The San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) has been honoring National Library Week with a variety of activities - including the opening of Public Library: An American Commons - A Photography Exhibition by Robert Dawson and a Bookmobile parade for National Bookmobile Day. To continue the acknowledgment of libraries - here are a few favorite finds about SFPL's history from the San Francisco History Center. The San Francisco History Center has the SFPL Archives documenting the history of the San Francisco Public Library (originally the Free Public Library) and includes annual reports, correspondence, newspaper clippings, staff publications, ephemera, photographs, and Library Commission minutes (formerly the Board of Trustees).
Instead of hunting through the SFPL Archives, I decided to begin my exploration with the department's subject cards. The blog introduction to the subject cards was Spotlight on Collections: Visitors to San Francisco and 2011 was introduced with "S. F. Firsts." Here are treasured cards from "Libraries. S.F. Public."
The first find is one of the many acknowledgments of Library Week. In reaction to states and cities celebrating their own Library Weeks, the American Library Association (ALA) sponsored the first National Library Week in 1958. SFPL began celebrating Library Week with the first observance September 22 - 28, 1946 as San Francisco Public Library Week. Noted on another subject card is the fact that California Library Week commenced shortly after following the model of San Francisco Public Library Week. This subject card with a clipping documents the celebrations planned for San Francisco for California Library Week. The children's books by Edith and Clement Hurd noted in the clipping are still in the Effie Lee Morris Collection.
Another favorite is one of the many subject cards for the history of the San Francisco Public Library. Frances K. Langpaap, head of the Catalog Department and editor of the Public Library section for Municipal Employee - Service, Efficiency, Co-operation wrote a series of articles on the history of the public library.
Here is the first page of the article as a teaser for the series. With the citations provided on the card, you can find the rest of the article and the other two SFPL history articles via the scanned version of Municipal Employee. Or you can browse each issue of the Municipal Employee for the Public Library articles that include subjects about cataloging, the branch system, collections and personnel news. There are a few articles that contain a portrait of Frances Langpaap (who seems to be the stereotypical representation of an early 20th century librarian - missing only the bun!).
I liked the simplicity of this card.
When I discovered this subject card, the visual that came to mind was the photograph below in the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection. The photograph was taken by Dorothea Lange when she worked for the Farm Security Administration. Lange documented migrant workers as well as the effects of unemployment. The 1949 article referenced on the card about the "philosophers"also indicated that the group was known as the Library Sun Club.
Visit a library. Or view photographs of libraries online through the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection.
In honor of the New Main Library's 15th anniversary on April 18 - watch the time lapse video on the construction of the New Main.
Instead of hunting through the SFPL Archives, I decided to begin my exploration with the department's subject cards. The blog introduction to the subject cards was Spotlight on Collections: Visitors to San Francisco and 2011 was introduced with "S. F. Firsts." Here are treasured cards from "Libraries. S.F. Public."
The first find is one of the many acknowledgments of Library Week. In reaction to states and cities celebrating their own Library Weeks, the American Library Association (ALA) sponsored the first National Library Week in 1958. SFPL began celebrating Library Week with the first observance September 22 - 28, 1946 as San Francisco Public Library Week. Noted on another subject card is the fact that California Library Week commenced shortly after following the model of San Francisco Public Library Week. This subject card with a clipping documents the celebrations planned for San Francisco for California Library Week. The children's books by Edith and Clement Hurd noted in the clipping are still in the Effie Lee Morris Collection. 
Another favorite is one of the many subject cards for the history of the San Francisco Public Library. Frances K. Langpaap, head of the Catalog Department and editor of the Public Library section for Municipal Employee - Service, Efficiency, Co-operation wrote a series of articles on the history of the public library.Here is the first page of the article as a teaser for the series. With the citations provided on the card, you can find the rest of the article and the other two SFPL history articles via the scanned version of Municipal Employee. Or you can browse each issue of the Municipal Employee for the Public Library articles that include subjects about cataloging, the branch system, collections and personnel news. There are a few articles that contain a portrait of Frances Langpaap (who seems to be the stereotypical representation of an early 20th century librarian - missing only the bun!).
As Frances Langpaap begins the September 1927 Municipal Employee issue, "The essential value of a library to its community lies in the accessibility of its service. The library should be the place to which a person instinctively turns when he 'wants to know' something, and the easier it is for him to find out when he wants to know, the more fully is the library fulfilling the purpose of its existence." Langpaap's words are not far from SFPL's Mission Statement - The San Francisco Public Library system is dedicated to free and equal access to information, knowledge, independent learning and the joys of reading for our diverse community.
When I discovered this subject card, the visual that came to mind was the photograph below in the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection. The photograph was taken by Dorothea Lange when she worked for the Farm Security Administration. Lange documented migrant workers as well as the effects of unemployment. The 1949 article referenced on the card about the "philosophers"also indicated that the group was known as the Library Sun Club. | |
| Sunny Side of the Main Library, Feb. 1937. FSA, Dorothea Lange. |
Visit a library. Or view photographs of libraries online through the San Francisco Historical Photograph Collection.
In honor of the New Main Library's 15th anniversary on April 18 - watch the time lapse video on the construction of the New Main.
Comments
Post a Comment