About the branch
San Gabriel Library was founded in 1915 and moved to its present site in 1967. The non-profit Friends of the San Gabriel Library organization was founded in 1967 to support and promote awareness of the Library and its services. An interior mural painted by accomplished Native American artist Robert Freeman in 1984 depicts life at the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel in the late eighteenth century while recognizing the importance of the indigenous people of the area, the Gabrielino-Tongva Nation.
The library underwent a refurbishment in 2007 that added an elevator tower, enhanced community room, updated technology, new furnishings, and a bright and colorful redesign which included a paint restoration of the mural.