Cedar Mill Community Library
🏢 Washington County Cooperative Library Services · Portland, Oregon
Cedar Mill Community Library
Born in 1974 when neighbors without a city hall organized their own nonprofit, Cedar Mill Community Library has grown into one of Oregon's five most-circulated public libraries — lending more than 2.4 million items a year and still governed entirely by its community.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | 12pm–5pm |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 1080 NW Saltzman Road, Portland, OR 97229
Phone: (503) 644-0043
Website: library.cedarmill.org
Plus Code: 84QVG5GV+XH (Portland, 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 Cedar Mill Community Library
Cedar Mill Community Library was founded in 1974 when a small group of residents in the unincorporated Cedar Mill area — with no city government to turn to — organized a nonprofit association and raised donations until they could open a lending collection in January 1976 at the Milltowner Shopping Center on NW Cornell Road. The library now operates from its building at 1080 NW Saltzman Road, circulating more than 2.4 million items per year and ranking among Oregon's five most-used public libraries and one of the largest nonprofit public libraries west of the Mississippi. Governed by a volunteer Board of Directors, the library is sustained in part by the adjacent Second Edition Resale thrift shop (opened 1987) and belongs to Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS), giving cardholders access to more than 1.5 million items across 16 Washington County libraries. In 2024 the library celebrated its 50th anniversary of community-driven service.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1974 by community volunteers in unincorporated Cedar Mill — no city government has ever operated it; community-run and community-funded for 50 years
- One of Oregon's top 5 libraries by annual circulation — 2.4 million+ items lent per year from a 250,000-item collection
- WCCLS member: one card accesses 1.5 million items across 16 Washington County libraries
- Seed Library open to all — no library card required, up to 3 seed packets per family per month (vegetables, herbs, flowers, and native plants)
- Second Edition Resale thrift shop next door (opened 1987) funds library operations; Library of Things lets you borrow board games, instruments, sports equipment, and STEM robots
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Cedar Mill cardholders can stream, download, and research free through WCCLS's shared digital collections:
📚 Services
- WCCLS card: borrow from 16 Washington County libraries with one card
- Seed Library: free vegetable, herb, flower, and native seeds — no card required, 3 packets/family/month
- Library of Things: board games, musical instruments, sports equipment (pickleball), STEM/coding robots, laptops, and hotspots
- Meeting rooms: Elm Room (34 persons) and combined Elm & Oak Room (76 persons) — free for nonprofit community groups
- Public computers (1-hour sessions + 30-minute extensions) and 15-minute Express stations
- Free Wi-Fi accessible 24/7 indoors and outdoors
- Printing (B&W 10¢/page, color $1/page), remote Print from Anywhere, scanning (free 15-min sessions), fax
- Local History & Genealogy collection: oral history podcasts with library founders, Washington County Heritage Online photos, Hillsboro Argus obituary index 1894–present
- Second Edition Resale shop next door at 1050 NW Saltzman Rd (benefits the library)
- Interlibrary loan (statewide and nationwide)
🎸 Programs
- Storytime and early literacy programs for children
- Summer Reading programs for kids, teens, and adults
- Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) — competitive reading for students
- Adult book clubs
- Resume Writing One-on-One and career services
- ESL classes (community calendar)
- Teen volunteer program
- Community oral history project (in partnership with Pacific University)
📍 Nearby Libraries in Washington County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cedar Mill Community Library run by the City of Portland or Washington County?
Neither. Cedar Mill is an unincorporated census-designated place in Washington County, so there is no city government to fund a library. The library is operated by the Cedar Mill and Bethany Community Library Association (CMCLA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by community volunteers in 1974. It is sustained through membership contributions, private donations, grants, and the adjacent Second Edition Resale thrift shop — and has been community-governed for 50 years.
Can I use my Cedar Mill card at other Washington County libraries?
Yes. Cedar Mill is a member of Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS), a consortium of 16 public libraries. One WCCLS card lets you borrow from any member library — including Beaverton City Library, Hillsboro Public Library, Tigard Public Library, West Slope Community Library, and more — and gives access to over 1.5 million physical and digital items.
Do I need a library card to use the Seed Library?
No — the Seed Library is free and open to anyone, no card required. You can take up to 3 seed packets per family per month, choosing from vegetables, fruits, herbs, flowers, and native plant seeds. The collection is near the board game area inside the library. Donations of seeds (sealed packets, no more than 3 years old) are welcome year-round.
How does the library fund itself without a city or county tax levy?
The library relies on membership contributions, private donations, grants (including Oregon Cultural Trust support), and revenue from the Second Edition Resale thrift shop next door at 1050 NW Saltzman Rd, which opened in 1987. A volunteer Board of Directors (10 members, 3-year terms) governs the nonprofit association, and community members in good standing can vote in board elections.
📜 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 lends a “Library of Things.” See what you can borrow besides books and find other libraries with a Library of Things Library of Things by state.
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