Louis Robidoux

The first county library in Rubidoux was opened on Nov. 28, 1948 in a rented storefront.  Over the next twenty-two years the library relocated into successively larger quarters twice.  Then in 1972 a new building was opened at 5763 Tilton Ave.  This building housed a 5,000 square foot library and a 5,000 square foot court house. At this time the library was renamed to honor Louis Robidoux, a Frenchman who had large land holdings in the area in the 1800s and was one of the first county supervisors.    This is why the library spells Robidoux with an “o”. The building is dedicated to a person, rather than named after the community as a whole.   In 1995 the court moved out of the building and the library gradually repurposed the space, creating a meeting/programming room, and a computer lab.  In 2001 plans for a new library building were drawn up.  This building finally opened on April 17, 2010.  It is 20,000 square feet with room for about 70,000 items, and includes a dedicated story-time room, 42 public access computers and wi-fi access.  In the same complex is the County Library’s Literacy Department and the administrative offices for the Riverside County Library System.   In its 64 years of service the Louis Robidoux Library has had 5 locations and  5 librarians.   As the new city of Jurupa Valley grows in strength and vitality  the library will remain dedicated to consistent provision of educational, recreational, and informational services for the community.