The Vollum Library / Photo by Bruce Forster

About Vollum Library

 

UPDATE: The Vollum Library re-opened on Monday, February 28, 2022. For now, the hours of operation will be Mondays and Thursdays from 1:00-4:00pm and Fridays and Saturdays from 9:00am-2:00pm.

The Vollum Library currently holds over 3,000 publications relating to Japanese gardens and Japanese arts and culture. The operation of this library was made possible by the generous donation from the Vollum family. The library is a single, dual purpose room that comfortably functions as a library space for a small group of users and also serves as a conference room when library is closed. This library supports the activities of the garden by maintaining, developing and sharing print, audio and visual resources to aid Portland Japanese Garden members and students of The International Japanese Garden Training Center in understanding garden practices and Japanese culture and aesthetics.

 

Access and Hours

In the initial stages of the library’s development, physical access to the library will be limited to members, volunteers, students of The International Japanese Garden Training Center, and staff. The Vollum Library is not a lending library except for to staff.

During operation hours, users are welcome to visit in person to view the physical collection and to reference publications within the space. The space is limited and can accommodate around a dozen people at a time.

The Library’s online catalog is available for those who visit the library during the hours of operation. Upon request, designated staff will help explore the database to search for specific books.

Hours of Operation

  • 1-4pm on Mondays
  • 1-4pm on Thursdays
  • 9am-2pm Friday
  • 9am-2pm Saturday

Who has access?

  • Garden members with member ID
  • Volunteers with name tags
  • Students of The International Japanese Garden Training Center
  • Portland Japanese Garden Staff
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Location

View the location of the Vollum Library on the Garden map here.

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What You'll Need

The Vollum Library is not a lending library. Members, volunteers, and students of The International Japanese Garden Training Center are welcome to use the library after the sign-in is completed during the operation hours. Please fill out the sign-in sheet accordingly as soon as you enter the library and before you leave the library.

  • For Portland Japanese Garden members, please bring your valid Member ID
  • For volunteers, please bring your volunteer name tag
  • For students of The International Japanese Garden Training Center, we already have your name on file
  • Portland Japanese Garden staff do not need ID
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Considerations While in the Library

Please be aware of the following considerations while visiting the library:

  • No eating or drinking
  • No cell phone use
  • No removing books from the library premise
  • Please use the library as a resource to learn more about Japanese gardens and culture and refrain from using the library as a personal workspace.
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How to find a Book

All publications in the library are organized by the Vollum Library Classification (tags). There are four main categories and several sub categories within. Please ask library staff for assistance for a more in-depth search.

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Contact

To contact with questions and concerns, such as inquiries about book availability, please see below.

Hillary Frederich

Library Technician

hfrederich@japanesegarden.org

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Donating Books to the Vollum Library

The Vollum Library is not currently accepting unsolicited donations of books due to COVID restrictions.

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TOUR THE LIBRARY