Oakland Main Library Feasibility Study

The Oakland Public Library has embarked on a feasibility study to explore options for the expansion or relocation of the Oakland Main Library that will gather input through a community engagement process and numerous community workshops. Oakland residents of all ages and from all parts of the city will be encouraged to re-imagine the educational and social experience at the Main Library. The goal is to hear directly from the broadest range of Oakland residents about how they use the library and what they want to see in their Main Library in the future. The Feasibility Study will develop a final Report during 2024, and updates will be posted here along the way.

Please see the following summary of the Feasibility Study Process.

COMMUNITY WORKSHOPS AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENBT PROCESS

• Community Workshop Events:

1. July 13th, 2023 - Community Workshop #1 at East Oakland Boxing
2. August 5th, 2023 - Storytelling Workshop
3. September 28th, 2023 - Community Workshop #2 at The Oakland Asian Cultural Center
4. October 19th, 2023- Community Workshop #3 at The Eastside Arts Alliance
5. October 25th, 2023 - Community Workshop #4 at DeFremery Recreation Center
6. November 9th, 2023 - Community Workshop #5 at Charles Porter Golden Gate Recreation Center

• Online Community Surveys:  
  • The first Community Online Survey was open from October 2023 - May of 2024. We received over 500 survey responses that will help the Feasibility Study team better understand the community’s vision for a re-imagined Oakland Main Library Branch. The survey gathered feedback on programs and services, the physical attributes of the current facility, and your ideas for a new state-of-the-art Oakland Main Library Branch.

  • A second online survey will be released later in 2024 to gather community feedback on the proposed program for the Feasibility Study. 

     

• Oakland Main Library Feasibility Study Community Advisory Committee
• The Advisory Committee is composed of 30 members who will share their opinions and perspectives, study issues, and advise the Project Lead Team, which is composed of members from Oakland Public Library, Oakland Public Works, and two community-focused architectural and planning partners. Oakland has so many outstanding community-based organizations and we wanted to leverage those networks to spread the word about the Oakland Main Library Feasibility Study. We asked organizations that love the library and want to play a role in planning for the future to help us reach your communities. 

DRAFT FEASIBILITY STUDY PREPARATION:

• Building on feedback from the Community Engagement process and the interactions with Oakland Public Library staff, the study team is preparing draft content for the Feasibility Study Report, starting with a proposed project program. Draft materials will be reviewed with the Advisory Committee and OPL Staff for feedback,.

FINAL PUBLIC PRESENTATION:

• The final public presentation of the Feasibility Study Findings will be to the Library Commission in late 2024 – exact schedule to be confirmed.