San Francisco Main Library, Public library in Civic Center, San Francisco, US.

The San Francisco Main Library is a 376,000-square-foot building at Civic Center with six floors above ground and one below, more than twice the size of the library it replaced. It opened on April 18, 1996, after construction began on March 15, 1993, funded by a US$109.5 million bond. Inside, a five-story atrium holds a green wall with the names of 160 authors in LED lights, and the sixth floor houses the San Francisco History Center.

A 1986 Civic Center task force chose Marshall Square for a new main library. Construction began on March 15, 1993, funded by a US$109.5 million bond, and the building opened on April 18, 1996. The previous main library, damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, was rebuilt as the Asian Art Museum.

The library's galleries host rotating exhibitions on subjects such as Japanese tattoo art, skateboarding in San Francisco, and copier art. Permanent works include a monument to Maya Angelou and a five-story green wall in the atrium, made by Nayland Blake, that spells out the names of 160 authors in LED lights.

The San Francisco History Center, the city's designated archive, occupies the sixth floor and sometimes displays items from its collections in the hallway outside its entrance. Additional archival storage lies beneath Civic Center Plaza. The building has six floors above ground and one below, with over 300 computer terminals and room for 1,100 laptops.

The Mix at Main on the fourth floor functions as a business center for local entrepreneurs. There, business founders and small owners can access practical resources and specialized support for their ventures.