As one of America’s Star Libraries, the Newport Beach Public Library offers a wide range of informational resources and public services. The Central Library and its three branch libraries, Mariners, Corona del Mar and Balboa, are active centers for information discovery, recreation and education.
In recent years, library officials have been studying how patrons use their branches. They found that most come to study or plug laptops into work spaces.
Collections
The Newport Beach Public Library maintains a diverse collection of materials to meet the informational, educational and recreational needs of its community. To achieve this goal, the Library seeks to balance materials of permanent value with those of current interest, within the constraints of space and budget.
The central library, located at 2400 Main Street in the heart of Newport Beach, houses a broad array of books, periodicals, DVDs and other media. New self-checkout machines, which employ RFID technology (Radio Frequency IDentification), allow patrons to easily check out and return books and other items by displaying their library cards.
The NBPL also provides access to a broad variety of archival collections. These specialized collections provide the opportunity for research and discovery about local history, culture and society.
Services
The Newport Beach Public Library is an active center for information discovery, cultural arts programs and exhibits, literary lectures, and a wide variety of services and activities designed to enhance the quality of life in our community. The Central Library, located in the heart of downtown Newport Beach, and the three branch libraries, Mariners, Balboa and Corona del Mar, serve as focal points for cultural enrichment.
The most recent major accomplishment was the completion of a 17,000 square foot addition to the Central Library in May 2013. This expansion connected the Central Library to the new Newport Beach Civic Center and Park and added study space, a Cafe and Media Lab, bringing total Central Library floor space to 71,000 square feet.
Locations
Located at 5825 Civic Center Drive in downtown Newport Beach, the Central Library is the city’s main repository for books, movies and music. It’s also home to a host of services for the whole family, including literacy programs and state-of-the-art computers.
NBPL’s award-winning Central Library has a number of innovative features that set it apart from the competition. One of the most noteworthy is the self-checkout machines that use RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) technology to speed up checkout times by as much as 50 percent.
The Central Library is also home to the Newport/Mesa ProLiteracy, a literacy program that offers free tutoring for adults interested in improving their English reading and writing skills. The Library’s newest feature is the Central Library expansion, a 17,000 square foot building that links the central library with the new Civic Center and Park while adding a cafe and media lab.
There’s also a plethora of other amenities and services for the public to enjoy, ranging from used book sales to a wisteria-covered courtyard.
Events
The Newport Beach Public Library hosts a variety of events. These include Sunday Musicales, a series of outstanding classical and instrumental concerts held monthly at 3 p.m. in the Friends Meeting Room of the Central Library, 1000 Avocado Avenue, Newport Beach.
The City of Newport Beach holds its annual Concerts on the Green summer series on the Newport Beach Civic Center Green (100 Civic Center Drive, Newport Beach). Attendees are encouraged to bring low-slung beach chairs and blankets for an evening of fun with gourmet food trucks on site.
The Newport Beach Library Foundation recently received a $4 million donation from the Witte family to build a new lecture hall. The hall will be named for the family, bringing more diverse speakers and performances to the community. Jill Johnson-Tucker, chairwoman of the city’s design committee and also a member of the library board of trustees, said the new building will be a significant improvement for the library.