lo A* CO A* <+ 2 732 I CzA3 j 1915* LiB.5cH. UC-NRLF B 3 TEl Tfl5 N in GTr i NOV 24 915 •t ^ccL California Library Service ECONOMICAL EQUAL COMPLETE Counties that are darkened have established county free libraries. This is a reproduction of the map exhibited in the American Library Association section, Palace of Education, Panama- Pacific International Expo- sition, San Francisco, 1915. Map at Exposition measures 25 feet high and 22 feet wide. California State Printing Office Sacramento, 1915 COMPILED BY THE CALIFORNIA STATE LIBRARY to explain California Library Service in connection with the map exhibited in the American Library Association section, Palace of Education, Panama-Pacific Inter- national Exposition, San Francisco, 1915 ; and also in connection with the moving picture film shown at both the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, California, and in San Diego, at the rooms of the Chamber of Commerce, no satisfactory arrangement having been possible for showing it at the Exposition there. Map and all statistics represent conditions January 1, 1915 (except A'^entui'a County Free Library which was added April, 1915). C2/I3 CONTENTS. 19/3- I'lau Mud Promise — Introductory Note (Jiiliforaia's Library Needs — in connection with 1. The state's products, industries, etc 5 2. The individual inquirer 5 3. The clubs of various sorts 5 4. The schools and universities 5 5. The university extension and correspondence course student G G. The county jails and county hospitals 6 7. The county farm adviser 6 8. The County Law Library G 0. The County Teachers Library G 10. The small free library, the larger free public library and the district library G 11. The professional California librarian 7 12. The California State Library 7 California's Solution — by means of 1. The County Free Library 7 2. The California State Library School 9 3. The California Librai-y Association and County Librarians' Convention 9 4. The State Library quarterly publication — News Notes of California Libraries 9 Summary — Economical, Equal and Complete 10 Some of California's Library Service in Figures and in Pictures : Totals and Growth in One Sort of Library Service 10 Alameda County 10 Butte County Free Library 11 Contra Costa County Free Library 11 Fresno County Free Library 12 Glenn County Free Library 12 Humboldt County Free Library 13 Imperial County Free Library : 13 Inyo County Free Library 14 Kern County Free Library 1.5 Kings County Free Library ^ 16 Los Angeles County Free Library IG -Los Angeles Public Library 17 Madera County Free Library 18 Merced County Free Library 19 Monterey County Free Library 20 Monterey Public Library 20 Pacific Grove Public Library 20 Riverside County Free Library 20 Sacramento County Free Library 20 San Bernardino County Free Library 21 San Diego County Free Library 22 San Francisco Mechanics-Mercantile Library 22 San Joaquin County Free Library 22 San Mateo County Free Library 22 Santa Barbara County Free Library 22 Santa Clara County Free Library 24 Solano County Free Library 24 Stanislaus County Free Library 25 Tulare County Free Library 25 Ventura County Free Library 25 Yolo County I'ree Library 26 California State Library 27 M572540 CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE ECONOMICAL— EQUAL— COMPLETE. PLAN AND PROMISE— INTRODUC- TORY NOTE. Library service in California has been called the most socialized thing in the state. In plan, there is no doubt, it reaches the highest point possible and the progress toward the realization of the plan is the most inspiring achievement on record in all library development. CALIFORNIA'S NEEDS— IN CON- NECTION WITH 1. The State and Its Products. From the most southern counties — Im- perial, the youngest county, with its can- taloup and cotton fields, its hogs and poultry, and San Diego on the coast, with a most equable climate, abounding in fruits and fish and with the finest tour- maline deposits in the United States, up to Modoc, Siskiyou and Del Norte counties on the extreme north, with their vast timber areas, dairying and beginnings of agriculture and horticulture — there is nearly every interest possible. There are rough and remote mining and lumber- ing communities, vast oil fields, large stretches of country given over to cattle and sheep for grazing purposes, fields of nearly every sort of grain, tracts planted to all kinds of nuts, orchards of every description, berry and vegetable fields — in fact in some parts of the state the climate and land are right for everything that has yet been tried. Manufactures of all sorts are de- veloping lumber and timber products, slaughtering and meat packing, canning and presenting, foundry and machine shop products, flourmill and gristmill products, printing and publishing, cars and gen- eral shop construction and repairs by steam railroad companies, petroleum re- fining, butter, cheese, and condensed milk, leather, tanned, curried and finished, malt liquors, wines, gas illuminating and heat- ing, cement, automobiles, engines and power and fuel. 2. The Individual Inquirer. In a state with such varied products and manufactures, the resident may need to investigate any subject at any time. Books or answers to questions must be within easy and quick reach of an indi- vidual, no matter where he may happen to be located, and they must be free of all expense. This is being accomplished in the California library service. 3. The Clubs of Various Sorts. There are the civic improvement clubs, the charter framing committees, the park and city planning committees, the debat- ing societies, the study clubs taking up such subjects as drama, literature, his- tory, art, music, travel in various coun- tries and domestic science. All of these groups need a great deal on the subject that is under consideration and the ma- terial needed should be availaole on re- quest and with -■- expense to the bor- rower, because such committees and clubs seldom have any fund with which to buy books or even pay transportation on books borrowed. There is the added fact that it would be extravagant to buy such ma- terial, as it is simply a temporary need. These difficulties are met by the Cali- fornia library service. 4. The Schools and Universities. The schools — elementary and high— - need the standard reference books, sup- plementary readers and material for such occasions as debates, theses, amateur plays, musical evenings, illustrated lec- tures. School funds for library purposes are in no case adequate. The average country school has less than $50 a year to spend for new books. It needs sev- eral hundred books. It is not possible for a school to borrow to meet all of its needs, and transportation must be paid on those that can be borrowed. There is no money available to pay transporta- tion charges. These problems are all solved by the California library service. The universities start the student's in- terest and investigation along some line or lines. It is merely a start and after leaving the university the students are scattered about the country, often being 6 CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. located in very remote communities. How can they continue their education if books and other such material are not easily and freely available? Often they are not receiving, in their chosen profession, or business, more than salary enough to cover living expenses. They can not af- ford to pay transportation on books bor- rowed, and often sent to them from a dis- tance. The small town library — -if there is one — is not at all likely to have the books needed. It is certainly an extrava- gant use of the state's money to support a university to start the education of its young people and not have a free and simple method for the continuance of that education. This is satisfactorily met in the California library service. 5. The University Extension and Corre- spondence Course Student. Those who enroll as students in the University Extension Department, or are taking correspondence courses, are greatly handicapped if they can not get all the printed material recommended for the subjects. Often it is highly specialized material that would not be needed again either by the student or by a small local library — if there happened to be such an institution near. So it would be a waste of money for either the student or the local library to purchase it — even if there were funds ready for such purchases, which is usually not the case. It is dif- ficult enough to find the time to give to the work of the extension course with- out having the added burden of expense and trouble in getting books needed for the course. This is another big problem in California which is being met by the state's plan of library service. 6. The County Jails and County Hos- pitals. The service to jails, prisons, hospitals and such groups of people needing books of every sort carefully chosen to suit their wants has been a problem that states and counties have been conscious of for many years. To interpret these needs an es- pecially efficient librarian must either be in charge of a branch library in the in- stitution or such a person must be in close touch with the inmates. This problem is solved in the California library service. 7. The County Farm Adviser. Several counties have appointed a county farm adviser and as he visits various parts of the county and discusses points with farmers, books and pamphlets are often mentioned as authorities on cer- tain subjects under discussion. The farmer wants to read these and they should be available merely on request. It should not be necessary to take the time even to write a letter and it certainly should not be necessary for him to buy the material or even pay transportation on it. This need is very successfully met in California library service. 8. The County Law Library. In the smaller counties where under the law it is possible to raise only a small amount for the support of the county law library, there should be some way to co-operate with a larger institution and in that way make the most of the small fund and in addition get easily the supplementary law material which the local law library can not afford to buy. Complete and free service for the law needs is arranged for in California librai-y service. 