Portland Branch
3305 Northwestern Parkway
Louisville, Kentucky 40212
(502) 574-1744
The Portland Branch has 7 computer workstations on its main level, with access to the Internet. The computers can also be used to type reports and resumes. The branch has wide variety of books for children and adults, as well as a collection of videos and movies. (more...)
Hours
- Mon., Tues., Thurs. 12 - 8
- Wed. 10 - 8
- Fri., Sat. 10 - 5
- Sun. Closed
Directories
- City Directory Available
Directions
The Portland Branch is located on the corner of 33rd Street and Northwestern Parkway.
From I-64 west - Follow I-64 west and take Exit 3 for 22nd Street/150 east. At the exit ramp stop sign, go straight and follow 22nd Street 1/2 block to the next intersection. Turn right at intersection onto Portland Avenue. The Library is about 1 mile directly ahead, at the corner of 33rd St. and Portland Ave., across from the Toll Bridge Inn restaurant.
From I-64 east - Follow I-264 west to I-64 east, take Exit 3 for 22nd Street/150 east. From the exit ramp, turn right onto Portland Avenue. The Library is about 1 mile directly ahead, at the corner of 33rd St. and Portland Ave., across from the Toll Bridge Inn restaurant.
From Downtown - From 9th Street/Roy Wilkins Ave., connect with I-64 west, then take Exit 3 for 22nd Street/150 east (see above directions). Or, from Broadway, turn right onto 15th St. Follow 15th Street until it merges into Portland Avenue. Go straight for about 1.5 miles, and the Library will be directly ahead, at the corner of 33rd St. and Portland Ave., across from the Toll Bridge Inn restaurant. You can also travel north from Broadway to reach Portland Avenue via 22nd, and 26th Streets.
Enter your starting location for exact directions
Map
History
The Portland Branch opened on December 18th, 1905, with 1,400 books selected from the Main Library's collection. For the next eight years, the branch operated at two different temporary locations near 26th and Portland Avenue.
A grant from the Andrew Carnegie Foundation provided the funds for the Library's permanent building. On October 24th, 1913, the Portland Branch opened to the public at 3305 Northwestern Parkway.
Service to the community has always been the mission of the Portland Branch, yet during the 1937 flood, the library was used for more than a resource for reading and information. The Red Cross set up a first aid relief center for flood refugees at the Library, and it helped more than 1,500 people before the building had to be abandoned.
The Portland Branch continues to reach out to the community by forming partnerships with neighborhood schools and service agencies.
Our auditorium is used for children's storytimes, computer classes, guest speakers, and special events. The auditorium is also available for use as a community meeting room.
The Portland Reading Program is a reading enrichment project sponsored by the Lincoln Foundation. The Reading Program coordinators, along with a committed group of high school students, help children improve their reading and speaking abilities. The children are from Portland Elementary, grades 1-3. The program meets daily, in the Library's auditorium.
