History of the Roseville Public Library
The Roseville Public Library was signed into existence by the City of Roseville’s Board of Trustee (City Council), William Sawtell, on January 16, 1911. In 1912, with the assistance of the renowned philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, the Roseville Public Library opened its doors at 557 Lincoln Street to citizens of the region, assisting them in their reading and information needs. The Carnegie building still stands and serves as a museum for Roseville's cultural heritage.
In 1956, the Veteran's Memorial Hall in Royer Park had its grand opening and served as the first branch library to the community. After the Veteran's Hall location had been closed for some time, the Coloma Way branch opened its doors in 1978, operating well into the mid-90s. In 1979, books and materials were moved from the aging Carnegie building to the Downtown Library off of Taylor Street heralding a new main library facility for the city.
In 1990, the Maidu Library opened and has been serving patrons of eastern Roseville ever since. In 2005, the Library Department became a division of Parks & Recreation. The Martha Riley Community Library, located in Mahany Park, opened its doors in 2008 to serve customers on the west side of Roseville.
In 2011, the Maidu Museum & Historic Site merged with libraries under the management of the City Librarian.
Fun Facts
Three locations in the western, central and eastern parts of Roseville
500,000+ visitors per year
About 1 million items checked out each year
Interlibrary loan requests for items not available in our collection
Wi-Fi, computers and printers for public use
Programs for children, teens and adults
A literacy program that helps adults improve basic reading, writing and other skills
Local History Center that collects documents and photographs from Roseville’s past
Electronic material for checkout including e-books, e-audiobooks, e-readers and Chromebooks