History:
The John F. Kennedy Library opened its doors to the public on September 10, 1970. The library fills 47,000 square feet spread over three floors of a large building owned by the city of Vallejo. The library’s collection of materials numbers over 140,000. A unique feature is the separate, spacious first floor children’s library, remodeled in 1992.The McCune collection, given to Vallejo by Donovan McCune, is also located across the lobby. The McCune collection includes rare books on California, fine printing, and the art of the book, along with printing presses. Remodeled in 2005, the second floor houses the adult and young adult collections and a computer center, with ample room for reading and study. Also located on this floor are many documents related to the clean up and development of Mare Island since the closure of the naval shipyard. Sharing the building space are the Vallejo police evidence room, the local branch of the Solano Community College, and the Fighting Back Partnership, a community support organization.