9. The County Teachers Library. For years the county superintendent of schools has tried to use to best advan- tage the money provided — under the law — for a county teachers library. It was often difficult — in some cases impossible — in addition to regular duties to keep track of the book market and be sure of getting the best for the money. Even after the books were bought, there was no one to catalog them and there was no fund with which to send them out to the teachers of the county. These drawbacks to the success of the county teachers library are overcome now in the Califor- nia library service. 10. The Small Free Library, the Larger Free Public Library and the Dis- trict Library. By the small free library is meant the small library that although free to the public is supported by subscriptions or by association memberships. Such a li- brary is usually supported by a few and the cost to each one that contributes is very high. Even then the total amount raised is not sufficient to pay even for suitable quarters and service for the li- brary, and the supply of books can not be satisfactory. The free public library and the district library are both supported by a tax on CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. the territory covered. The law allows three mills ou the dollar of assessed valua- tion for cities of the 4th, 5tli and Gth classes. The districts that have district libraries tax themselves as high as 2.9 mills on the dollar. Still the amount raised is not sufficient to pay running expenses of building and a salary suf- ficient to have a trained librarian and then have anything left with which to buy the necessary books and pay transporta- tion on supplementary books needed. The borrower, if he gets what he needs, often has to pay transportation to and from some larger library. This expense pre- vents many from getting everything they need. All of these difficulties are overcome in the present plan for California library service. 11. The Professional California Librarian. Of course many of the larger libraries of California have needed and have se- cured technically trained librarians for many years past. But, as there has been no training school for librarians in Cali- fornia and as only a few could attend the eastern library schools, it has been neces- sary for many libraries to employ many people who were not familiar with Cali- fornia conditions and needs. The Uni- versity of California has helped with its summer school in library methods but for many years California has felt the need of a library school. This need is now being met, and with a new and inspiring profession opening up for the young men and women of California, the possibility of getting their training in California adds t) the attractiveness of the work. 12. The California State Library. The State Library, being built up and kept up for the use of the legislature and state officers, must in order to meet such needs be a collection covering all sub- jects and including all sorts of material — law ; legislative reference material ; docu- ments, including official publications of cities, counties, states. United States and some foreign countries : California his- torical material including bound volumes of the newspapers of the state properly indexed ; general reference material such as serial publications, books and pamph- lets covering history, literature, science, useful arts, fine arts, economics, phil- osophy, and bibliographies of all sorts. This material is the sort that supple- ments the free public and other libraries of the state as they are obliged to spend most of their money on fiction and chil- dren's books. In order to get the full value of the state's investment in its State Library, the collection should be accessible to all the people of the state — • not only the few who are already within reach of a public library ; not only those who can afford to pay transportation and who can take the time to write for ma- terial needed, can take the trouble to re- ceive and acknowledge a shipment, wrap and go through the necessary details of returning a shipment, answering due no- tices, etc. A way has been thought out by which all of the people can use their State Library and its use is equal and simple for all. This use of the State Library is a vital part of Calif ornia'.i solution of libi-ary service. CALIFORNIA'S SOLUTION— BY MEANS OF 1. The County Free Library.* The county free library in California is a library which is established by reso- lution of the supervisors ; which is sup- ported by the county with a tax of not more than one mill on one dollar of asses- sed valuation ; which is in charge of a trained and experienced librarian who has been certificated by the State Board of Library Examiners ; which has its busi- ness headquarters in the county seat and branches in every part of the county ; which may take over and manage school district library and funds, county law li- brary and fund, and county teachers' li- brary and fund ; which may supplement and co-operate with public libraries if the towns they are in request and make necessary arrangements to be included ; and which gives free service to every resident of the county. The county free library acts as a store house and center of distribution for the whole county and as the connecting link between the State Library and the people of the county. With the county building up *Note. — The bill for the county free li- brary was introduced in the California legislature of 1911 by H. Stanley Benedict of Los Angeles and was signed February 25, 1911, by Governor Hiram W. Johnson. CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. a collection, it meets its constant needs by furnishing through its branches answers and books for many of the individual inquirers, by filling some of the needs of its clubs and such organizations ; by tak- ing over, when requested to do so, the library money of school districts, pooling it and thus getting more books for the use of all the schools and in addition supplementing the regular school library needs from the general county free li- brary collection,; by furnishing some of the material needed by the university graduates for their further investigations ; by buying and loaning material needed by the members of the University of Cali- fornia debating league, the university extension student and correspondence course student ; by placing branches in jails, prisons and hospitals ; by buying and loaning some of the material recom- mended by the county farm adviser ; by caring for and loaning the books of the county law and county teachers' libraries ; and by filling some of the supplementary needs of the small free library, the larger free public library and the district li- brary. With all of these first needs met through a county institution, and with a large collection being built up in this way with a very small tax (a tax rate less than a third of what is levied for the average free public library in a town), it is possible for the State Library to undertake to supplement the county free library and to do it free of all expense to the county or borrower. So in a county with a county free library, all jiarts of the county that are paying the slight county free library tax receive free library service from the county collection and free supplementary service from the State Library. All unnecessary duplication is avoided and by every one sharing in a slight tax, we have a service which is more free and more complete even than our public schools, for it furnishes everything needed alike to young and old, and rich and poor. The public libraries in the larger cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, etc., are not only serving the residents of those cities but are also assisting all they can toward getting county free li- braries started to serve those parts of the state that are without public library ser- vice. They are always very willing to loan a book which they may have that the county free library at the start may not have in its collection, and so, in this way, assist toward the plan for complete service for those residents of the state who are being reached by the county free libraries. Several parts of the service can logic- ally and, at least at present, be left en- tirely to the State Library. The books for the blind is an example. It is in the interest of better service to let the State Library distribute all of the books for the blind. The borrowers are scattered and the state is as yet not able to handle financially more than one such collection and have it large enough to be of value to the blind people of the state. The fact that the U. S. Government grants free transportation on books for the blind sent to and from an institu- tion loaning them is another reason for continuing the distribution from one center for the present at least. The State Library has one home and library teacher for the blind in Los Angeles who helps to locate the blind there and to see that they learn to read and get books that they want. The county librarians have helped greatly by making known to any blind resident of the county the resources of the State Library that are for their use. So even here the co-operation of the county and State Library has very satisfactory results. The service is very simple and entirely free as a blind per- son needs only to send his name and ad- dress and wishes in the way of books. He can have the use of as many as he needs and for as long as he needs them. The fact that foreigners are in scattered groups makes it also logical that one in- stitution should buy and loan all such library material. So the State Library is undertaking to meet the needs of the state for foreign books. They are, how- ever, loaned through the county free li- brary. A collection of pictures is also being started by the State Library and it was thought that the films, slides, records, etc., needed by schools and groups in isolated communities could best be furnished by the State Library and distributed through the county free library. But up to the present the State Library fund has not CjVlipornia library service. been sufficient. As such material could go out in the same shipments with books and other library material, it seems as if such a distribution of the much needed aids to visual instruction must work out before very long. The State Library has a