Listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the State Historic Resource Inventory, the 17,500-sf building at 659 14th St. was the first of five Carnegie-endowed libraries built in Oakland.

Charles Greene was the director of the Oakland Public Library when the building was constructed in 1902. It served as the city's main library until 1951 and later housed the city's administrative offices until being damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake.

"As the former main library for Oakland, we are pleased to see the reincarnation of the Greene building as a unique museum/library partnership that will preserve and share the rich heritage of our African American community,'' says Carmen Martinez, director of the Oakland Public Library. "We hope to bring history to life with major exhibits and community programs that will get people excited in learning about California's black history and culture."