The Library's mission is to provide the people of Louisville
and Jefferson County with the broadest possible access to knowledge, ideas, and
information, and to support them in their pursuit of learning.
The Portland Branch has 11 computer workstations on its main
level, with access to the Internet. The computers can also be used to type
reports and resumes. The branch has wide variety of books for children and
adults, as well as a collection of videos and movies.
History: The Portland Branch Library, 3305 Northwestern
Parkway, is the third oldest branch in the Louisville Free Public Library
system. Since its founding in 1905, the Portland Branch has continually evolved
to better serve the needs of the community around it. In addition to checking
out books and magazines, patrons can also use one of the branch’s 11
state-of-the-art touch-screen computers for word processing, filling out
resumes, or just surfing the web.
The Portland Branch is also interested in inspiring the next
generation of readers and community leaders. Our auditorium is used for
children's story times, computer classes, guest speakers, and special events.
The auditorium is also available for use as a community meeting room. The
Portland Reading Program, a reading enrichment project sponsored by the Lincoln
Foundation, uses the auditorium daily during the school year. The Reading
Program coordinators, along with a committed group of high school students, help
children improve their reading and speaking abilities. The children are from
Portland Elementary, grades 1-3.
The Portland Branch Library first opened in rented quarters
at 2611 Portland Ave. with a collection that consisted of 1,400 books selected
from the Main Branch. The branch moved to Lewis Lodge on 26th St. in June 1907.
A grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation provided the funds for the
Library's permanent building. On October 24th, 1913, the Portland Branch opened
in its current location.
Service to the community has taken many forms over the last
century. During the 1937 flood, the Red Cross set up a first aid relief center
for flood refugees at the library. It helped more than 1,500 people before the
building had to be abandoned. The Portland Branch continues to reach out to the
community by forming partnerships with neighborhood schools and service agencies.
Hopefully, the library’s second century will be as successful as the first.
There are no fees charged for meeting room use.