Main Library

Welcome to the Main Library. Since its humble beginnings in 1890 in two rooms of the Bank of Santa Monica building, the Library has grown to become a gathering place with hundreds of thousands of visitors walking through our doors every year.

Located Downtown, the Library hosts an expansive collection of books, media, and resources. Discover library programs, author talks, and story times, available in-person and virtually. The Literacy Education for Adults & Families (LEAF) program includes literacy services for all ages. 

The facility is gold-rated by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a prestigious green building certification program. 

The campus hosts the Santa Monica History Museum and the Friends of the Library Bookstore, a non-profit, volunteer-run bookstore benefiting the library’s community programs. The Main Library is also graced by a cycle of murals originally created by artist Stanton Macdonald-Wright and the Underwater Canopy by artist Carl Cheng. Parking is available in the Main Library Parking Structure (entrance on 7th Street between Arizona Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard).

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