County Li- brary Organizer and a School Library Organizer who are sent out on request to those parts of the state needing informa- tion and assistance in establishing a county free library, or in the school li- brary service possible under California laws. This work can best be carried on by the State Library as it is for the benefit of the state as a whole to have the library service of all sorts improved. Within the counties, however, when some smaller librai-y needs advice or assistance on any technical library matter, the county librarian gives the needed help. There is no charge made for the assistance of state ov county so here again perfect co-opera- tion means economy. The Sutro Library of about 12.5,000 volumes which was recently presented to the State Library by the heirs of the late Adolph Sutro, when properly listed and shelved, will be a San Francisco branch of the State Library and also made ac- cessible to the people of the state. As it consists of material collected for the use of the advanced scholar, it will help \-ery greatly toward the supplementary library service undertaken by the State Library. Another aid to the libraries and the people of the state is a Union Catalog which is at the State Library. It aims to include an author card for every addi- tion to every library in California. The county free libraries and a few public libraries are sending cards. Stanford University accessions since October, 1912, are included and cards are being received from the University of California Li- brarj' as the books are recatalogued. The State Library is also a depository for cards from Harvard University Library, tha University of Chicago Library and the Library of Congress. If the book requested bj' some resident of tha state through his nearest branch is not in the State Librarj% it is possible at least to send back the information as to where the book is, and then it is bor- rowed from that library by the County Librarian. In this way the resources of (he state are made available to every resi- dent and the central location for the in- formation at the State Library saves time and expense of locating the book when it may be a rush need. 2. The California State Library School. The State Library established the Cali- fornia State Library School September 4, 1913. This will help to meet the need for technically trained librarians who are not only familiar and in sj'mpathy with the California conditions and needs, but who will go out into different parts of the state well informed on the resources of their State Library and so much better able to see that it is used by the people in the part of the state where they are employed. 3. The California Library Association and County Librarians Convention. The California Library Association in- cludes in its membership most of the library workers and libraries in the state and at its annual convention the unity of the state's effort toward complete ser- vice is emphasized. By getting better acquainted the workers although scattered carry on the service as if they were a part of one institution. The county free library law requires that an annual convention of county li- brarians be called and that the county librarians attend. These meetings where ideas are exchanged have helped greatly in perfecting the county free library ser- vice. 4. The State Library's Quarterly Pub- lication, News Notes of California Libraries. Another unifj^ing factor is the quarterly publication of the State Library — "News Notes of California Libraries." It in- cludes statistical reports and news items of all of the libraries of the state ; a direc- tory of library supplies and other items of general interest such as index to Cali- fornia library current events ; a section on the California Library Association ; one on the Board of Library Examiners ; full information about the work of the State Library and State Library School, including the accessions of the library for that quarter ; and frequently biblio- graphies on subjects of especial interest to the state. 2—17481 10 CAI.IFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. This publication keeps up the acquaint- ance of library workers and keeps each one informed of the work of the others, and, being sent free to all libraries in the slate, is sure of reaching everyone. SUMMARY— ECONOMICAL, EQUAL AND COMPLETE. ICconomical, eciual and complete is the goal of the plan for California library s-.-rvice and as tried in the counties that have put it into operation, it has proved such a startling success that the eyes of the world are directed toward California as being the state that is rapidly solv- ing all of the library problems that have appeared since libraries began to want to be free and to give service. *SOME OF CALIFORNIA'S LIBRARY SERVICE IN FIGURES AND PICTURES.** Tctals : Free public libraries 132 Disti'ict libraries 5 County free libraries 26 Law libraries 66 County teachers' libraries 58 Libraries in educational institutions 334 Association and subscription librar- ies 111 Miscellaneous institution libraries- 47 Total 779 Branches and deposit stations con- nected with above listed librar- ies : Total 1263 Library buildings : gifts 129 others 21 Total 150 Growth in one sort of library service : (jalifornia — Area, 158,297 square miles. Second in size among the states. Population, 2.377,549 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $3,134,81L2S4 (for 1914-15). Number of counties, 58. County Free Libi'ary Service- Area covered, 95,950 square miles. Population reached, 1,557,008. Appropriation made, $280,362.58. *For a graphic picture of California Library Service see the map of Tlie Cali- fornia County Free Library on tlie wall above tlie American Library Association Exliibit in Palace of Education, Panama- Pacific International Exposition, San Fran- cisco, Cal. **For picture of California Library Service, see moving picture film in Palace of Education, Panama-Pacific International Exposition, San Francisco, and in the Cliamber of Commerce rooms, San Diego. School districts Counties active Alameda Butte Contra Costa Fresno Glenn Humboldt Imperial Inyo Kern Kings Los Angeles Madera Merced that have joined, 299. , 26, as follows : INIonterey Riverside Sacramento San Bernardino San Diego San Joaquin San Mateo Santa Barbara Santa Clara Solano Stanislaus Tulare Yolo Counties added since January, 1915 : Ventura. County free library service in Cali- fornia means free and complete library service to every resident of the county. Schools can be included in the service. The California State Library supnle- nients the county service free. The plan provides for complete library service to every resident of every county in the state — free. It is growing. The first county free library was estab- lished in Sacramento County October 1, 1908. In Jan., 1909, there were 8 branches. In Jan., 1911, there were 90 branches. First satisfactory county free library law passed Feb. 25, 1911. In Jan., 1913, there were 255 branches. In Jan., 1915, there were 1,073 branches. Alameda County. Served under contract by the Oakland Free Library. Charles S. Greene, Librarian. Miss Mary Barmby, Chief of Alameda County Department. Pictures : In the children's room. The book hospital Splints for broken backs ! Story hour in Mo&swood Park Oakland. Alameda County Jail showing a jail delivery. Branch at historic Mission San Jose. Alameda Countv County seat, Oakland. Area. 840 square miles. Population, 246,131 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $252,751,974 (tax- able for county $228,979,504). County library service established Sep- tember 26, 1910, by contract between the CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. 11 Board of Supervisors of Alameda County and the Board of Library Directors of tlie Oakland Free Library. Work started November 1, 1910. Appropriation 1914- 15, $23,500. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915) 25 :16 with reading rooms ; 3 in other libraries ; G in schools and elsewhere. The population of Alameda County is mostly the urban end, to the north and west. Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda comprise six-sevenths of the total, and these cities had long had good libraries. This was true also of the smaller cities of Hayward, Livermore, Pleasanton and San Leandro. Even the unincorporated town of Niles had for some years a li- brary owned by an association. Oakland's collection of books was at once by the terms of the contract made open to all the inhabitants of the county, and hundreds of persons have taken ad- vantage of that extension, principally resi- dents of Berkeley, Emeryville and Pied- mont. The idea of regulation library ser- vice was, in consequence of these facts, well disseminated throughout the county, and it has been the effort of the county department to give to the rural population as nearly a city service as possible. For this reason branches in separate quarters with reading rooms, with paid attendants, with a permanent collection of books and with the service of periodicals, pictures, stereographic views, and frequent deliv- ery from the main library, have made up the major part of its work. Schools have had less attention, but are gradually be- ing shown the advantage of collective use of their funds. County instituiions, the jail, the almshouse and infirmary, are regu- larly served. The department co-operates with the county farm adviser, buying books that he suggests, which he helps to circulate. The libraries of Alameda are : Oakland Free Library (11 branches and Public Museum) volumes 101,016. County Department (25 branches) 20,- 700. Alameda Library (1 branch) 47,303. Alameda County Law Library, 12,000. Berkeley Library (5 branches) 55,633. Hayward Library, 4,088. San Leandro Library, 3,423. Livermore Library, 3,722. The University of California Library at Berkeley (including the valuable Ban- croft library of Pacific Coast History) 3.52,514. Grand total of volumes, 603,909. Butte County Free Library. Miss Gladys Brownson, County Libra- rian. Butte County County seat, Oroville. Area, 1,764 square miles. Population, 27,301 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, .$25,247,155 (tax- able for county $20,125,743). County Free Library established Sept. 3. 1913. Work started Nov. 1, 1913. Ap- propriation, 1915-16, $5,800. