The Albany Library serves the 18,000 residents of Albany, as well as the nearby communities of Berkeley, Oakland and El Cerrito. The City of Albany provides additional hours of service through funds, passed by the voters in 1994 and 2006. The Friends of the Albany Library is an active group of volunteers who raise money to supplement the library collections and sponsor library programming.

The current library building was designed by Marquis Associates and opened in January 1994. Two-thirds of the funding for the new building was provided by the California Library Construction & Renovation Bond Act of 1988, through a grant administered by the State Library. Other funding came from the City of Albany and private donations.