Library's 65th-year history — uppercase typescript version

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FROM THE HANDFUL OF BOOKS IN THE 1913 STOREROOM,
HERMOSA BEACH LIBRARY'S COLLECTIONS HAVE GROWN TO INCLUDE
APPROXIMATELY 28,000 BOOKS, 144 MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPER
SUBSCRIPTIONS, 109 ALBUMS AND 984 SINGLE DISCS, AS WELL AS
PERIODICALS ON MICROFICHE CARDS, PAMPHLETS, COLLEGE CATALOGS
AND OTHER USEFUL MATERIALS CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MODERN
LIBRARY. THERE ARE OVER 8,WU REGISTERED BORROWERS,
CHECKING OUT MORE THAN IU, CUU BOOKS AND PERIODICALS A
YEAR,
CONTEMPORARY LIBRARY SERVICES IN HERMOSA BEACH INCLUDE
INFORMATION, REFERENCE AND REFERRALS, VOTER REGISTRATION,
STORY HOURS, FILM AND OTHER SPECIAL PROGRAMS, AND DELIVERY
OF BOOKS AND MAGAZINES TO CONVALESCENT FACILITIES AND THE
HOMEBOUND,
THE FIRST "CUSTODIAN" OF THE HERMOSA BEACH LIBRARY WAS
MRS, MARY MONTGOMERY, MRS, FERN RHEIN WAS APPOINTED IN 1923,
AND KATHRYN KERBER WITTMAR CAME ALONG AS AN ASSISTANT IN
THE 3U'S TO START A CAREER THAT WAS TO LAST OVER 4U YEARS
WITH THIS ONE LIBRARY.
MRS. RHEIN WAS SUCCEEDED BY IRS, DOROTHY OLNEY, WHOSE
15 - YEAR TENURE WAS FROM 194 TO 1964, FOLLONED BY CARLOTTA
HOYE, JUDITH TROLANDER, LUCILLE CHITWOOD, ALICE LOVELACE, AND
THE PRESENT INCUMBENT, SHARI PETRESKY,
* FAMOUS PATRONS OF THE LIBRARY OVER THE YEARS, WHO HAVE
GIVEN THEIR BOOKS AND WRITTEN LETTERS OF APPRECIATION TO THE
STAFF, INCLUDE SENATOR ALAN CRANSTON, THE LATE ASSEMBLYMAN
CHARLES CHAPEL, AND AUTHORS CHARLES WINDAS AND LEONARD
WIBBERLEY,
THE FRIENDS OF HERMOSA BEACH LIBRARY WERE ORGANIZED IN
1959. OVER THE YEARS THEIR GIFTS TO THE LIBRARY HAVE INCLUDED

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HERMOSA BEACH LIBRARY IS NOW OFFICIALLY A SENIOR CITIZEN,
IN JULY, 1913 IT WAS ESTABLISHED AS THE TWELFTH BRANCH OF THE
LOs ANGELES COUNTY FREE LIBRARY, FOUNDED IN 1912, THE LIBRARY
HAS NOW BEEN IN CONTINUOUS SERVICE FOR 05 YEARS. LIBRARIAN
SHARI PETRESKY INVITES THE PUBLIC TO SEE A DISPLAY IN THE 550
PIER AVENUE FACILITY TO ILLUSTRATE SOME OF THE HIGH AND LOW
SPOTS IN THE LIBRARY'S HISTORY,
IN 1913 THE LIBRARY WAS SET UP IN A STOREROOM OF THE
WALKER BUILDING ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF PIER AND HERMOSA
AVENUES WHILE THE MUNICIPAL PIER WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION,
THE LIBRARY HAD VARIOUS HOMES ON THE PIER OVER THE NEXT
4U YEARS. FIRST WAS A TOWER ROOM IN PIER AUDITORIUM. THE
NEXT MOVE WAS DOWNSTAIRS TO A NORTH ROOM IN THE AUDITORIUM.
THEN IN 1927 THE LIBRARY TOOK OVER A FORMER "DANCE PARLOR" ON
THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PIER -A VERY PLEASANT LOCATION FROM
ALL ACCOUNTS, THE SCUTH WINDOWS LOOKED OUT OVER THE BEACH
TO THE FALOS VERDES HILLS AND CATALINA, ON THE NORTH SIDE THE
VIEW WAS OF FISHERMEN, TOURISTS AND BATHERS GOING TO AND
FROM THE PIER, THE ROOF WAS DESCRIBED AS "TILED WITH LIVING
PIGEONS, "
THE HALCYON DAYS WERE INTERRUPTED BY A FIRE'S BREAKING
OUT IN THE MEN'S ROOM JANUARY 13, 1938. THERE WAS NO PHONE,
OF COURSE; SO A 12-YEAR-OLD READER RAN TWO BLOCKS TO SUMMON
THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE LIBRARY WAS NOT
SERIOUSLY DAMAGED AND REMAINED ON THE PIER UNTIL AUGUST, 1957
WHEN IT WAS MOVED TO LARGER AND MORE ACCESSIBLE QUARTERS IN
THE FORMER POST OFFICE ON HERMOSA AVENUE.
FIVE YEARS LATER, IN AUGUST, 1962 THE LIBRARY MADE ITS
FINAL MOVE, THIS TIME TO THE 6,40 SQ. FT. BUILDING IT NOW
OCCUPIES AT 550 PIER IN THE CIVIC CENTER COMPLEX,

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A WORLD GLOBE, A DISPLAY CASE, THE CALIFORNIANA BOOK
COLLECTION, LIBRARY SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS, AND THE HARVARD
CLASSICS, THE GROUP ORGANIZED AND CONTRIBUTED TO THE
F. W. FLAKE MEMORIAL RECORD COLLECTION IN 1967, MRS,
DELMA PEERY IS PRESIDENT OF THE FRIENDS THIS YEAR,