The Orinda Library, with over 30,000 children's materials and an overall collection of over 70,000 books, audiobooks, music and DVDs along with 29 public computers, free Wi-Fi, comfy chairs, pillows, reading nooks and a tutoring room, is a far cry from the first library in 1924, which consisted of two shelves in the local dry-goods store. As the first town on the east side of the Oakland-Berkeley hills, Orinda became a favored home for Bay Area professionals and built its first library in 1958. The current library building, funded completely by Orinda residents, includes an art gallery, community meeting rooms, a plaza and a cafe. The library was opened in October of 2001 and has proved to be a valuable addition to the City as well as the County.
