[7] In 1938, Cal Poly opened its doors to 80 students on September 15, 1938, on the former site of the Voorhis School for Boys in San Dimas.

Lavina Penley was the first librarian to serve Cal Poly, Voorhis Campus, followed by Ruth Hoff, and then by Harold F. Wells in 1954.

By 1956 Cal Poly outgrew the San Dimas facilities and moved to its current site in Pomona, formerly the W.K.

The campus designed a four-story structure (with floors numbered ground through 3rd) to allow for the later addition of two stories to accommodate future growth.

More than 1,000 students, faculty, and Library staff combined efforts to move over 150,000 books, furnishings, and equipment.

Harold Schliefer campaigned heavily to create a Dean-level position to reflect the prominence of the library on campus.

Featuring advanced computer technology and serving a Cal Poly Pomona campus community of nearly 20,000, the Library building now has 205,000 square feet and seating for approximately 2,600 students.

As part of "Partners in Progress," Cal Poly Pomona's 50th-anniversary capital campaign established an endowment fund for the continued growth of the University Library collection.

Kellogg Arabian Horse Library houses unique and rare books and periodicals collections, memorabilia, photographs on W.K.

The gallery features artwork from Cal Poly Pomona faculty, students, and staff each semester.

In June 2020, the Cal Poly Pomona campus appointed Patsy (Pat) T. Hawthorne as the Dean of the University Library.

On March 17, 2020, Cal Poly Pomona canceled face-to-face classes in response to the increasing spread to focus on virtual instruction for safety.

With the focus on virtual instruction, the library created a slate of events and services to aid distance learning.

The library ended scheduled appointments on August 12, 2021, but continued with indoor mask restrictions as mandated by Los Angeles County.

To encourage masking for the Fall 2021 semester, the library created a #MaskUpMonday campaign that got a lot of attention with its positive message and cute mascot.

Special Collections and Archives started letting a limited number of researchers into the reading area on a per-reservation basis based on guidance from the health services of LA county.