Enriching our Diverse Community. Advancing Literacy.

Portland Public Library (PPL) offers free access to reliable information that is shared among all community members. Serving as the City’s cultural center since 1867, PPL is Maine’s largest public library system and the most visited cultural institution in the state. The primary activity is the lending of over 300,000 books (print and digital), magazines, audio and visual materials, and archival materials. PPL serves all community members through the Downtown Library and three neighborhood branches in Portland (Peaks Island, Deering Center, Riverton), as well as a Bookmobile. Our commitment is to serve everyone in our community, including families, children, and teens; New Americans and those for whom English is not a first language; those who are in transition, those experiencing homelessness, those in need of a safe space to be quiet and read, people learning about other belief systems and perspectives, and those seeking social connection.

The library is a 501(c)3 cultural organization with a staff of 53 FTE and is governed by a Board of Trustees.

OUR MISSION

Portland Public Library fosters learning, discovery, joy, and conversation to enrich our diverse community and advance literacy.

OUR VISION

Portland Public Library will be the civic and cultural center of a dynamic region in which citizens are literate, informed, and engaged.  The Library will provide resources and experiences that inspire imagination, curiosity, awareness, and learning.  The Library will embrace change and evolve to meet the needs of the community.

OUR VALUES

• Freedom
• Inclusion
• Equity
• Diversity
• Creativity
• Collaboration
• Sustainability