Oregon's Newest Public Library Took 37 Years to Build

For years, the Keizer Community Library was something its community built for itself. It began in 1988 with children’s books in a spare room at City Hall and grew through donations, volunteers, and fundraising events.

Now, that community effort has earned official recognition. In May, the Oregon State Library Board unanimously approved the Keizer Community Library’s application to become a public library, with the designation taking effect July 1.

For Keizer, this is a milestone decades in the making, built by a community that never stopped showing up for it. 

Take action today to support libraries!

A Library Built by Its Community

Keizer had been the largest city in Oregon without a public library, even as its community library continued serving residents. In 2022, voters rejected a measure that would have created a monthly fee to raise $400,000 a year for library operations. This didn’t stop the community from working toward its goal.

Today, the Keizer Community Library has nearly fourteen thousand books and about two thousand DVDs and CDs. It offers free computer access and operates from the Keizer Cultural Center, alongside other community organizations.

Much of that work has been supported by local fundraising and volunteers. In May, the library’s annual book sale raised a record $4,378, showing that community support has not faded as the library has grown.

Libraries like Keizer’s tend to be a better deal than people realize. State and national studies have found that public libraries return far more value to their communities than they cost to run.

A 2015 Texas study found that the state’s public libraries generated $2.6 billion in benefits against $566 million in costs, a return of $4.64 for every dollar, while supporting more than eleven thousand jobs. Individual libraries in states like Colorado and Wyoming have measured returns as high as $8 or $9 for every dollar invested.

Sign the petition to show that Americans love their libraries!

More than Books on the Shelves

The library’s collection of books is only part of what makes it a community resource. Children’s programming is a particular focus. Families can attend weekly storytimes in both English and Spanish, while children also have the chance to read to dogs through a weekly program. Craft activities take place during school in-service days and holidays, and the library hosts a twelve-week summer reading program for children and teens.

That summer program brings professional performers, crafts, and science activities into the library, giving young people opportunities to learn and have fun outside of school.

Programs like this aren’t just feel-good extras. Summer reading loss, often called the “summer slide,” is a well-documented drag on literacy, especially for kids from lower-income households.

These programs reflect something that has been true about the library from the beginning: A public library is about more than what people can borrow. It can be a place where children discover a love of reading, families find free activities, and neighbors have a place to gather.

Send an email to your Representatives to show your support for libraries!

Just the Beginning 

Keizer’s new status opens doors that were closed before. The library can now apply for state grants, including Oregon’s Ready to Read program, worth as much as $7,000 last year alone. It could also join the Chemeketa Cooperative Regional Library Service, giving local patrons access to materials from eighteen libraries across the region.

For a library running on a budget of about $59,000, that kind of funding goes a long way. Libraries typically stretch every dollar they get even further, so the impact could be even larger.

Support Your Local Library

Keizer’s story is a reminder that libraries do not become essential community spaces on their own. They grow because people believe in them, volunteer their time, show up to events, donate what they can, and speak up for the resources their communities need.

You can do the same in your own community. Visit your local library, attend a program, volunteer, donate, or learn more about the issues affecting libraries in your area.

If you want to help libraries thrive everywhere, consider supporting EveryLibrary’s work to protect and strengthen public libraries across the country. Every community deserves a library, and every one of us can play a part in making sure libraries have the support they need.