Oakland Carnegie Libraries

Oakland's Main Library was at the corner of 14th and Grove Streets (now 14th and Martin Luther King Jr. Way) from 1902-1950. It housed the city's largest circulating collection and special collections like sheet music and volumes of local history collected in the California Room. The building also served as headquarters for management of branch libraries throughout the city and (briefly) throughout Alameda County. This building served as the city's Main Library until a new Main opened at 125 14th Street in 1951. From 1951-1971 it served as the Charles S. Greene Branch, and was then converted into administrative offices. The building closed after damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. It was retrofitted to preserve its original style, and was reopened as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO) in 2002. The American Beaux-Arts style building was designed by architects Bliss and Faville, with interior murals by artists Marion Holden-Pope and Arthur Mathews. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. In the early 20th Century Andrew Carnegie donated funds for the construction of 1,681 library buildings throughout the United States. The Main Library was one of five "Carnegie Libraries" constructed in the Oakland Public Library system. In 1900, Carnegie gave $50,000 to fund construction of a new Main Library, which opened at 659 14th Street in 1902. In 1916, Carnegie gave an additional $140,000 to fund new buildings for four branch libraries in Oakland: Melrose, 23rd Avenue, Golden Gate, and Alden (renamed Temescal in the 1940s). The Melrose Branch opened at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in 1916. The three other branches opened in 1918: Golden Gate at 5606 San Pablo Avenue, Alden/Temescal at 5205 Telegraph Avenue, and 23rd Avenue at 1449 Miller Avenue. The Golden Gate, Melrose, and Temescal Branch Libraries have been continually in use as branch libraries since they opened. The 23rd Avenue Branch was used as branch library until 1976. It was destroyed by a fire and razed in 2018.

The 23rd Avenue Branch Library's Carnegie building opened in 1918. The Spanish Colonial Revival style building was designed by architects Charles W. Dickey and John J. Donovan, and constructed by builders Nielsen & Bertelsen. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building served as a branch library until 1976. Colloquially known as the Miller Avenue Branch, it was officially renamed the Ina D. Coolbrith Branch in 1968 and repurposed as the Latin American Library in 1972. The building was used as a school and for other non-library purposes before it was completely vacated in the early 1990s. It was destroyed by a fire and razed in 2018. In the early 20th Century Andrew Carnegie donated funds for the construction of 1,681 library buildings throughout the United States. The 23rd Avenue Branch was one of five "Carnegie Libraries" constructed as part of the Oakland Public Library system. In 1900, Carnegie gave $50,000 to fund construction of a new Main Library, which opened at 659 14th Street in 1902. In 1916, Carnegie gave an additional $140,000 to fund new buildings for four branch libraries in Oakland: Melrose, 23rd Avenue, Golden Gate, and Alden (renamed Temescal in the 1940s). The Melrose Branch opened at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in 1916. The three other branches opened in 1918: Golden Gate at 5606 San Pablo Avenue, Alden/Temescal at 5205 Telegraph Avenue, and 23rd Avenue at 1449 Miller Avenue. The Golden Gate, Melrose, and Temescal Branch Libraries have been continually in use as branch libraries since they opened.

The Golden Gate Branch Library opened at 5606 San Pablo Avenue in 1918. The Georgian Revival style building was designed by architects Charles W. Dickey and John J. Donovan and constructed by builder R.W. Littlefield. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the early 20th Century Andrew Carnegie donated funds for the construction of 1,681 library buildings throughout the United States. The Golden Gate Branch is one of five "Carnegie Libraries" constructed as part of the Oakland Public Library system. I n 1900, Carnegie gave $50,000 to fund construction of a new Main Library, which opened at 659 14th Street in 1902. In 1916, Carnegie gave an additional $140,000 to fund new buildings for four branch libraries in Oakland: Melrose, 23rd Avenue, Golden Gate, and Alden (renamed Temescal in the 1940s). The Melrose Branch opened at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in 1916. The three other branches opened in 1918: Golden Gate at 5606 San Pablo Avenue, Alden/Temescal at 5205 Telegraph Avenue, and 23rd Avenue at 1449 Miller Avenue. The Golden Gate, Melrose, and Temescal Branch Libraries have been continually in use as branch libraries since they opened. The 23rd Avenue Branch was used as branch library until 1976. It was destroyed by a fire and razed in 2018.

The Alden Branch Library opened at 5205 Telegraph Avenue in 1918. It was renamed the Temescal Branch in 1949. The Tudor Revival style building was designed by architects Charles W. Dickey and John J. Donovan and constructed by builder R.W. Littlefield. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the early 20th Century Andrew Carnegie donated funds for the construction of 1,681 library buildings throughout the United States. The Temescal Branch is one of five "Carnegie Libraries" constructed as part of the Oakland Public Library system. In 1900, Carnegie gave $50,000 to fund construction of a new Main Library, which opened at 659 14th Street in 1902. In 1916, Carnegie gave an additional $140,000 to fund new buildings for four branch libraries in Oakland: Melrose, 23rd Avenue, Golden Gate, and Alden (renamed Temescal in the 1940s). The Melrose Branch opened at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in 1916. The three other branches opened in 1918: Golden Gate at 5606 San Pablo Avenue, Alden/Temescal at 5205 Telegraph Avenue, and 23rd Avenue at 1449 Miller Avenue. The Golden Gate, Melrose, and Temescal Branch Libraries have been continually in use as branch libraries since they opened. The 23rd Avenue Branch was used as branch library until 1976. It was destroyed by a fire and razed in 2018.

The Melrose Branch opened at 4805 Foothill Boulevard in 1916. The Classical Revival style building was designed by architect William H. Weeks and constructed by builder C. Chistensen. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the early 20th Century Andrew Carnegie donated funds for the construction of 1,681 library buildings throughout the United States. The Melrose Branch is one of five "Carnegie Libraries" constructed as part of the Oakland Public Library system. In 1900, Carnegie gave $50,000 to fund construction of a new Main Library, which opened at 659 14th Street in 1902. This building served as the city's Main Library until a new Main opened at 125 14th Street in 1951. From 1951-1989 it served as the Charles S. Greene Branch, but was closed because of damage from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. The building was retrofitted and reopened as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO) in 2002. In 1916, Carnegie gave an additional $140,000 to fund new buildings for four branch libraries in Oakland: Melrose, 23rd Avenue, Golden Gate, and Alden (renamed Temescal in the 1940s). Construction began first on the Melrose Branch, as a site was secured rapidly, and the library opened in 1916. The three other branches opened in 1918: Golden Gate at 5606 San Pablo Avenue, Alden/Temescal at 5205 Telegraph Avenue, and 23rd Avenue at 1449 Miller Avenue. The Golden Gate, Melrose, and Temescal Branch Libraries have been continually in use as branch libraries since they opened. The 23rd Avenue Branch was used as branch library until 1976. It was destroyed by a fire and razed in 2018.