The Civic Center Branch is located in the Marin County Civic Center Administration Building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Library opened in this space upon completion of the building in 1962 and is located on the 4th floor under the 80-foot dome. 

The Civic Center Branch is also home to the Anne T. Kent California History Room. The California Room is an archive with an emphasis on the history and culture of Marin County.

Address

3501 Civic Center Drive # 427
San Rafael, CA 94903

View Directions

Phone

Information Recording: (415)499-6056
Circulation: (415)499-6057
Reference: (415)499-6058
Children's Services: (415)507-4048

Branch Manager: Eva Patterson

On Display

Green Living Library

The Civic Center Branch is also home to the Green Living Library. The collection includes a wide variety of materials on sustainable living ranging from renewable resources, alternative energy, eco-friendly building and remodeling techniques to green business practices. You can see what is available in this collection by searching the catalog using the phrase Green Living Library in the subject or the keyword box.

Events

Storytime with Miss Kitty

You can bring your children to storytime every Wednesday.

Toddler Storytime: For ages 2-3 from 10:30 - 10:50 am

Preschool Storytime: For ages 3 and up from 3:30 - 4:00 pm

 

The afternoon preschool storytime will take a summer break from June 23 to July 28.  It will resume on August 4 with Daffy Dave.

The morning toddler storytime will continue through the summer.

Brown Bag Book Club

Civic Center Library Brown Bag Book Club meets on the 4th Wednesday of every month, at the Civic Center Library, from 12:00pm - 1:00pm. New members are always welcome! For more information, please call (415)499-6102.

Summer Reading at the Library

 

Everyone is welcome to read this summer at the Library.  Please follow the links below to learn how to sign up and be a member of the club.

 

Children can Make a Splash: Read

Toddlers through 5th graders may play the children's game.

 

Teens can Make Waves at Your Library

Sixth grade through 12th grade readers may sign up for the Teen game.

 

Adults this year have their own summer reading club: Water Your Mind: Read

 

 

 

All Summer Library events are free and generously sponsored by

The Friends of the Marin County Free Library

The Friends of the Civic Center Library

The Marin County Library Foundation

 

For any questions about Children's events, please call (415) 507-4048.

 

For Teen and Adult Summer reading questions, please call (415) 499-6058.

 

 

 

Children's Event - Pajama Story Time

Children's Event - Daffy Dave

Teen Event - End of Summer Party

Computer Training

The Civic Center Library offers free, one-one-one tutoring on email, searching the Internet, and using Microsoft Word and Excel.  For more information, please speak to a Reference Librarian or call (415)499-6102.

Special Resources

California Room

Contact Information:

Phone: (415) 499-7419

California Room Web Site

Consumer Guides

Continuing in the footsteps of Weiss Ratings' publication of well-respected ratings information, TheStreet.com offers a box set of consumer guides in the following eight subjects:

• automobile insurance
• Medicare prescription drug coverage
• elder care choices
• Medicare supplement insurance
• homeowner's insurance
• term life insurance
• long-term care insurance
• variable annuities

Each guide offers consumer information; accurate, objective data and recommendations; and worksheets and planners to assist in making prudent financial decisions.

These guides are available for in-library use at the Civic Center Branch. For more information, please call the Reference Desk at (415)499-6058.

Digital Reader/Printer and Flatbed Scanner

The Civic Center Branch has a digital reader/printer with a flatbed scanner. Images from microfilm or microfiche read with the digital reader/printer may be saved as jpg or pdf files to a flash drive. Images from source materials such as paper documents, books, photos, and slides scanned on the flatbed scanner may also be saved to a flash drive. Public internet stations are available for emailing files of scanned items.

 

If you would like instruction on use of this equipment, please call the Reference Desk at 499-6058 for an appointment.

Genealogical Research Tools

The Civic Center Library offers both HeritageQuest and Ancestry Library Edition for genealogical research.  Both include U.S. Census records and other primary-source documents.  Researchers find that these sources complement each other and use both to further their research.

HeritageQuest includes U.S. Census records and local history resources from the UMI Genealogical and Local History Collection.  "Researchers can use HeritageQuest Online to find their ancestors, trace their paths across America, and learn what life was like in the areas where they settled."

Ancestry Library Edition "includes records from the United States census; military records; court, land and probate records; vital and church records; directories; passenger lists, and more.  Similar information is also available for the United Kingdom, Canada and some European countries." 

Recycling

You can recycle your old cell phones, empty inkjet and laser printer cartridges, digital cameras, video games in their case, iPods, DVDs in their original case, laptop computers and household batteries at the Civic Center Library.

These items do not need to be in working condition, but if you still have the power cords and accessories please include them in your donation. You can drop your electronic items off any time the Library is open. There is a donation box under the Green Living Library sign near the Check Out Desk.

Frank Lloyd Wright

The Civic Center Library has a permanent collection of books, DVDs and videos about Frank Lloyd Wright and his architectural projects.

 

With the closure of the Marin County Civic Center gift shop, the Library now has some Frank Lloyd Wright merchandise for sale.  Items include books on Wright and the construction of the Civic Center, cloth book bags, coffee mugs and other small souvenirs.  Sales of these items will benefit the Friends of the Marin County Free Library.  Payment must be by cash or check.