The Oregon Public Library is a  Carnegie library designed by Chicago architects Pond and Pond. Upon completion of the building in 1908, the exterior was said to be "of white brick, of Elizabethan-Gothic architecture and severely plain." The interior was said to be "commodious pleasing." When the library opened in 1909, there were 2,646 books in the collection. At the present time, there are over 34,000 books and other materials in the same space. So, although the library is still beautiful, it is no longer "commodious pleasing." Lack of space has been a pressing issue for twenty years.