View a Google map of the library's location at 2850 NE Brookwood Parkway.

The Foundation thanks all
who have made this dream a reality!

You’ve arrived at Hillsboro’s new main library. The parking lot is spacious, with plenty of places to park, and tall trees to shade your car on summer days. Lush landscaping greets you as you walk to the front door. This green scene helps you start to relax as you approach the building, a substantial structure that reflects civic pride.

Children's Area

The Childrens Center is full of vibrant colors and activities.  Children and their parents are attentively listening to story time. The children laugh with delight at a humorous story and then rise as a group to follow the librarian in a fingerplay and stretching activity. You look around, and observe that there are many interesting things to see. The bookshelves are low; everything is within children’s reach. There are stuffed animals from well-known childen's books, early literacy toys and other interesting things. This area is spacious.  Some older children are sitting quietly at computers, lost in concentration. You wish you were a child again; this looks like a fun place to spend time.

 Relaxing Reading Areas

Across the way, your gaze is drawn to the tall windows; there is abundant light and a lovely view of the neighboring ponds and walking trails. Nearby, there is a grouping of large stuffed chairs, perfect for reading and people watching. Racks of periodicals and newspapers invite your attention. There is so much going on in the world today, one newspaper just isn’t enough! And who knew there were so many different magazines? The stacks of adult fiction and non-fiction extend row after row. This is a place where you could spend some quality time; any sense of hurry fades away.

Computers and Study Areas

Along the center of the adult area, you notice a bank of computers and study tables enabling patrons to make electronic searches of the library resources, including books, audio and video materials, specialty databases, and full-text magazine articles and even to download audiobooks for listening later. There is a reference librarian at the "Ask a Librarian" desk, and she’s talking with someone and assisting him with the extensive reference section nearby. You remember the days of card catalogs and printed indexes to magazine articles; today’s computerized research methods put current information at your fingertips in record time.

Coffee Court

As you enter the library, you notice the Coffee Court on your right. Your senses are delighted by the aroma of fresh coffee, and you see people relaxing in the cafe area chairs. Books and beverages are natural partners, and a cup of tea or coffee looks very inviting; maybe you’ll stop by after you’ve checked out some books.

Public Meeting Room

Beyond the coffee area, you notice a meeting room available for public use. You find that this room is easy to reserve on the library's website.

Young Adult Area

By the entrance, you see the Young Adult area and think of your middle school-aged children. There is a lot to attract and hold their interest, including magazines, audiobooks, and award-winning fiction.  And there are comfortable lounging chairs.

Sense of Spaciousness

One of the things you like the most is the overall sense of spaciousness. There are lots of books - shelves and shelves of them - and areas with videos, books on tape or CD, and magazines …. but there is room between the shelves. You feel welcome to go down any aisle, even if someone else is already browsing that part of the collection. You remember the cramped old library, where the aisles were so narrow they felt like one-way streets.

Self-Checkout Area

After you’ve made your selections and reserved a few books from other libraries in the cooperative, you head for the self-checkout area. There is no delay; this is so simple; it’s easy to check out your own items.

A Place for the Community...

Now that you have your reading material, you wonder if there is still a cushy seat left in the Coffee Court….wait a minute, there’s your neighbor. You smile and wave hello, and head over to greet her. It’s a nice day, and you agree to meet outside at one of the benches overlooking the walking paths and pond. Might as well soak up some sunshine to go with the coffee and conversation.

This is the library we envisioned, and now this is the library we have.  It is a place where the community can come and explore the world of knowledge, of entertainment and literature, of ideas. It is inviting and welcoming. You are not rushed. You are encouraged to linger. You see neighbors and old friends, and realize this is a community center, a place for everyone with room to expand as our community grows.

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