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 67. During the thirteen months that the Butte County Free Library has been in operation, books have been distributed to every corner of the county. In the larger communities the school and community are served separately but the widely .scattered population of the .smaller districts is served through the school. In this way the school furnishes the reading for both adults and children. When summer schools close for the winter mouths some resident cares for the books so the readers are not deprived of books although the school has closed. The most remote branch, where the peo- ple are snow-bound for three months, is served early in the fall with sufficient reading matter for that time. The library is already circulating about 3,000 books each month. Contra Costa County Free Library. Mrs Alice G. Whitbeck, County Li- brarian. Pictures : The headquarters. 100 shipments by express each month. The properties of a lumber company as a center for branch library service. The Swedish books have come. Through the branch at the sugar refinery and that of the town books reach everyone. 12 CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. Contra Costa County County seat, Martinez. Area. 750 square miles. Population, 31,674 (in 1910). Assessed valuation. $52,204,930 (tax- able for county $45,808,455). County free Library established July 21, 1913, work started Oct. 1, 1913. Ap- propriation, 1914-15, $10,726.63. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 50. The library facilities of Contra Costa County had been but very little devel- oped before the establishment of the county free library. Martinez had a small subscription library, tn'o other towns were trying to make a start and only Rich- mond had a flourishing public library. Martinez, the county seat, though not the geographic center is very easy of ac- cess to the many manufacturing towns along the water front and with express to all the farming centers makes a very central town from which to work. So rapidly did the idea of having local branches appeal to all communities, there are now 50 different collections of books in constant use. These collections vary according to the needs of the community and are housed as eacn place finds most, convenient. Some are in reading rooms, club rooms, schoolhouses, post oflSces, grocery stores, private homes, lodge rooms, in all cases the rooms being furnished by the community. A branch is located wherever the inter- est is great enough to make the demand. Books are exchanged as often as desired, and requests are answered by parcel post or express as promptly as possible. There i.^ no time limit on any of the collections. Magazines are taken for all the schools and branches. The seventy miles of water frontage are dotted with factories of every kind, and each town along the bay has its branch. The large farming interior is well supplied by branches in all the town centers. During the first month of the library four branches were formed, and the cir- culation was 177 volumes. During Jan- uary, 1915, the fifty branches circulated 6,148 volumes. These figures tell the story of the appreciation of the county free library. Fresno County Free Library. Miss Sarah E. McCardle, County Li- brarian. Pictures : Branch in hotel building Branch in business building Branch in Carnegie building Branch in tank house No dry books Children enjoy story hour Scenes at headquarters. Note the Chinese borrowers Fresno County County seat, Fresno. Area, 6,035 square miles. Population, 75,657 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $96,567,818 (tax- able for county $82,678,446). County Free Library established March 12, 1910. Appropriation, 1914-15, $25,- 290. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 40. In this county there were only two public libraries, at Fresno and Selma, and a few very inadequate subscription libraries, previous to the opening of the county free library in 1910. Now every town, village and community has its county branch and has every privilege of a library. The county free library has certainly been a great blessing to the people of the county — it has helped the schools, opened up opportunities for education the country schools have never had before. It is help- ing to educate, not only our young people, but the older ones as well, giving them a broader, better outlook on life. It has helped to make life worth living in the most remote parts of the county at the lumber camps in the mountains, and on the lonely farms. Glenn County Free Library. Miss Essae M. Culver, County Libra- rian. Pictures : Branch in country store Branch in bank building Old hotej bar room turned into library branch Books always on tap CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. 13 Glenn County County seat. Willows. Area, 1,460 square miles. Population, 7,172 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $17,570,399 (tax able for county, $1.5,678,263). County Free Library established April 8, 1914. AVork started Au^. 1, 1914. Ap- propriation, 1914-15, $4,335.64. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 20. Glenn County is part of that great agricultural region known as the Sacra- mento Valley and in its pursuits offers no diversity, for agriculture is its "raison d'etat" and the only vai-iation in activity comes in the great diversity of products possible in this region. The county free library has come to fill a long felt need for most of the popu- lation, in colonies and scattered on the large ranches, has had no access to books either for information or recreational reading and this lack was most keenly felt during the long rainy season when outdoor activity was impossible. The avidity with which the county free library idea was taken up testifies to the eagerness of the people for books, and in the first six months of operation 19 branches were established, the details of location and custodian having been worked out, in almost every case, before the com- ing of the county librarian. The branch at Ord is in the general store of Mr Stull. There is no settlement immediately surrounding this store but the farmers of the neighborhood come here for their provisions and Mrs Stull, the custodian, supplies them with books. The demands at this branch are for ma- terial for club programs for the farmers' wives, information for the fanner, and recreational reading lor all. At Hamilton, a city built up around a .sugar factory at present not in opera- tion, the library is in the bank building, donated by the sugar company. The li- brary is open a part of every week day and a good . supply of magazines supple- ments the book material. The children are the most eager patrons of this branch, but they arc gradually inducing the par- onls to make use of this opportunity also. Orland is a wide awake, bustling com- munity of 1,200 inhabitants, eager to take advantage of every opportunity, edu- cational or social, oECcred, so that the library, from the beginning, has been a busy institution. It is located in what was formerly the bar i-oom of the hotel, the bar still serving the public with stimu- lants and the new use makes the building more popular than the old, for over 520 books, a number larger than the total col- lection, were issued in the third month of its operation and each month the pat- ronage is rapidly increasing. The branch in the Willows Public Li- brary has been established but a few weeks but already a great many requests have been received for material for club program.s, debates, agricultural informa- tion and for school work which could not have been supplied from the resources of the public library alone. Humboldt County Free Library. Miss Ida M. Reagan, County Librarian. Humboldt County County seat. Eureka. Area, 3.;j07 square miles. Population, 33,857 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $33,793,967 (tax- iil)le for county, $32,189,821). County Free Library established May 12, 1914. Work to be started April 12, 1915. Appropriation 1914-15. about $(J,0O0. Imperial County Free Library. Mrs Thomas B. Beeman, County Li- brarian. Pictures : Box car branch at desert station Books and other food supplies travel to one branch by way of Arizona and Colorado River ferry The C M Ranch (million acres) mostly in Mexico h.ns a branch for employees nearly all foreigners Imperial County County seat, El Centro. Area, 4,.316 square miles. Population, 13,591 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $25,757,829 ((ax- able for county, $21..550,I57) . County Free Lilirary established Fob. 6, ]912. Ajipropriation, 1914-15, $2,- 155.02. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 38. u CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. The circulation of the Imperial County Free Library in its three years of exist- ence gives an idea of its growth and popularity : The first year 7,G36 books were cir- culated. The second year 32,792 books were cir- culated. The third year 55,401 books were cir- culated. Some of the locations in this county that are receiving library service are unique. Imperial Junction (now Niland) was the junction where people change to go to Yuma and to Imperial Valley. The population — not more than 75 at the time the branch was established consisted of railroad employees. With no stores, everything was brought to the people by train. The post office was located in a box car and this was the only place that seemed available for the library quarters. The postmaster finally agreed to take upon himself another duty so he moved his post oflSce to one-half of the car and gave us the other half for the use of the branch. The post office and county free library branch did the biggest business in the whole place. Bard is nearly on the border line be- tween California and Arizona, and to get books to the people at the branch there, they are sent first to Yuma, Arizona. Then they are ferried across the Colorado River — the horse and wagon with books and daily supplies, driving on the feri-y boat and riding across. Another unusual example of location is the C M Ranch — -a million acre ranch known as the California Mexico Ranch, most of the land being in Mexico. The borrowers — employees of the ranch — are largely foreigners and many of them are learning the English language and asking for easy reading books. The library service to the schools is a big part of the rapid growth. In one school district, the branch library was so popular and the demand for books so great that it outgrew its quarters in the schoolhouse and needed more room. En- tertainments were given, box suppers and many other festivities, and as the result there stands in the school yard a little portable bungalow building; with built-in shelves and attractive interior. The peo- ple purchased Ihe portable house, hauled it on a wagon from the depot for 9 miles and put it up themselves. It is one of the thriving branches. The circulation the first year was 827 and for its second year 3,985 books. Inyo County Free Library. Miss Jennie May Brown, County Li- brarian. Inyo County County seat. Independence. Area, 10,224 square miles. Population, 6,974 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $12,2o3,4(>4 (tax- able for county, $7,866,885). County Free Library established Sept. 15, 1913. Work started Oct. 1, 1913. Appropriation, 1914-15, $4,200. