Mary Louisa Mitchell Binckley: Santa Rosa, California, Public Library, 1884-1890

Santa Rosa City Hall including Library (arrow) and Fire Department, circa 1888*

Santa Rosa Press Democrat, Number 22, August 9, 1890:

CITY HEWS. Report of the Santa Rosa Public Library. FULL HISTORY OF THE INSTITUTION

The books were stored until the present Library was permanently established under the auspices of the first elected Library Trustees, in the New City Hall, May 26, 1884. The board consisted of the following named gentlemen: Col. Mark L. McDonald, President; Judge Geo. A. Johnson, Melville Dozier, Robt. A. Thompson, A. W. Riley. Only organisation was perfected at this meeting.

June 20, 1884, Mrs. Binckley was elected the first Librarian, at a salary of $25 per month.

Passing over one special meeting a session was held July 29, 1884, when by reason of permanent departure, Mr. Melville Hosier resigned, and Mr. R. A. King was elected to fill his place. Also at this meeting a draft for $59.75 was donated by the former library association.

Dec. 9, 1884, was consummated the first purchase of books, numbering 431 volumes, and costing $410.

January 26, 1885, fourteen periodicals were added, costing $45. At this time $35 was received from the High School Literary Society entertainment, given for the benefit of the Public Library.

The first annual report was made to your honorable body July 1, 1885. 

Nov. 13, 1885, the Librarian’s salary was increased to $35 per month. 

From this time on, until Nov. 1, 1887, only the regular routine business of the Trustees was transacted, a few books being purchased and donations made of money from entertainments given by the people of the city, notably one under the management of Miss Martha Chase, at the Athenaeum, entitled “Old Folks’ Concert,” whereby $123.85 was realized and turned into the fund. The next large purchase of books being made from C. A. Wright, costing $924.75.

April 15, 1887, $400 worth of walnut shelving was purchased.

May 27, 1887, the Librarian's salary was increased to $40 per month.

June 16, 1888, another invoice of books was purchased, costing $320.25.

In August, 1888, the Knights of Pythias gave an entertainment for the benefit of the Library entitled “Damon and Pythias,” realizing $41.70 from the same.

Sept. 28, 1888, the first insurance on the library was made with Walter Davis, for $l,000 for three years. From this date on many periodicals and books have been added, singly and in groups, by purchases and donations from citizens, and also by having periodicals bound.

April 6, 1889, and Feb. 24, 1890, books costing respectively $215 and $289.50 were added.

In April, 1890, the present Trustees, entirely new, took their seats. On the 15th of the same month Miss Bertha Kumli was elected Librarian and began to discharge the duties of that office May 1, 1890.

Preparatory to an annual house-cleaning, no books were issued for two weeks after May 1, 1890.

On Monday, June 2, the Library was reopened to the public. In the meantime the room was thoroughly cleaned; the carpet had been taken up and replaced by a new one; the walls kalsomined; a railing made around the Librarian’s office; awnings placed over the skylights, and shades underneath the same.

The sofa had been recovered and another book case added. Over two hundred new books which had been ordered by the last board placed on the shelves, also a large and valuable collection of Senate and Assembly Journals, donated by the Hon. J. W. Ragsdale.

Books with leaves missing were discarded and about one hundred and fifty laid aside to be repaired or rebound.

A list was taken of the books in the Library and those of travel, biography, history, science, poetry and miscellaneous essays were labeled on the back and numbered [using the Dewey Decimal system], so as to conveniently keep them in a given place on the shelves.

Following is a statement of the receipts and expenditures from July 1, 1889, to July 1, 1890:

RECEIPTS. Balance on hand, July 1, 1889:   $577.96

Received, Dec 3, '89, apportionment of taxes 1,079 25

Received from Knigts of Pythias 41.70

from county tax and flues. 42.35

from sale of old carpet 14 00

Total $1,755 20

EXPENDITURES. Books and periodicals $410.88

Salary 480.00

Library expenses 390.10

Balance in hands of City Treasurer 474.28

Total  $1,755.26

The Library is open week days, excepting Saturdays, from 1 to 5 and 7 to 9 p. M.; Saturdays, from 10 to 12 a. m., 1 to 5 and 7 to 9 p. m.

Since May 1, 1890, it has been kept open Sunday from 2:30 to 6 p, m.

The attendance during the year is as follows:

July, 1889, 1,260; August, 1,470; September, 960; October, 1,392; November, 1,443; December, 1,425; January, 1890, 1,612: February, 1,347; March, 1,439; April, 1,185; May, NA, June, 2,220; total for eleven months, 15,753; average per month, 1,432.

The number of books issued during the year is given below: July, 1889, 1,075; August, 944; September, 864; October, 1,044 r November, 1,082; December, 1,069; January, 1890, 1,209; February, 1,013; March, 1,057; April, 948; May, ; June, 959; total for eleven mouths, 11,264; average number per month, 1,024,

CLASSES OP BOOKS ISSUED. Fiction, 7,474; juvenile fiction, 2,105; history, 324; biography, 136; travel, 292; science, 161; poetry, 131; essays, 398; miscellaneous, 243; total, 11,264.

BOOKS IN LIBRARY JULY 1, 1890. Fiction, 863; juvenile, 204; history, 310; travel, 69; biography, 239; essays, 308; science, 147; poetry, 77; reference, 102; public documents, etc., 625; miscellaneous, 83: total, 3,032.

The following periodicals are to be found on the tables: Dailies—Daily Democrat (donated), Daily Republican (donated), 8. F. Bulletin, S. F. Chronicle, 8. F. Examiner. Weeklies— American Sentinel (donated), Argonaut, Engineering News. Harper’s Weekly, Harper’s Bazaar, Harper's Young People, Heraldsburg Enterprise (two copies, donated), Life, The Nation, Petaluma Courier (two copies, donated), Mendocino Beacon (donated), Pacific Methodist (donated), Pacific Lumberman, Contractor, etc. (donated), Sonoma Democrat (donated), Sonoma Tribune (donated), Sebas[t]opol Times (donated), Signs of the Times (donated), Scientific American, World, Weekly Argue (donated). Monthlies Atlantic, Book Chat (2 copies) Century, Forum, Harper’s, Popular Science, St. Nicholas.

The Board is endeavoring to administer the affairs of the Library with such due regard to economy as is consistent with a good return for the money expended. The income is derived from a tax levy on all taxable property not to exceed ten cents on each hundred dollars of the value of all real and personal property. ast year the library tax was three cents.

In conclusion the Board desires to express that feeling of gratitude to your honorable body, which consists of a lively sense of favors to come. Respectfully submitted,

Thos. L. Thompson, Pres.,

W. C. Hill, Sec’y.,

M. M. Shearer, M.D.,

George Lewis,

H. C. Crowder, M.D.

[Mary Louisa Mitchell/Mitchell Binckley (1838-1930) 
Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California, had a population nearing 5,000 at the time; in 2016, it is closer to 175,000] 

*Group of firefighters standing at attention in front of the City of Santa Rosa City Hall, located on Hinton Avenue between Third and Fourth Streets, circa 1890. Full photo at Sonomo County Library Photograph Collection here.

Many thanks to Jeff Elliott, publisher of Santa Rosa History (he has another version of the above photo here), especially for referring me to Katherine J. Rinehart, M.A., Manager, History & Genealogy, Sonoma County Library, 211 E Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404; thanks to her for help with initial local research, and the California Digital Newspaper Collection project, and also William Myers, Mary Davy and Sally Young for their assistance.