Innovative Cultural Institution in Downtown Long Beach

Billie Jean King Main Library

The first Long Beach library opened on January 1, 1896, in a small, wooden shack on the oceanfront between Pacific and Pine. In 1899, the library relocated to City Hall, next to Pacific Park (later renamed Lincoln Park). A decade later, in 1909, a new Carnegie Main library opened in the park, close to the site of the current Main Library.

For more than six decades, the Main Library in Lincoln Park served the growing Long Beach community. The building’s limited space, however, along with a devastating 1972 fire, made construction of a new library a necessity. In 1973, work began on a new Long Beach Civic Center, and in 1977, a new Main Library opened in the park once more.

On September 21, 2019, the City of Long Beach unveiled the new Billie Jean King Main Library next to the park, at the corner of Broadway and Pacific.

View a map of the Billie Jean King Main Library (PDF).

Library Amenities

• Public Computers
• Free Wifi
• Wireless Printing (fees apply)
• Copier (fees apply)
• Community Meeting Rooms (fees apply)
• Veterans Resource Center
• The Studios
• Family Learning Center
• Center for Adaptive Technology (CAT)
• Special Collections
• The Miller Room
• Friends of the Library
• Air Conditioning
• Exterior Book Drop for after hours returns
• Guided Group Visits by appointment

Accessibility

• Fully ADA Compliant
• Accessible Main Entrance
• Accessible Restrooms
• Center for Adaptive Technology
• Elevator Access to All Library Floors
• Hearing Loop in Community Meeting Room
• Designated Parking in Garage

Parking Options

• Parking in Civic Center Garage: first 30 minutes free, $2.00 for first 3 hours then $2.00 each additional 30 minutes with library validation, $12.00 maximum
• Metered Street Parking
• Bike Rack

Visit ParkLB for more info about parking downtown.

Bus Routes

A majority of Long Beach Transit buses stop near this location including the Passport Shuttle. The Metro Blue Line is also nearby.

Visit Long Beach Transit for up to date bus schedules.