Founded in 2025, Irvine Public Library (IPL) serves the City of Irvine’s 300,000+ residents, as well as those in surrounding communities. We provide access to books, information, technology, programs, and services that encourage lifelong learning.
The Irvine Public Library system currently comprises two branch libraries, the Heritage Park Library and the University Park Library. The Katie Wheeler Library is projected to open as IPL’s third branch in 2026, and the City plans to continue expanding Irvine Public Library with future library sites in the coming years.
Although the Irvine Public Library is new, the history of Irvine’s libraries begins decades earlier, when the University Park Library opened in 1975 under the operation of the County of Orange. Heritage Park Library opened in 1988, and Katie Wheeler was the most recent addition in 2008.
Over the years, the need for enhanced and expanded library services became clear as the Irvine community continued to grow and flourish. In 2025, the libraries transitioned from County to City-run operations to provide a more personalized, local approach to library services. To learn more about that transition, visit the Irvine Public Library Project Background website.
