The Oxnard Public Library is a free public library system operated by the City of Oxnard, California. It has three locations: the Downtown Main Library, the South Oxnard Branch Library, and the Colonia Branch Library.
History
Preface
The area, now known as the Oxnard Plain, was inhabited by Chumash Indians. Juan Cabrillo, a visitor reported to the Queen of Spain in 1542, described the area as the "land of everlasting summers". Approximately 50,000 Indians were in the vicinity. Then other European immigrants began to settle and farming became a major industry. The first church was built in 1900, and the Ventura County Railway was built for transporting beets from the field. Then the Oxnard Union High School District was formed in 1902. It was not until 1906 that educator and first mayor of Oxnard, Richard B. Haydock, applied for assistance to construct a library building from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation. Oxnard, the largest city in Ventura County, is the center of the vast alluvial plain which is now known as the Oxnard Plain, at 180 square miles is the richest agricultural land in California.
General
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.
Mission
Those local history collections are an accumulation of materials that provide information concerning Oxnard and Ventura County history. Materials include photographs, books, periodicals, and files of pertinent information. Its mission is to enrich the lives of the community by providing free and access to the resources, services, and programs that encourage learning and future success. They have abbreviated the mission as OPL.
Offer open access to all library resources
Provide quality customer service
Lead way to life-long learning
Local History Collection
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.