About Us

Vision

Sacramento Public Library: The Essential Connection to a Vibrant Community

Mission

Sacramento Public Library provides ideas, information, and resources to help our community discover, learn, and grow.

Key Facts and Figures

Fourth largest library system in California, serving a population of over 1.3 million
Joint Power Authority governed by a 15-member board of elected officials
Annual budget of $32 million
28 locations with nearly 450,000 square feet of public space throughout the County of Sacramento, including 19 community rooms
280 staff members
A collection of 2 million volumes, with access to 9 million additional items through the Link+ Service
Circulation of over 7.5 million items each year
4.5 million visitors annually
Over 5,000 free programs for kids, teens, adults, and families each year
870 public computers and laptops
600,000 hours of access to public computers with Internet annually

A Brief History of the Sacramento Public Library

In 1857, some of Sacramento’s leading citizens, including Charles Crocker, Leland Stanford, Mark Hopkins, and C. P. Huntington, formed the Sacramento Library Association. In 1872, the Library Association purchased a downtown Sacramento lot and erected and furnished a new library building. Later, the Association turned the building over to the City of Sacramento with the requirement that it be a free library.

More than 150 years later, the Sacramento Public Library is still serving the residents of the greater Sacramento area. Although time and trends have changed the delivery of library services over the last century and a half, the Library has never changed its commitment to providing those services with excellence and professionalism. Today, the Library remains the heart of the community, meeting the needs of its diverse population and responding to ever-changing interests.