Live Oak Branch Library

Specialties

The Santa Cruz Public Libraries Transform Lives and Strengthens community. We connect people with the movies, music, and books they love for entertainment and learning in both electronic and traditional formats. We inspire people with a variety of relevant programs on topics of interest to the community. We inform people on topics most important to their lives through carefully selected resources, information literacy instruction, library classes, programming, and displays. Explore the heart of your community at the library.

History

Established in 1989.

The Live Oak Library opened in April, 1989 in what was meant to be a temporary store-​front location in the East Cliff Village Shopping Center. After surviving minor structural damage in the Loma Prieta earthquake of October 1989, the Live Oak Library continued to thrive in its «temporary» location for more than 6 years.

In late 1995, the decision was made to vacate the building after a leaky roof led to extensive damage. The Live Oak Library’s new location was to be found less than a mile away on Portola Drive on the Corcoran Lagoon.

The newly remodeled Live Oak Library (funded by the County Redevelopment Agency) opened on January 17, 2006. It includes an adult reading room, a young adult room, a storytime area, and a homework center – as well as significantly more space devoted to books and media. The new building features Craftsman-​Style design, public art, and beautiful views of Corcoran Lagoon. The Live Oak Branch Public Art was created by artists Kipp Kobayashi and Noël Korten.