Oxnard Public Library
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The Oxnard Public Library is a public library system which is freely operated by the City of Oxnard, California. There are three current locations which are, the Downtown Main Library, the South Oxnard Branch Library, and the Colonia Branch Library.[citation needed]
History[edit]
The Oxnard Public Library first opened in 1907. It is located on the corner of C and Fourth Streets. The library was funded by the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. Later in 1909, the library opened up deposit stations where they would maintain a few collections of books. The deposit stations eventually became library branches. The branches were maintained in Port Hueneme, Moorpark, Saticoy, Camarillo, Somis, and Santa Susana. However, those branches were dissolved in 1915 by the Ventura County Board of Supervisors(VCBS). The VCBS established the Oxnard Library branches into the Ventura County Library System. During that time, the City of Oxnard leaders wanted to keep the Oxnard Public Library as a city library. So, it stayed separate from the County Library System.
Over the years, the library went through a few building expansions. In 1956, it introduced a bookmobile service. This was the library’s first extension. In 1963, the library moved its Main Library to its second location on the corner of C and Second streets. In 1922, the library moved to its current location at 251 South A Street. The newest location provides space for additional books, audio-visual materials, meeting rooms, an amphitheater, and study rooms. In 2000, the library added public computers, a computer lab, and an automated book return system.
In 1989, the bookmobile was replaced by the opening of the South Oxnard Center Branch Library. In 2007, the branch also went through a renovation and was relapsed by a state-of-the-art 23,000 square-foot building. The new and improved South Oxnard Branch Library provides additional services that include a homework center, study rooms, Children’s, Teens, and Spanish-language sections, public computers, a computer lab, and a self-check-in and check-out system.
In 1978, the Colonia Branch Library opened. This library also provides services such as public computers, class visits, and special programs for all ages.[1]
The Local History Collection[edit]
The Oxnard Public Library is committed to preserving the local history and culture of Oxnard. The Local History Collection is placed in the Special Collection Room in the Main Library. The materials available in this collection are information collected from Oxnard and Ventura County history. There are books, photographs, periodicals, and other files in this collection. The collection is available for public access. All related material can be accessed with appointments that can be made with a reference librarian.
One of the collected materials is books that are valuable to the history of Oxnard City and Ventura County. The Special Collection Room has various school yearbooks that are mostly from Oxnard High School. For many years, these books were donated to the collection. The yearbooks have become quite popular in the library so they started buying the Oxnard High School yearbooks each year. There are a few gaps in the yearbook collection as it was mostly donated. The library is actively looking for those missing books. They have the first yearbook from 1906 to the present. There are also various personal memoirs of Ventura County residents including a scrapbook of notes and photographs of a French immigrant family. Along with personal testimonies, there are biographical dictionaries of prominent citizens in the area during the 20th century. The history of the first farmers in that area along with individual biographies of people like banker Achille Levy and Senator Thomas Bard are all available. Furthermore, there are books that detail the raising and processing of sugar beets because the American Beet Sugar Company refinery was built in 1898 in Oxnard. The refinery helped develop the town, Oxnard. Additionally, the collection also hosts telephone and street directories since 1908. These can be used for genealogical research or identifying a particular business that isn’t open anymore.
The Oxnard Public Library subscribes to The Ventura County Historical Society Quarterly. This means that the quarterly is available on the library’s online catalog. The quarterly can also be viewed in the Special Collection Room in the Main Library. A photocopy machine is provided in the room if you want a copy of any article. You can also request a copy by contacting your local public library and loan the said article through an interlibrary loan.
The library possesses The Oxnard Press-Courier on microfilm from January 1900 to June 1994, when it ended. From June 1994 and onwards, the library began microfilming the Ventura County Star. Some of the newspapers are available on the library’s online catalog, starting from 1900 to 1904 and 1954 to 1996. The Los Angeles Times is also on microfilm from 1972 to the present.[2]
Shades of California Program[edit]
The Oxnard Public Library is one of nine libraries in the state of California to have participated in a photo history project known as the “Shades of California” program. In 1998, Library guests and members of the surrounding communities were invited to bring in their own personal collections of family photos and albums. Volunteers were tasked with making selections in addition to gathering contextual information regarding the selected photographs. Digital versions of the archive are made available online by the library.[2]
Services[edit]
Oxnard Public Library[edit]
The Oxnard Public Library is open from Mondays to Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Also known as the Downtown Main Library, The Oxnard Public Library's Computer Lab, located on the second floor, has 22 public computers with internet access available for free with a one-hour time limit. The Homework Center has 8 computers and provides help for 1st through 12th graders. During the school year, it’s open Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The library also provides online tutoring programs and computer assistance.
The library hosts storytimes for kids. The baby/toddler storytime for 18 to 36 months old is on Wednesday mornings from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Preschool storytime for 3 to 5-year-olds is on Tuesday morning from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. For more information, you can call the Children’s Reference Desk.
Because of COVID-19 many of their in-person services are on hold. Please check with the library for current updates.[3]
Resources and Databases[edit]
The Oxnard Public Library offers to its patrons online versions of the Ventura County Star, the local newspaper publication circulating in Ventura County. Among other newspaper publications made available include ProQuest Research Companion which is made available for library Patrons.[4]
Literacy Outreach Program[edit]
The Oxnard Public Library also provides what is known as the Literacy Outreach Program where free one-on-one tutoring is available to adults of the community over the age of 18 who are ready and willing to meet regularly with a volunteer tutor.
South Oxnard Branch Library[edit]
The South Oxnard Library is open from Mondays to Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
The library has a Homework Center that provides one-on-one help for K-12th graders. During the school year, it’s open Monday through Thursday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. The summer hours vary and you can find out when they’re open by calling them. The library also provides internet access, word processing, printing for students, slideshow software, and computer assistance. The library has 24 computers with internet access available, free of charge. Four study rooms are available on a first-come basis. There’s no advanced reservation available. Each room has a two-hour limit.
The library hosts storytimes for kids. The baby/toddler storytime for infants to 3-year-olds is on Monday mornings from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. The school-age storytime for K through 3rd graders is on Monday afternoons from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Preschool storytime for 3 to 5-year-olds is on Wednesday morning from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.[5]
Colonia Branch Library[edit]
The Colonia Branch Library is open from Monday to Thursday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
This branch has 6 computers with internet access for free.
Carnegie Oxnard Public Library[edit]
The Carnegie Oxnard Public Library, now the Carnegie Art Museum, resides at 424 South C St. Oxnard, CA 93030. It was originally built and opened in 1906 under a $12,000 Carnegie grant. The building was designed by Los Angeles architect Franklin Burnham. The Carnegie building was a functioning library up until 1963. It wouldn’t be until 1978 when it was renovated and reopened in 1980 as the Carnegie Art Museum.[6]
References[edit]
- ↑ "About the Library — City Of Oxnard". www.oxnard.org. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Oxnard Public Library Local History Collection — City Of Oxnard". www.oxnard.org. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ↑ "Oxnard Public Library". opl.polarislibrary.com. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ↑ "Resources and Databases — City Of Oxnard". www.oxnard.org. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ↑ "South Oxnard Branch Library — City Of Oxnard". www.oxnard.org. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ↑ "Colonia Branch Library — City Of Oxnard". www.oxnard.org. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
External links[edit]
Official Website for Oxnard Public Library
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