When you call the library, you can place items on hold, get help navigating the website, ask event related questions and more.
Phone: 503.988.5123
Telephone hours
Monday - Thursday: 9 am - 8 pm
Friday - Saturday: 9 am - 6 pm
Sunday: 9 am - 5 pm
Call center staff can help answer almost anything. For questions that require more thorough research, library staff can get you an answer within one or two days.
“I think of us as the community smart phone,” shares Ama Bentley, community information administrator. “We look up information everyone can access, but many folks don’t have access to. We provide the level of information anyone can find in their pocket, but also the skills to identify which out of those ten thousand search results that come up are the useful ones.”
Talk on the phone in your language
Over the phone, you can connect with library workers who not only speak English, but also those who speak Spanish, Vietnamese, Russian, Cantonese and Mandarin.
Team members can help you with:
- Basic internet searches and facts
- Troubleshooting library e-content (including Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy and library website navigation)
- Information on technology lending (computers and hotspots)
- Specific research questions
- Finding specific books
- Checking out foreign films on DVD
- Accessing language learning resources
- Signing up for library events like sushi making, tech help in a specific language, or English talk time (ESOL classes throughout the week)
- Referring to other county resources like the Trimet pass website for discounted tickets or tax help
- Discovering resources for legal help, immigration and more
“Lots of seniors want help with tech help,” says Susan Zhang, library contact center representative. “Then we find a library with someone that speaks your language who can help, or share information about English classes.”
The library’s website is searchable in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Vietnamese. When you connect with someone over the phone in your language, you might be able to find additional results.
“We get a lot of requests for vital records, and we can clarify and point people in the right department. For marriages, divorces, death and births librarians have access to these records and all you need is the date. We just write this as a request and the librarians find these. If you need the actual documents, we can refer you to the correct county and state departments,” says Bruce Jenks, office assistant senior.
The call center team has staff and technology that are ready to help you and answer your questions. The team can look up information in several languages and help you find what you’re looking for!