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 7. Inyo County is the second largest county in the state — as large as all the New England states, except Maine, com- bined. But in this territory is only a small population, and the increase, if any, has been very slight in the last five years owing to inadequate transportation facil- ities and its isolation from the rest of the state, and from the world in fact. The population is scattered the length of the county, the majority being in Owens Val- ley ; however, there are many minors in the mountains. T'"licre is only one incorporated town ii! the county, with a population of about 1,200 within its limits and about 1,300 more in its neighborhood. The other towns vary from about 150 to 500, the county being distinctly a rural people. The county seat, the headquarters of the library, is one' of the smaller towns, thus making the work rather more difficult, necessitating a large amount of traveling. The population of the county consists of miners, cattlemen and ranchers, besides the usual storekeepers, professional men, etc., and the Indians, the original inhab- itants. In 1013 when the county free library was established there were no libraries in Ihc county, except two small club li- lirarics, bolh of which were turned over lo Ihe county free library almost imme- diately. From !he start the people werii nuxious for the books and it has been a question, not of getting people to read the books but of getting books for the CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. 15 people to read. After a year and a half of work there are 1,205 borrowers, 4 reading rooms, 3 deposit stations, 1 com- bination deposit and school branch, and two schools receiving just school service, with two more schools which have con- tracted for service for the coming year. There are 2,126 volumes belonging to the county besides a state loan which en- ables the library to do greater work. The circulation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1914 (for nine months' time, the library being established Oct. 1, 1913), was 6,623 while the circulation for the quarter January-March, 1915, was 6,247. The circulation for the nine months of this year, July-March 1915, is 13,406 or over twice that of the first nine months of establishment. The ranchers are now beginning to feel the practical need of the library, coming in to ask why their grapevines "bleed," what should be done for black rot, how to trim their berry vines, etc. Several agricultural debates have been decided by the books at the Library. One club last year asked for service, while three clubs, one divided into two study sections, thus making four subjects, have been served this year. When a bridge was washed out la.st year books were promptly requested from the State Library, and served so valuable a purpose that they were requested again this year, when other bridges were to be built. Kern County Free Library. Miss Harriet C. Long, County Libra- rian. Pictures : Headquarters lu county court house Power plant library branch Librarj' branch in an oil center A library oasis in the desert Kern county County seat, Bnkersfield. Area, S,l.">9 square miles. Population, 37,71.". (in 1910). AssosKcd vahiotion. $.S5.''47,r»(>0 (tax- able for county. .luO.1 95.213). County Free Library established Nov. 16, 1910. Work started Nov. 1, 1911. Ap- propriation, 1914-15, $17,300. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 38. Prior to the opening of the Kern County Free Library, the city of Bakers- field was the only community in the en- tire county to maintain a free library. Opportunities for library service were therefore very great, for the immense oil fields, the mines, the ranches, the desert claims and the power plants had at- tracted to the county a thoroughly wide- awake and intelligent people of varied interests. Bakersfield, the county seat of Kern County, is fortunately located near the center of the county, and the County Free Library headquarters are in the court house at that place. Fixed collections of books are unknown in the system of library service as op- erated in Kern County, for the books sent to each branch ai"e carefully selected with the needs of that particular community in mind. Nor is there any limit to the length of time for which the books may be retained at any branch. The collec- tion is constantly shifting. Each mouth on the receipt of some new books, the custodian returns to the business head- quarters any books no longer needed by her patrons. At all times the people of (he county are urged to make their book wants known, and every effort is made to supply individual books. The number of volumes in any branch varies also ac- cording to the community, some of the smaller branches having but forty vol- umes, while other collections embrace more than 700. In some of the larger towns the people have furnished a nnnu — or even erected a building (one lins a portable building) in which to house tly branch library and provide reading room facilities. But the branch may also bo in the village post oflice, in the school- house, in the church at the cross roads, in the warehouse of an oil company, or in the home of some good woman who has volunteered to share her parlor with the people of her neighborhood in order that they may have library service. But whei-ever the branch may be located, whether it be in some little mountain village forty miles from the railroad, or in the heart of the oil fields. gu;irdod by the multitude of derricks which are every- where silhouetted against the horizon, or 16 CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. even in the midst of the great Mojave desert, the books are heartily welcomed by the people. Kings County Free Library. INIiss Bessie B. Silverthorn, County Librarian. IMctures : Headquarters School boys carry books to city schools Braiich in restaurant Proprietor is custodian Books served free Library service to harvester camps too far from regular branch to get books there Kings County County seat, Hanford. Area. 1,375 square miles. Population, 1G,230 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $16,237,992 (tax- able for county, $13,450,270). County Free Library established June 4. 1912. ^York started Nov. 12, 1912. Ap- propriation, 1914-15, $9,335.23. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 38. The Kings County Free Library has brnnchHs in all the communities repre- .scnting the varied activities of the county. Armona and Grangeville Branch are in the heart of the fruit district, Lemoorc Branch is in the alfalfa region, Stratford Branch on the edge of the grain country, while Corcoran Branch is in the dairy- ing and grain center. The remaining iM-anches of the county free library arc distributed through the various communi- ties, one of them being below Tulare I^ake, about 45 miles from the county seat, and about 20 miles from a railroad. Th'.^ county free library is endeavoring to serve not only the permanent residents of the county, but also the great number of temporary workers attracted to the county during the fruit cutting, raisin drying, and grain harvesting seasons, and made up of some of the finest young men .-.nd women in the state. One of the films taken in Kings County shows the county free library service to one of the many harvesting camps around Tulare Lake. Boxes of books were dis- tributed to those camps in the care of the foremen, and last year in one month over 500 books and magazines were loaned, in this way. In the picture taken the county librarian is leaving a box of books in front of the cook wagon at one camp. The men who are waiting for dinner gather around the box and several select books for later reading. One man takes a book he is especially interested in (The Prince of India) over to his tent before going in to dinner, as he wants to be sure no one else gets it ahead of him. The second film shows the Stratford Branch of the Kings County Free Li- brary, with the custodian, Mrs A. M. Winskill, in the doorway. Stratford is a real pioneer town, and the library cus- todian manages the only restaurant in the town, is the trained nurse for the community, and is its correspondent with out of town newspapers. The third film taken shows the Han- ford Public Library, the headquarters of the Kings County Free Library, with which it cooperates. Two boys are tak- ing some special request material over to the public school in the city library's book carrier. Teachers telephone to the library their needs, and this method of quick service through the book box is the result. The library service of the county is keeping pace with the county's develop- ment, and at every point endeavors to be the ally and helper of the county people, men, women and children. Los Angeles County Free Library. Miss Celia Gleason, County Librarian. Pictures : County Hospital patients enjoy books from Count.v Free Library Record in oi)oning branch Request telephoned to headquarters (70 mil(>s) I*ooks! selected and shipped Received and loaned all in less than two days County Free Library serves new socialist colony Children help county librarian open branch in si lioolhouse Liitrary branch at borax mine CALIFORNIA LffiRABY SERVICE, 17 Branch on recreation pier, a record "breaker" Los Angeles County County seat, Los Angeles. Area, 4,000 square miles. Population. ^04.1.31 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $S49,991,559 (tax- able for county $092,165,449). County Free Library established Sept. 5, 1912. Appropriation, 1914-15, $42,943. