The Long Beach Main Library is positioned at the northeast corner of the city's new Civic Center. Adjacent to the historic Lincoln Park, the library connects the city’s past and present while providing valuable municipal and community services.

The building provides a welcoming and flexible environment, with interior space organized into discrete and identifiable areas that maximize the use of square footage and enhance user accessibility and staff efficiency. The library offers a variety of spaces to serve the diverse population of Long Beach, including group study rooms, independent study areas, and a technology-driven "makerspace" that features a learning lab and 3D printers. Additionally, an independently operated community center with meeting rooms and programs is available for public use.

Timber construction is a key aspect of the building's holistic sustainable design—this material choice significantly reduces embodied carbon. The LEED Platinum certified building also features rooftop photovoltaic cells, controlled air ventilation systems, and extensive glazing with architectural overhangs for solar protection. Daylighting strategies include the large central atrium, which suffuses the interiors with natural light.

The 93,500-square-foot library is part of the Long Beach Civic Center Master Plan, along with a new City Hall and Port of Long Beach Headquarters. SOM designed the master plan to revitalize 22 acres of downtown Long Beach by creating a vibrant, mixed-use district and reactivating Lincoln Park.