Oregon City Public Library

If you blot out the evergreens and the more pronounced topography, the center of Oregon City could be any bucolic small town in the U.S. And, right along with that, the Oregon City Library, which is associated with LINCC, the network linking together Clackamas County’s libraries, could also be in the said town.
The Oregon City Library sits in the middle of a small square block in a park like setting. The first time I went there, it was simply the Oregon City Library. Today, it is the Carnegie Center which, in addition to housing the library, has other community functions. The building is rectangular and stout, and with a brick exterior, and, as you approach it and walk around inside it, you may ask yourself if you’re in Sandpoint, ID (Sarah Palin’s hometown), Goodland, KS («motel and fast food central» on I-​70 upon crossing into KS from Colorado), or Saranac Lake, NY. It even has that cool smell of older libraries, even though there is no longer a card catalog.
Today, increasing area population has dictated that the Oregon City Library grow and be modernized. Thus, with the addition toward the back of the site, it will no longer be a rectangular structure sitting in the middle of this block. The action behind the barricades shows that the addition will more than double the size of this library. I hope that, when taken as a whole, the library looks good because the front part is so «Main Street USA» and that, internally, it will also function well and make sense.
In terms of service, it works out to about average. I have found that the professional librarians are more on point and that the technicians might be less so. As for the collection, it’s small because of space constraints. Perhaps that will also improve with the addition.
I liken the Oregon City Library to the Milwaukie Library, though I give the Milwaukie Library a more robust 3 stars than I do the Oregon City Library. Keep in mind that the Milwaukie Library has that area with plump chairs and where you could look out the big picture windows to the forested duck pond right next to it.

One of the more charming libraries in the Clackamas County system. It is located in the Carnegie Center in the historic McLoughlin neighborhood. The library was built in 1912 and the name is due to a grant for construction coming from the Carnegie Foundation. One of hundreds of «Carnegie Libraries» around the country. The building received a facelift in 2001 and is a nice bright space. It also seems small compared to some of the modern structures in neighboring cities.
The main floor is contains most of the resources (books, DVDs and books on tape) as well as eight computers in the research room. Downstairs, behind closed doors, is the children’s center. Nice that there is some space and separation.
My first visit was strategic when my son ‘had to have’ a particular DVD for a party. I visited several libraries that day (Lake Oswego, West Linn and Wilsonville) and the local copies kept being checked out just prior to our arrival. It was comedic. We finally arrived at Oregon City just a few minutes before they closed for the day and couldn’t find it on the shelves. Fortunately the librarian was able to locate the prized DVD in another section. So, I would say it isn’t necessarily organized in the most logical way.
There is only one self check-​out computer and we’ve had issues using it both times. If you are a local, keep in mind that you don’t need to rely on the limited resources in this particular library. Most resources in the Clackamas County system can be reserved on-​line and delivered to your local library. If I lived in Oregon City, I would use this functionality a lot, because the selection is superior elsewhere. The commercial arm of the library, Friends of the Library Bookstore, is located just down the street if you are in the mood to purchase, not just borrow.