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 84. The Los Angeles County Free Library dates from January 1, 1913, the first branch being established in April of that year. At the end of two years there are in operation 93 branches, with 20,000 cardholders, a monthly circulation of 40,- 000 volumes, 52,000 books on deposit in the branches and 15,500 volumes in the central library including 5.500 in the Teachers' Library, to be drawn upon. The branches extend from Antelope Valley to Catalina, and from Claremont to Owens- mouth. The pictures shown are of repre- sentative branches. Hermosa Beach opened July, 1913, in small rented quarters. It now occupies a spacious room at the entrance of the municipal pier. It has on deposit 1,000 volumes, a circulation of 731 a month, and 715 readers are registered. A large summer population from surrounding towns enjoy transient privileges. The Sterling Borax Mine located five miles back into the mountains from Lang in the Soledad Canyon has a population of about a hundred, all employees of the mine and their families. There are on deposit KiG volumes, and a circulation of 05 a month is reported. The library was opened in a tent, and the sectional book cases were made of powder boxes. Lancaster, the oldest town in Ante- lope Valley, has had its branch since July, 1913. It now contains 930 volumes, with a circulation of 550 a month, and 473 registered borrowers. It has com- modious quarters, shared with the Chnm- ber of Commerce in a new brick building. Llano, a new settlement in Antelope Valley twenty-three miles east of Palm- dale, has 396 volumes, 129 readers, and a cirfulation of 310 a month. It was op'Mied in August, 1014, and has recently been moved to the club house which is the social center of the town. Leona School District, west of Palm- dale was being established as the picture was being taken. It is located in the schoolhouse which is the social center of the Leoneis Valley. The branch was opened with 216 volumes and 23 bor- rowers immediately made application. As the librarian was unloading boxes of freight for Leona School District at Palmdale, citizens of this town became interested. Application for a branch was promptly made, the librarian telephoned to Los Angeles for books and supplies, which were sent up the next day by ex- press, and by nine o'clock of the day after, the brancli was opened with over 200 vol- umes, 23 borrowers at once signed. The library of the county hospital was started by the Christian Endeavor So- ciety several years ago and originally con- sisted of books discarded by city libraries in the county. In 1913 a building was erected providing space for a newspaper and recreation room for patients, a general reading room, a study room for internes and a stack room containing books of general interest furnished by the county free library and a collection of medical books for the physicians. In addition is a permanent deposit in the tuberculosis ward of several hundred books contributed by La Vina Sanitorium, in which sanitorium is a branch of the county free library. Los Angeles Public Library. Everett K. Perry, Librarian. IMctures : The information desk Borrowers helped to find just what they want Loan desk Some days 5,000 books loaned New Carnegie branch building Outdoor rending room enjf!ye34,0O5,577 (tax- able for county, $27,189,460). County Free Library established Nov. 8, 1911. Appropriation, 1914-15, $5,865. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 45. The Riverside County Free Library lists as its problems : 1. Working outward from well estab- lished centers. 2. The rural schoolhouse as an outly- ing library center. 3. The problem of the Melting Pot— a mixture of races. 4. The problem of training for library service. 5. The problem of the actual erection of outpost library buildings. 6. The problem of actual employment of books in daily occupations of the peo- ple of the region — usually the man upon the land and the woman in his home. 7. The problem of wider culture in the librarian. From the Riverside Public Library as headquarters, the attempt is being made to work out these problems. The library conducts a six weeks' course for libra- rians — usually during the winter months, and loans its books to the people of the county through the branches located in public libraries, schools, etc. The Highgrove Branch is an example of the problem of serving the foreigner out in the country, and the Arlington Branch is an example of a town branch which is really a center for the many activities and interests of that part of the town. Sacramento County Free Library. Lauren W. Ripley, County Librarian. Picture ; First branch first custodian first borrowers and first county free library Sacramento County County s(^at, Sacramento. Area, 988 square miles. Population, 67,801) (in 1910). Assessed valuation $92,285,557 (tax- able for county, $82,222,010). CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. 21 County Free Library established Oct. 1, 1908. Appropriation, 1914-15, $11,875. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 180. The Sacramento County Free Library commenced operations Oct. 1, 1908, under an agreement between the then Board of Directors of the City Library and the County Board of Supervisors. In accord- ance with the terms of the agreement, the City Library was opened to all residents of the county under the same regulations as city residents, and the library under- took to establish agencies throughout the county as rapidly as funds permitted. The first of these agencies was established at Elk Grove. This was followed by stations at other of the more populous sections of the county, preference being given to localities distant from the city. These stations were located in schools, general stores, post offices and private homes. As the library grew in resources, reading rooms, in rented quarters, with salaried attendants, were opened where it seemed probable the use would war- rant. On the first of the year the library had five such reading rooms, besides twenty-eight public deposit stations. Work with the schools was, from the beginning, given a large place in the policy of the library. Early in 1911 the library began supplying classroom libra- ries from a special collection built up for that purpose. Seventy-five hundred vol- umes are set apart for this purpose, about 2,500 being added each year. The class- room library list has been adopted by the County Board of Education as the ap- proved list for school library purchase. At the beginning of the year, 176 class- room libraries, located in 61 school build- ings, were in use. Under the law pro- viding for such action, 37 school districts, including the Sacramento City school dis- trict, have made arrangements with the library for library service. Through these districts, the library directly reaches about seven-eighths of the teachers and pupils of the elementary schools of the county. Supplementary as well as general read- ing is supplied. This opportunity to exert an active influence upon the reading of the schools is one of the library's most valued assets. Through the central library, branches, deposit stations and schools the library is within reaching distance of 95 per cent of county's population. To sei*ve the remainder, additional stations will be es- tablished whenever suitable arrangements can be made, or service, in special cases, can be had directly from the central li- brary. San Bernardino County Free Library. Miss Caroline S. Waters, County Li- brarian. Pictures : Branch among the orange groves Community branch in schoolhouse Fine schoolhouse, fine books fine paid Branch on Mojave desert Note variety of people served San Bernardino County County seat, San Bernardino. Area, 20,055 square miles. Population, 56,706 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $63,345,022 (tax- able for county, $40,420,171). County Free Library established July 14, 1913. Work started Feb. 1, 1914. Ap- propriation, 1914-15, $9,306.80. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 26. Being the largest county in the United States and with an area as large as five New England states put together, it is not surprising to learn that three of the 26 branches are 250 miles away from the central library. One branch at Ludlow on the desert about 150 miles away serves the people 90 miles north just across the line in Inyo County at Death Valley Junction and Ryan. At the Del Rosa Branch one has a view of the San Bernardino Mountain, snow- capped, with the orange groves in the valley below. From the Etiwanda Branch in the western part of the San Bernar- dino Valley, one sees a beautiful avenue with orange and lemon groves on both sides. The Victorville Branch on the Mojave desert shows what the county free library is doing for the homesteaders and all the new agricultural colonies on the desert ; also for the ranchers and miners — farming and mining being the principal industries. At Victorville one sees the Victorville Narrows with the Mojave River and Mt. San Bernardino in the dis- tance. 22 CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. San Diego County Free Library. Miss Jeunie Ilorrman, County Libra- rian. Pictures : Branch in office of lumber company Some lumber and all books "red" Progress of a branch First housed in drug store now in building erected by county and community Branch in Woman's Club house Old church used as community club house and branch library San Diego County County seat, San Diego. Area. 4,207 square miles. Population, 61,6G5 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $75,866,729 (tax- able for county, $69,283,571). County Free Library established yipril 5, 1912. Work started Feb. 15, 1913. Ap- propriation, 1914-1.5, $10,817.33. