Address: 270 Forest Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94301
Hours: Tues-Wed: 10-6; Thurs: 12-7
Fri- Sat: 10-6; Sun-Mon: Closed
Services
The Downtown Branch offers a small basic collection of books for adults, including popular titles and best sellers. It has media including DVDs and CDs, and a small assortment of magazines and newspapers. There is a small collection of children's books and media. You will find free wireless access, loaner laptops and public internet terminals at Downtown Library. A small conference room (seating up to 4 people) is available for use by the public. The building also houses the Library's Administrative office and Technical Services operation.
Travel Instructions
HIGHWAY 101 (South): Take the University Ave. exit, and turn right. Turn left at Bryant (in the Downtown area). Drive two blocks to the corner of Forest and Bryant. The entrance to the parking lot is to your right off Bryant after Forest.
HIGHWAY 101 (North): Take the Embarcadero Rd West exit which will go back over the freeway. Continue along Embarcadero to Bryant Street. Turn right on Bryant. The entrance to the library parking lot will be to your left, off Bryant, right before Forest Ave.
HIGHWAY 280 (North & South): Take the Page Mill Rd. exit (Northbound travelers turn right; southbound travelers turn left). Follow Page Mill (which becomes Oregon Expressway as you cross El Camino), and exit Oregon at Alma Street "North". Proceed on Alma to Forest Ave., and turn right. Turn right on Ramona, and enter the library parking lot on your left.
EL CAMINO REAL (North & South): From Mountain View (northbound travelers) turn right at University Ave. and then right again at Bryant St. The library will be to your right at the corner of Bryant and Forest. From Menlo Park (southbound travelers), turn left on University Ave. and right on Bryant St. The entrance to the library parking lot is to your right off Bryant after Forest Ave.
BUS ROUTE: Bus or CalTrain to the Palo Alto Depot. Walk under the railroad tracks to University Ave, and go three blocks to Ramona St. Turn right on Ramona, and walk two blocks to Forest Ave.
PARKING: There is free parking at the rear of the library building as well as beneath the Civic Center located directly across the street. All street and lot parking is limited to two hours.
History of the Downtown Library
In 1958 the City of Palo Alto opened the Main Library at 1213 Newell Road. The original Carnegie Library on the corner of Hamilton and Bryant was renamed the Downtown Branch. By 1967, this branch was relocated to a storefront at 420 Ramona Street, because of the scheduled demolition of the Carnegie building to make way for the construction of the Civic Center. In 1971, the new Downtown Branch Library opened at 270 Forest Avenue, across from the police wing of the City Hall.
The new facility was designed as a joint-use building for the Library and the Recreation Department. Two large meeting rooms were included to be made available to community organizations for gatherings of all types. For some years, the facility also housed the newly-formed Senior Services Program which in 1978 moved to its present quarters in the old Downtown Police and Fire Station on Bryant and eventually became Avenidas.
