The Contra Costa County Library is the Contra Costa County, California, U.S. public library system. There are 26 community libraries including the Martinez Library listed in the NRHP, access to electronic information through a website, more than 455,000 cardholders, and more than 7 million items borrowed annually. His head office is in Martinez.
History:
The Contra Costa County Library was founded in 1913 and made a commitment to comprehensive, county-wide service. The Martinez Free Reading Room and Library Association was founded in 1896 and the Richmond Public Library was founded in 1909.
By the 1920s, there were over 40 branches and 64 public schools were also served by the Contra Costa County Library. The Library started to represent the newly emerging suburban nature of the county it served during the years after World War II. The Library began an ambitious plan to construct much larger branch buildings in the mid-1950s. This eventually led to most of the buildings used by the library today were constructed. Fifteen of the 21 library buildings now in use were opened between 1958 and 1974. These included the first central library of the county and the nearby administrative and technical services building that opened in 1961. There are currently 26 community libraries and anywhere there is an online service available.
The Pleasant Hill branch features a donated collection of historical books on California in a special cabinet in its adult fiction area.
Service:
Both physical and online collections are available in the library. In order to access most services, users require a library card that is given for free.
Approximate service utilization estimates for 2009–2010 include 455,000 cardholders and more than 7 million borrowed items; 400,000 online subscription site searches, 600,000 online renewed items, 700,000 online catalog collections, 30,000 eBooks circulated, and 150,000 program participants.
Other programs
Project Second Chance
Project Second Chance (PSC), the adult literacy curriculum of the Contra Costa County Library, was created in 1984. PSC provides basic instruction in literacy to adults through volunteers. Since it launched, the program has helped over 4,000 people improve their ability to read, write, and spell.
Discover & Go
Discover and Go is a Contra Costa County Library's 2011 museum pass program that provides free and discounted passes to local museums and cultural institutions to California library cardholders. The 2012 National Medal for Museum and Library Service was presented to Discover & Go, the nation's highest recognition honoring outstanding museum and library contributions. With grant funding from the California State Library, the system continues to expand.
