliclibrary.net
Plus Code: 84PRHP8P+46 (Corvallis, OR)
📱 Scan for directions
Point your phone camera at the code to open turn-by-turn directions in Google Maps.
👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
Public library service in Corvallis traces back to the 1860s, when a private circulating collection of 730 volumes operated on the main street. By 1921 books had moved to an old Methodist parsonage on 4th Street, and then to the Woman's Club building. In 1930, the city voted a $25,000 construction tax, and architect Pietro Belluschi — then head of A.E. Doyle and Associates in Portland and later Dean of Architecture at MIT — designed the current Jacobethan building, dedicated November 22, 1931. Its warm-brown variegated brick, dentil cornice and residential-scaled massing were deliberate choices to blend into the surrounding neighborhood. A major addition designed by Lewis Crutcher and Charles Johnson of Portland opened in 1965, with a comprehensive interior reconfiguration in 1992. The library is governed jointly by the City of Corvallis and Benton County and participates in the Oregon Digital Library Consortium, giving cardholders access to Libby/OverDrive titles statewide, and to Answerland — Oregon's 24/7 online reference service staffed by librarians.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Designed in 1931 by Pietro Belluschi, AIA Gold Medal laureate and later Dean of Architecture at MIT
- Named one of the top ten US public libraries three times: 1997, 1999 and 2000 (Hennen's ratings)
- Serves all of Benton County: central library plus branches in Alsea, Monroe and Philomath
- Oregon Digital Library Consortium member — borrow from the statewide Libby/OverDrive collection
- Open seven days a week with evening hours until 7 pm Monday–Thursday
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Corvallis-Benton County cardholders can borrow, stream and research free through Oregon's statewide and local digital collections:
📚 Services
- Oregon Digital Library Consortium (Libby) — statewide eBook and audiobook borrowing
- Answerland 24/7 online reference staffed by Oregon librarians
- Local history and genealogy research resources
- Public computers, printing, scanning and free Wi-Fi
- Meeting and program room reservations
- Interlibrary loan through the statewide network
- Reference and reader's advisory assistance
- Bookmobile routes serving rural Benton County
- Study and collaborative work spaces
🎸 Programs
- Children's storytimes and early-literacy programming
- Summer reading program for all ages
- Teen programs and maker activities
- Adult book clubs and author events
- Local history and genealogy programs
- Community and cultural events
- OSU student and faculty community programs
📍 Nearby Libraries in the Willamette Valley
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Who designed the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library building?
The current library building was designed by Pietro Belluschi, then head of the A.E. Doyle and Associates architectural firm in Portland. The Jacobethan-style building was dedicated on November 22, 1931. Belluschi went on to design the Portland Art Museum and the Equitable Building, later became Dean of Architecture at MIT, and received the AIA Gold Medal in 1972.
Does the library serve the whole county or just the city of Corvallis?
The library serves all of Benton County. In addition to the central branch at 645 NW Monroe Avenue in Corvallis, the system operates community branches in Alsea, Monroe and Philomath, and runs a bookmobile that serves rural areas of the county.
What is the Oregon Digital Library Consortium and how do I use it?
The Oregon Digital Library Consortium operates Library2Go, a statewide collection of eBooks, audiobooks and digital magazines available through the Libby app. Any Corvallis-Benton County cardholder can borrow titles from the full statewide pool — log in with your library card number in the Libby app or at library2go.overdrive.com.
What is Answerland and when can I use it?
Answerland is Oregon's statewide 24/7 online reference service, staffed by professional librarians from public and academic libraries across the state. You can chat live with a librarian at any hour to get research help, answer reference questions, or find resources — all free with a Benton County library card.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries 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.
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