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 34. The enthusiastic appreciation of the county free library service that is ex- pressed in every part of the county not only advertises the vv^ork and creates a further demand, but makes the filling of the requests a real pleasure. An engineer of the highway who was marooned dur- ing January on account of the unusual rains said he was saved from desperation during his enforced retirement from work on the roads by the library service thi'ough the branch at Cardi£f-by-the-Sea. The debaters from the Cuyamaca Union High School at Julian reported that their win- ning the silver cup in the county debat- ing league was largely due to the material they had had from the county free li- brary. The La Mesa people continue to be proud of their club house and library which the women feel was only possible on account of the county free library movement. Similar enthusiasm exists in every part of the county. So the requests and circulation are growing dailj- — far faster than the funds with which to give the service, but what California people want and enjoy they are very willing to pay for and funds grow each year in an effort to keep up with the growth in library needs. San Francisco Mechanics' Mercantile Library. Francis B. Gi'aves, Librarian. Pictures : Mechanics' Mercantile library serves thousands In its famous chessroom. The Mechanics' Mercantile Library in San Francisco was estalilished in 1850. In the fire of April, 1906, it was de- stroyed, the loss being about 200,000 vol- umes. It was immediately re-established and already has over 50,000 volumes and serves about 3,500 members. Supported by membership fees, it is the largest subscription library in the state. San Joaquin County Free Library. W. F. Clowdsley, County Librarian. San Joaquin County County seat, Stockton. Area, 1,370 square miles. Population, 50,731 (in 1910). Assessed valuation. $66,368,904 (tax- able for county, $56,875,902). County Free Library established March 7, 1910. Appropriation, 1914-15, $10,000. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 28. With products and industries extend- ing in every direction, San Joaquin County people have needed books and other material on every sort of subject. Even in the first fifteen months of the county free library service the circula- tion of books was 50,676. It has in- creased each year until the total for the year 1914 was 67,279. San Mateo County Free Library. San Mateo County County seat. Redwood City. Area, 470 square miles. Population, 26,585 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $32,465,471 (tax- able for county, .$30,32.5,475). County Free Library established Sept. 5, 1912. No appropriation made as yet and s"o library has not been started. Santa Barbara County Free Library. Mrs. Frances Burns Linn, County Li- brarian. Pictures (slides) : Books and workmen on way to Gibraltar Dam branch CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. 23 The camp at Gibraltar Dam Books leaving Sauta Barbara post office for Cuyama branch (250 miles) Ou the long road to Cuyama The opening of the package at Cuyama Oil wells in ocean where some branch borrowers work Pier and pipe line at an oil refinery. Crews of company's tankers are patrons of branch library An oil barque sailing for Honolulu carries county free library books for the 40-day cruise Santa Barbara County County seat, Santa Barbara. Area, 2,450 square miles. Population, 27,738 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $34,496,827 (tax- able for county, $29,157,186). County I'ree Library established Feb. 16, 1910. Appropriation, 1914-15, $8,- 289.01. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 41. Santa Barbara was the first county to take up county free library work under the law passed in 1909. In 1910 it began with 10 branches, and now administers 41. The circulation of books during the past year has been 1.50,000 volumes. This is not one of the largest counties of California, but its area is sufficient, being little less than that of the state of Connecticut. Nearly half of the people live in the city of Santa Barbara. But, with the exception of the inhabitants of Santa Maria and Lompoc, the rest are to be found in very small communities, in some cases remote and hard to reach. There are construction camps and oil leases and little groups of homesteaders far away from the ordinary lines of travel that must not be left out of any plan for getting books to all the people who w^ant books and can make good use of them. It is not easy to supply these needs, but the problem is none the less interesting, on that account, and when it has been worked out the satisfaction is great. At Gibraltar Construction Camp, at the north portal of the water tunnel which the city of Santa Barbara has bored through the mountains, men have been at work upon the construction of a dam and reservoir for impounding the flood waters of the Sauta Ynez River. Thoir camp has been made a branch, and thj books have to go and come as the men do, through four miles of a 5 by 7 foot hole in the mountains. Before "the train starts" from the head of Mission Canyon the book package is carefully wrapi)ed to protect it from water-drip and flying sparks. It is given the place of honor at the front end of the car, and the "pas- sengers" have to divide up as well as they can what little room there is left. Naturally, at such a branch as this, there is considerable demand for something be- sides "light reading," and many books on engineering and nature study have been sent out. Distribution of books to the branches east, west and northwest is a compara- tively easy matter. In most cases it is only necessary to follow lines of railroad that lie within the county, and it is not difficult to reach by stage those places which lie away from the railroad. But when it comes to the thinly settled moun- tain region of the northeast, that is a different problem. If packages of books could only be sent "as the crow flies" the distance would not be over seventy miles. But nothing in the way of a "crow carrier service" has yet been de- vised, and, therefore, these have to go by parcel post east and south and north and then southwest, via Santa Barbara, Ventura. Los Angeles and Kern counties, about 200 miles, in order to reach Mari- copa, from which point they have still more than forty miles of stage journey to reach the little settlements of Wasioja and Cuyama. There are times in winter when, for a few hours, the road up into thFsi' mountain valleys looks quite Siber- ian, and certainly no Siberian exiles could be more eager over "good news from a far country" than are these readers when they gather around a fresh package of books — for they are booklovers, some of them coming anywhere from four to fif- teen miles in order to avail themselves of county free library privileges. Once upon a time a bright woman wrote to the Santa Barbara library to inquire if there was any way to get the use of books at the desert place where she was living. "We have nothing here now," she wrote, "but oil and stars." There are 24 CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. many places in Santa Barbara County where this was almost literally true until the county free library began its work. It was not true at Summerland, where there has been a considerable community for a long time, and where there is abund- ance of ocean along with the oil and the stars. But the flourishing county branch which has been established there shows what an added community interest books and magazines are ; and the branch at Gaviota has as patrons the crews of the company's oil ships. They borrow books for the 40 days' trip to Honolulu and back. Santa Clara County Free Library. Miss Stella Huntington, County Li- brarian. Pictures : Billy, youngest borrower Branch in realty office "AVatch us grow" Branch at Lick Observatory on Mt. Hamilton Books come high but they must have them ! Santa Clara County County seat, San Jose. Area, 1,355 square miles. Population, 83,530 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $81,006,331 (tax- able for county, $72,077,380). County Free Library established July 20. 1912. Work started July 1, 1914. Ap- propriation, 1914-15, $5,700. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 16. The Santa Clara County Free Library is only six months old, but it has 16 branches and has circulated in the six months nearly 14,000 books. As there were only 2,429 books at the end of the six months it is easy to see that the books are kept busy and also that the assistance of the State Library has been found to be invaluable in filling requests. The number of books at the branches range from 106 to 397. At least 50 books are changed every three months, but no book is returned to the main library until the custodian finds that her people have finished it. If the custodian finds that there are not enough books in the library more are sent at any time. There are no fixed collections of books ; the books are selected to fit the individual needs of the people at each branch. As to the special request books their name is legion ; the requests come in from men, women and children and on many subjects ; a high school boy who wants to study bee culture during vacation ; a play for a club to give ; how to make candy ; books on "new thought" ; how to make tatting, etc. The branch at Los Altos is our first branch and is a good "sample branch." The branch at Mt. Hamilton has given perhaps as much pleasure as any of the branches. The people on the mountain top form a little community by them- selves and the library, "with all the books we have been reading reviews about," is greatly appreciated. Solano County Free Library. Miss Clara B. Dills, County Librarian. Picture : Headquarters in new high school building used also as branch for school and town. Solano County County seat, Fairfield. Area, 911 square miles. Population, 27,559 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $26,361,990 (tax- able for county, $23,066,631). County Free Library established April 6.1914. Work started August 1,1914. Ap- propriation, 1914-15, $5,515.33. