Individuals may borrow items from the State Library by:
- Asking their local library to request materials through Interlibrary Loan; or
- Registering for a library account (Oregonians only) and borrowing directly from the State Library.
Borrowing from your local library
Each Oregon library has their own procedures for borrowing materials from the State Library. Contact your local library for details.
Borrowing directly from the State Library
Materials may be requested by visiting the library between 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm, Monday – Friday. We strongly encourage making an appointment to borrow materials. Most State Library collections are not on open, browsable shelves and must be retrieved by library staff. In addition, staffing availability may not support immediate walk-ins. To schedule an appointment, please call 503-378-8800, email LibraryHelp.SLO@slo.oregon.gov, or complete this form. Masks and social distancing are welcome, but not required.
Oregon residents must register for a library account to borrow materials. To register, you must present valid photo ID and proof of current address.
Valid Photo ID types:
- State of Oregon driver license, driver permit or ID card issued by DMV
- Passport
- Student ID card
- Military ID card
- Out-of-state driver license
- Other ID may be accepted on a case-to-case basis and approval by the Program Manager
If your Photo ID does not have your current address, you will need to present a document issued within last 30 days to verify your current address. This could be:
- Gas/electric bill
- Water/sewer bill
- Phone bill
- Cable bill
- Pay stub
Information about directions and parking can be found on our Visiting the State Library page.