The Dalles-Wasco County Library
🏢 Wasco County Library District · The Dalles, Oregon
The Dalles-Wasco County Library
Perched above the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon's oldest incorporated city, The Dalles-Wasco County Library grew from a $10,000 Carnegie grant in 1907 to a modern civic hub — today featuring a children's wing with floor-to-ceiling Gorge views, a Google-funded teen Athenaeum makerspace, and local history microfilm archives reaching the 1800s.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–7:30pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–7:30pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–7:30pm |
| Thursday | 10am–7:30pm |
| Friday | 10am–6pm |
| Saturday | 10am–5pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 722 Court Street, The Dalles, OR 97058
Phone: (541) 296-2815
Website: wascocountylibrary.com
Plus Code: 84QWHRX7+GV (The Dalles, 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 The Dalles-Wasco County Library
The Dalles-Wasco County Library is the flagship branch of the Wasco County Library District, serving the Columbia River Gorge community from its home at 722 Court Street since 1966, when it outgrew the original Carnegie building of 1910 — now a National Register landmark operating as The Dalles Art Center. In 2017, FFA Architecture completed a 2,300-square-foot children's wing expansion with floor-to-ceiling windows framing Gorge views and a dedicated activity room. That same year, the library opened the Athenaeum — a teen wing on the mezzanine funded by over $40,000 in Google technology grants and the Oregon Cultural Trust, housing a digital media lab, DIY maker bar, and VR gaming lounge. As a member of the Sage Library System (77 libraries across 15 eastern and central Oregon counties) and the Libraries of Eastern Oregon (LEO) consortium, one Wasco County card opens borrowing privileges across the region. The local history room's Chronicle microfilm and genealogy records stretch back to the late 1800s, making the library an essential archive for Columbia River Gorge research.
⭐ What makes this library special
- 1910 Andrew Carnegie-funded building is now a National Register of Historic Places landmark housing The Dalles Art Center
- 2017 children's wing expansion (2,300 sq ft, FFA Architecture) with floor-to-ceiling Columbia River Gorge views and a children's activity room
- The Athenaeum teen wing (2017), funded by Google ($40,000+) and the Oregon Cultural Trust: digital media lab, DIY maker bar, VR gaming, and video game lounge
- Local history and genealogy collection: The Dalles Chronicle microfilm from the 1800s, federal census records, early Oregon wills, and a local family-name card catalog
- Library of Things lending (guitar, turntable, iPad, hotspot, disc golf kit, green screen) and Discover & Go cultural passes to Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Fort Dalles Museum
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Wasco County cardholders can borrow, stream, and research free through the library's digital collection:
📚 Services
- Sage Consortium borrowing: access materials from 77 libraries across 15 eastern/central Oregon counties; returns accepted at any Sage location
- The Athenaeum teen wing: digital media lab, maker bar, VR gaming, video game lounge, and study nook
- Makerspace — Maker Monday program (crafts, STEM, embroidery; open to all ages)
- Children's library with dedicated programming space
- Library of Things: acoustic guitar, turntable, iPad, Wi-Fi hotspot, disc golf kit, green screen
- Discover & Go cultural passes: Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Fort Dalles Museum
- Local history room: microfilm reader, genealogy records, and early Oregon archives
- Tech-help drop-in (Wednesdays), computers, printing, Wi-Fi, and laptops to check out
- Meeting room reservations for community groups
- Short Edition Story Dispenser — random short stories, poems, and essays
🎸 Programs
- Buddies and Books Storytime — Mondays 10:30 am, stories and activities for all ages
- Baby Storytime — Tuesdays 10:30 am, for infants 0–18 months
- Maker Monday — 5:30–7 pm drop-in STEM and craft projects
- Fun Fridays for Teens — weekly afterschool programs including Robot Builder and VR gaming
- RPG Gaming — third Saturday of each month, 10 am, tabletop role-playing for teens and adults
- Summer reading challenges with literacy-skill-building sessions across all age groups
- Teen Library Council — volunteer program for high school students (Wednesdays 2:30–3:30 pm)
📍 Nearby Libraries in Central Oregon
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does the library still occupy the original 1910 Carnegie building?
No. The Carnegie building served as the public library until September 1966, when the library moved to its current home at 722 Court Street. The 1910 Beaux-Arts brick building — built with a $10,000 Carnegie grant — was later deeded to The Dalles Art Association and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, operating as The Dalles Art Center and Gallery.
What is the Athenaeum, and who can use it?
The Athenaeum is the library's teen wing on the mezzanine, opened in July 2017 with over $40,000 in Google technology funding and support from the Oregon Cultural Trust. It features a digital media lab, DIY maker bar, video game lounge, and VR gaming. Although designed for teens, the digital media lab opened to all ages, and Maker Monday programs (5:30–7 pm) are explicitly open to school-age children, teens, and adults.
What local history materials does the library hold?
The Dalles-Wasco County Library's local history room holds microfilm of The Dalles Chronicle from the late 1800s onward, federal census records, early Oregon wills, vital-statistics records, a marriage and divorce index, and a card catalog of local family names. A microfilm reader with print capability is available on-site for in-person research.
Can I borrow from other Oregon libraries with a Wasco County card?
Yes. The library is part of the Sage Library System — a consortium of 77 public, school, academic, and special libraries across 15 eastern and central Oregon counties. A valid Sage card grants borrowing privileges at all member locations, and you can return Wasco County materials at any Sage library. Cards require a photo ID and proof of current address and expire every three years.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📜 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.
🔨 This library has a makerspace / 3D printing. See how library makerspaces and 3D printing work and find other libraries with a makerspace makerspaces by state.
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