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 24. The Solano County Free Library started with blotters, pens and ink. The county seat, Fairfield, had never main- tained a public library so that one of the first branches to be started was to give service to it. The circulation of the branch started with a daily average of eight and now the books borrowed per day figure from 90 to 110 volumes. Great interest and appreciation is shown by the people of this communitj'. The same is true of the second branch which was opened at Rio Vista, a town down on the Sacramento River. And so branches are added one by one. The town of Cement, whose name characteristically implies the reason for its existence, has just had a branch placed in its hotel. Chemists and workers in the quarries and factory are already asking for technical books. A big county with many library needs is enthusiastically receiving the begin- nings of what promises with more time CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. 25 and income to be one of its most ap- preciated and successful institutions. Stanislaus County Free Library. Miss Cornelia D. Provines, County Li- brarian. Pictures : Branch in private residence Former custodian state traveling library now county branch custodian Booifs housed in paint shop Painter is custodian Branch in church basement always open for reading and games County storekeeper on his regular rounds delivers books "a la cart" Headquarters of Stanislaus County Free Library Stanislaus County County seat, Modesto. Area, 3,486 square miles. Population, 22,522 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $31,843,480 (tax- able for county, $27,815,555). County Free Library established Aug. 14, 1911. Work started Jan. 2, 1912. Ap- propriation. 1914-15, $11,200. Branches (.Tan. 1, 1915), 2l. The Stanislaus County Free Library began work upon the second day of Janu- ary, 1912. The Modesto Public Library was at that time established in three small rooms in the Belleview Building on I street, in Modesto. Immediately upon the establishment of the county free library, Modesto become a part of the county free library system. In April of 1912, the library building which was the bequest of Mr. Oramil McHenry to the city of Modesto, was completed and the two libraries were moved into it. The name of the Modesto Public Library was changed to the McHenry Public Library, and since that time the work of the two libraries has gone forward simultaneously, under the direction of one librarian. On January 1, 1912, there were no branch libraries in the county, and the total number of registered cardholders was 1,004, while the circulation for the year of 1912 was 28,718 books, the num- ber of volumes in library being 2,401. On January 1, 1915, the branches in the county numbered 21, with the number of registered cardholders as 6,263, while the circulation for the year 1914 was 99,114 books, with 15,721 volumes available for circulation. Branches in the county are established in various places : in stores, schoolhouses, a post office, private homes ; one in a bank building and one in the basement of a church ; one in the county jail and one in the rooms of the Modesto Coffee Club. Ten of the branches have reading rooms, some of which are open all day and evening, and some only at stated hours daily. Eleven branches are de- posit stations only, but all are provided with periodicals, both for reading and for circulation. Tulare County Free Library. Mrs Bessie Herrman Twaddle, County Librarian. Pictures : A branch building erected by community A negro settlement served by county free library Building gift of individual Armenian colony at Yettem receives library service Tulare County County seat, Visalia. Area, 4,863 square miles. Population, 35,440 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $48,840,347 (tax- able for county, $40,857,785). County Free Library established June 10, 1910. Appropriation, 1915-16, $15,- 718.89. Branches (Jan. 1, 1915), 95. It is not quite five years since the Tulare County Free Library was estab- lished with an appropriation of $4,uuu. The sum has been gradually increased until for the year of 1914-1915 the in- come is nearly four times that amount. More than a third of the population of the county have availed themselves of the county free library service, and the registered cardholders read in 1914 over 115,000 volumes, an average of more than 15 volumes for each reader. Regular shipments of fifty volumes are sent quarterly to each branch, in addition to the books which are sent by mail or express at special request whenever books are needed for study or reference by 2(j CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. stliools, clubs or individual readers. Dur- ing 1!)14 over 15,0'UO volumes were shipped to the branches, 4,000 of which were in response to special requests, and HOO wex'e from the State Library at Sacra- mento. The moving pictures at the Expositions show the library branch at Yettem, the Armenian colony of the county, where the readers are interested in acquiring Eng- lish, acquainting themselves with Ameri- can customs, and in reading about agri- cultural methods. They have read a great deal of American history and most of the English and American classics. The picture of the branch at Aliens- worth, the negro settlement, shows the li- brary which is the pride of the commu- nity. The readers here are interested in various subjects and always request read- ing matter of a high order, books on agriculture, economics, philosophy, his- tory, etc., but they are especially inter- ested in books which deal with the prob- lems of their race. Recently a shipment of books was sent to the Tule Ri>er Indian Reservation. The collection was made up of books which would be helpful to the teachers, and suitable for the Indian children. Wherever one may live in Tulare County, in orange district or dairy region, in the mountains or on tlie plains, he may have library advantages through the branches of the Tulare County Free Li- brary. Ventura County Free Library. County seat, Ventura. Area, 1,850 square miles. Ropulation, 18,347 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $30,973,620 (tax- able for county, ,$27,378,039). County Free Library established April 9. 1915. Provision for its support will be made in the September tax levy. Yolo County Free Library. Mrs .Tulia G. Babcock, County Libra- rian. I'ietures : Headquarters and first automobile used in county free library work Superintendent of schools cooperates with couutv librarian State University Farm uses county free library Krauch in barber shop gives service to big and little shavers Service to town school Expressman arrives with books Service in country school Cliildreu take books home for whole family County librarian and county superintendent of schools visit Indian school branch Yolo County County seat. Woodland. Area, 1,017 square miles. Population, 13,92G (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $24,621,051 (tax- able for county, $21,235,581). County Free Library established July 12, 1910. Appropriation, 191.5-16, $8^ 09().98. Branches (.Tan. 1. 1915), 57. The Y'^olo County Free Library is prom- inent in county free library activities be- cause of the work with the schools which has developed largely through the co- operation between the superintendent of schools of Yolo County and the librarian of the county free library, who have traveled hundreds of miles together in the macliine belonging to the superintendent. To the schools the library supplies books for supplementary reading as w'ell as a general collection of books for the home reading of the pupils and for the use of the adults in the school district. Special requests are supplied as promptly as possible either from the shelves of the county library or from the State Li- brary. Fillmore school is a typical one- room country school and tlie children are shown going home with their books. At Davis University Farm a branch is main- tained in connection with the library of the farm. This collection of books con- sists largely of books for recreational reading, as the University supplies most of the needs for study purposes. The Winters school is a type of the larger school in tlie county where a collection of several hundred books is maintained for the use of teachers and pupils. As there is a community branch at Winters, books CALIFORNIA LIBRARY SERVICE. 27 for the parents are not iucluded in the number. At Madison the branch library and reading room is pleasantly housed in a room devoted to the purpose connected with the residence and shop of the cus- todian. The branch at the Guinda Indian school has recently been opened for the use of the teachers and the Indian pupils, who spend the forenoon in manual or domestic work and the afternoon in study of books. For some of the larger schools re- questing it, magazines, such as St. Nich- ola.s. Youths' Companion, National Geo- graphic Magazine, or Popular Mechanics, are subscribed for by the county free library. Four of the branches have reading rooms with a good supply of periodicals, and it is hoped to extend this work as rapidly as funds will permit. California State Library. J. L. Gillis, Librarian. Picture : Capitol at Sacramento California State Library occupies 30 per cent of floor space People of California voted $3,000 000 bonds for office and library buildings City Sacramento donated site two blocks facing capitol State Library supplements other library service free Through about 800 libraries and 1,200 branch libraries reaches every resident in every part of the state California Area, 158,297 square miles. Second in size among the states. Population, 2,377,549 (in 1910). Assessed valuation, $8,134,811,284 (for 1914-15). Number of counties, 58. The California State Library was es- tablished January 24, 1850. Appropria- tion for 1914-15, $98,000. Total acces- sion (Jan. 1, 1915), 170,431, exclusive of 4,254 books for the blind and of about 125,000 volumes in the Sutro collection in San Francisco. The California State Library School was established September 4, 1913. This has no separate appropriation, but is sup- ported entirely out of the State Library fund. The Library and Library School are both located in the Capitol at Sacramento. For further information about Califor- nia Library service, or for any of the circulars listed below, write to State Li- brary, Sacramento, California. Three circulars that may be had on request : California County Free Libraries : Two questions often asked, 5th ed. 1915. California County Free Library Ser- vice to Schools, 1915. Circular and Announcement of the Cali- fornia State Library School, 1915-16. 14 DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. 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