The mission of the Forest Grove City Library is to bring people, information and ideas together to enrich lives.
To fulfill our mission, we rely on these vital resources:
Our staff and volunteers
Our physical and virtual spaces
Our collections, programs and services
Our collaborative relationships
Our mission’s guiding principles are:
Promote reading, learning and literacy
Foster community
Support intellectual freedom
Adapt and innovate
History
In 1908 the City of Forest Grove established a tax to support a public library, the first in Washington County. Initially housed in a stationery store at 21st Avenue and College Way, the library became a city department in 1974. In 1976 the City of Forest Grove was awarded a federal grant to construct a Municipal Services Center that would include a new library. The Forest Grove City Library was dedicated in October of 1978, and was 11,000 square feet. In 1998 voters approved a $5 million bond measure to expand the library by 15,000 sq. ft. A remodel of the older space was completed in 2007.