Stepping into the atrium of Bend’s new Central Library(opens in new tab), first-time visitors may pause in surprise. Instead of encountering a checkout counter and hushed voices, visitors experience a soaring space filled with natural light, a monumental suspended art installation, the aroma of fresh coffee, the buzz of conversations and even live music on certain days.
Sure, stacked books inhabit the space as well, but at a human scale, even in the children’s section. The space is filled with kids darting in and out of the movable stacks, parents conversing with friends around tables, while others stand at the large glass window on the ground floor, mesmerized by the automated sorting of just-returned books.
The staircase at the atrium center pulls one’s curiosity upward for a closer look at “Juniper,” the colossal wood sculpture(opens in new tab) suspended over the slated wooden staircase. Created by Seattle artist John Grade(opens in new tab), the 52-foot-wide work is inspired by the growth rings of Central Oregon juniper trees. It is crafted from 7,400 pieces of salvaged Alaskan yellow cedar and suspended by more than 1,200 nearly invisible steel cables. It weighs more than 2,000 pounds but appears to float midair.
More Than Books: What the Central Library Offers
Beyond its collection of 165,000 books, the Central Library offers a rich tapestry of welcoming spaces and experiences for every age and interest—from large community gathering rooms and intimate meeting spaces to coworking areas and quiet study rooms.
Teens hang out in a room of their own, while toddlers and young children delight in the Discovery Zone. Visitors browse the shelves, check out materials at the self-check-out stations with a library card, launch a business idea, learn how to create 3D prints in the MakerSpace(opens in new tab), attend a program and collect book-club kits for their reading groups.
All six public libraries have similar places for gathering and learning, and the county is widely recognized as having one of Oregon’s most innovative library systems. Yet three decades ago, the future of public libraries in Deschutes County was anything but certain.
The Impact of Federal Funding Cuts on Oregon Libraries
By the mid-1990s, the Downtown Bend Library was bursting at the seams. Like other libraries across Deschutes County, it struggled to keep pace with rapid growth and chronic underfunding. As a county department, libraries competed with other property tax-supported services, such as the Sheriff’s Office.
“The collection was badly outdated, with many materials decades old,” said Ann Malkin, longtime library advocate and president of the Deschutes Public Library District Board.
To modernize the collection, the library launched “Bucks for Books.” The grassroots campaign raised $120,000—including pennies collected by local children—but it couldn’t solve the larger problem.
Deschutes County announced it would stop funding library operations in 1997. The timing was particularly bad—the new Downtown Bend Library, paid for through a 1995 voter-approved bond, was set to open in 1998.
“We had a beautiful downtown library built and a community-sourced book fund, but we couldn’t open the building because we didn’t have money to run it,” said Chantal Strobel, interim director of the Deschutes Public Library Foundation.
How Voters Created the Deschutes Public Library District
Led by foundation president Bill Jayne and the library board, supporters proposed creating a Deschutes Public Library District as a permanent solution. It would be funded by a dedicated property tax rather than the county’s general fund.
Voters approved the measure by 65% in May 1998, but the election was invalidated because of low voter turnout.
Most library employees were laid off that summer. A one-year serial levy reopened the library while supporters regrouped. To ensure passage of a November 1998 ballot measure, library volunteers staffed phone banks, local businesses donated office space, and residents called voters to encourage support, according to Malkin, who remembers the effort as one that united people across Deschutes County.
The ballot passed, creating the Deschutes Public Library District and providing stable funding for operations and future capital projects.
Keeping Pace With Deschutes County’s Growth
When the Downtown Bend Library finally opened its doors, demand exceeded expectations.
“It was wildly apparent that the building was undersized,” Malkin said.
The library board and foundation immediately started long-range planning for future facilities.
As Deschutes County’s population grew from 115,367 residents in 2000 to nearly 200,000 by 2020, the library system once again struggled to keep up.
In 2020, voters approved a bond to renovate the Bend, Sisters, Sunriver and La Pine libraries, replace the Redmond library and construct the Central Library on Bend’s east side. The bond also funded modern technology, flexible community spaces and other improvements.
Building a 21st-Century Library
The Central Library was planned with input from 7,000 residents who shared their wants and ideas through surveys, public meetings and community events throughout Deschutes County.
“We asked people, ‘What is missing that could help enrich your life?’” said Strobel. “They told us they wanted more free meeting space, children’s areas to learn and discover, a coffee shop, more books and a creative MakerSpace.”
Across all demographics, people wanted their libraries to be a hub for information, a sanctuary for everyone and a place that fosters adventure. Most of all, they wanted community to be at the heart of a library.
Why the Central Library Was Built on Bend’s East Side
The SE Santorini Street location was chosen in part because the library could boost services in an area that historically lacked them and also because of Bend’s eastward housing and business expansion.
The three-story Central Library opened in May 2026 and was immediately inundated with people curious about their new community hub. In its first two months, the facility hosted 150,000 visitors.
“Libraries are for everyone, even for those who don’t think they are,” said Todd Dunkelberg(opens in new tab), Deschutes Public Library’s director for the past 16 years and employee for 26 years.
“Come in and see the play areas,” he said. “All are designed to ready kids on the road to reading preparedness, [with] makerspaces and coworking spaces that help people connect in the new age of libraries,” he said.
Designed for How People Use Libraries Today
Visitors can bring their own food and beverages, or order a cappuccino at Thump Coffee(opens in new tab). Strobel says the idea is to make the library comfortable and allow people the space and amenities they want.
In many ways, the district adopted a user-friendly bookstore approach—the stacks are organized by subject rather than the Dewey Decimal Classification system dominant in 20th-century libraries.
Public Art Throughout the Central Library
Permanent art is displayed throughout the building.
“The district intentionally incorporated significant public art because, for many children, the library may be their first exposure to original art,” Malkin said. “It’s a cultural treasure for this community.”
Throughout the building, art tells stories of Native peoples, including a mask by Lillian Pitt, baskets by Natalie Kirk and paintings by Sara Siestreem. Other soon-to-be-installed works include a mosaic by Sarah Helen More and poetry and art by Anis Mojgani, a previous Oregon poet laureate. Paintings by Jeremy Okai Davis and MOWO, Bend’s first creative laureate, are on display now.
Three decades ago, residents voted to save their libraries. Today, that investment has evolved into a system built not only to lend books, but to bring a community together.
“I believe our role here,” said Dunkelberg, “is to help people reach for their dreams.”
Frequently Asked Questions About Bend’s Central Library
When did Bend’s Central Library open?
Bend’s Central Library opened in May 2026 on SE Santorini Street on Bend’s east side. The three-story library welcomed 150,000 visitors in its first two months.
What can you do at Bend’s Central Library?
Beyond browsing its collection of 165,000 books, visitors can use community gathering and meeting spaces, coworking areas and quiet study rooms. The library also has a teen room, a Discovery Zone for young children, a MakerSpace with 3D printing, self-checkout stations and Thump Coffee.
Why was the Central Library built on Bend’s east side?
The location was chosen in part to expand library services in an area that historically lacked them and to respond to Bend’s eastward housing and business growth. The Central Library was one of several projects funded by a bond approved by voters in 2020.
How was Bend’s Central Library planned?
Deschutes Public Library gathered input from 7,000 residents through surveys, public meetings and community events. Residents asked for amenities including free meeting spaces, children’s areas, a coffee shop, more books and a creative MakerSpace, with an emphasis on making the library a community gathering place.
