Editing Downey, California (section)

===Public libraries===
The Downey City Library serves the city. The first library in Downey was established in 1901 by a women's social club that was founded in 1898. The [[County of Los Angeles Public Library]] opened a branch in Downey in September 1915. The county branch moved several times; its final location was in the County Civic Center. In 1958 the Downey City Council voted to establish its own library and withdraw from the county system. The city library services were originally provided out of the back of a bookstore. The city library opened in the former cafeteria of the former Downey Elementary School, then being used as the city hall and police station, on July 1, 1958. A permanent library building was built on December 7, 1959. It had almost {{convert|16000|sqft|sqm}} and it was built for $186,200, costing $11.97 per square foot. It was dedicated on December 17 and opened on December 18. In February 1984 an addition of almost {{convert|12000|sqft|sqm}} was completed and dedicated.<ref>"[http://www.downeylibrary.org/about/ About the Library] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100105230027/http://www.downeylibrary.org/about/ |date=January 5, 2010 }}." Downey Public Library. Retrieved on March 5, 2010.</ref>

In March 2019, the city announced that it would be using Measure S funds to begin remodeling on the city library. The remodeling was initially supposed to last 15 months, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays in the project. The remodeled city library opened on May 3, 2021, with notable updates including mobile app support for checkouts and a multi-use community space.<ref>{{Cite web |title=After 2-year closure, Downey Library reopens |url=https://www.thedowneypatriot.com/articles/after-2-year-closure-downey-library-reopens |access-date=April 28, 2023 |website=The Downey Patriot |date=May 6, 2021 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In addition, the headquarters of the County of Los Angeles Public Library are located in Downey.<ref>"[http://www.colapublib.org/aboutus/publicinfo.html Public Records] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426035707/http://www.colapublib.org/aboutus/publicinfo.html |date=April 26, 2010 }}." [[County of Los Angeles Public Library]]. Retrieved on March 5, 2010.</ref>