Histories · May 15, 1980
Pat Gazin's newspaper history of the Friends
Easy Reader anniversary history includes building campaign, gifts, programs and past-presidents list.
Names in this record: Clyde W. Malone is Bill Malone; Kay Pontious is Kay Pontius; Patricia A. Gazin is Pat Gazin.
Part of this item is hard to read or covered in the scan. A clearer copy is being sought.
Text
Transcribed from the scans and checked against them by Claude. Typed text comes first; handwritten notes follow it. [illegible] marks words that cannot be read and [?] an uncertain reading.
Page 23
8:30 p.m. in the Marymount College Theatre on Palos Verdes Drive East. 375-7566.
Saturday May 24
At last—displaying our own
The Los Angeles County Museum of Art at last bows in with a display of five contemporary Los Angeles Artists' works in the Art Museum Council's rental 1 Gallery. Boisvert's Arizona desert scenes, Josephson's humorous oil paintings and drawings of people, Hall's drawings of gloves, and Nagatani's cibachrome photographs are all on view in the town's own Museum. Sorry, forgot Skuro's porcelain wall sculpture. Too often our galleries forget our own, and its nice of the Los Angeles Museum remembering once and for all. 5905 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. 937-4250.
HB Friends of the Library celebrates 20th anniversary
by Pat Gazin
A librarian's mission in life is to bring books and people together. The same is true of Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library.
The HB Friends is collectively twenty years old this week. A little older, if we were to count as do the Chinese...from the embryo stage. To celebrate this milestone, Friends of the Library will host open house at the library from 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 17.
The organization started fomenting in 1959 when 13 women gathered for an exploratory conference.
The goals of the early nucleus were the same as they are today: to generate a heightened awareness of the library and its value to the community, to stimulate interest in books, especially among children, to promote greater circulation, and to supplement regular library sources with furnishings not ordinarily come by through ordinary budget channels.
At the time of founding, the library was housed in the building which is now Vaupel's liquor store, earlier the site of the local post office. There was a feeling in the community that the time had come for a new library building.
The Hermosa Beach library is and has been since 1913 a branch of the Los Angeles County Library system. As one of the smallest libraries (but also one of the busiest — in 1927 Hermosa ranked fifth in usage in the entire system), Hermosa was well down the line in priority for a new library building. Chief County Librarian John D. Henderson and staff predicted at the time that a new building for Hermosa Beach should not be anticipated before 1973 or 1974.
The Hermosa Beach Friends encouraged the city council to advance city funds for the purpose of construction of a library building, with the intent to sell it eventually to the county. And that is what happened.
Ground was broken for the new library Nov. 17, 1961. Foundations were laid by the following January. Hermosa's new library was dedicated and opened the same day, Friday, August 10, 1962. The building is 6400 square feet, with shelving capacity for 21,900 volumes. The cost of construction was $115,884.91.
Gifts coming in to the new building included a giant glove, a set of Harvard classics, special chairs and games for children, a day light screen (for movies), table furnishings for parties, numerous sets of reference books, and periodical subscriptions renewed each year.
Membership dues provide the backbone of the budget; additional money is generated through direct cash gifts from Friends plus numerous events — a fashion show, gourmet cooking class, excursions to other libraries, bake sales and regular booksales, and a spring benefit which has become a legend in its own time — Libations for the Library.
The HB Friends has steadily built a collection of Californiana for the pleasure of local readers, offered a 12-month Bicentennial display, and has sponsored special events to honor retiring staff. A community tribute was tendered at the retirement of librarian Dorothy Olney in 1965. Her successor, Carlotta Hoye, was similarly lauded upon her retirement in 1967. When Kathryn Dittmar, a Hermosa staffer for nearly 40 years, retired Friends sponsored a community reception at Valley Park.
Within the past year, Friends donated more than $1000 worth of gift books and periodicals.
Following is a list of past presidents of the Hermosa Friends of the Library.
Helen Tracy - 1959, 1960
Bea Bond - 1961
Mary Edgerton - 1962
Kay Pontious - 1963
Charlotte Ann Malone - 1964
Lorraine Hales - 1965, 1968
Beverly Corben - 1966
Patricia A. Gazin - 1967, 1971, 1977
Dorothy Olney - 1969, 1970
Mary Tyson - 1972
Betty Ryan - 1973, 1974
Naoma Valdes - 1975
Evelyn Belasco - 1976
Delma Peery - 1978
Clyde W. Malone, Jr. - 1979, 1980
KIDS LOVE THE FUN FACTORY
SEE THE BUNNY AT THE EASTER EGG HUNT
Iris Chap of Redondo Beach won a $50 savings bond for her winning entry in the clown coloring contest sponsored by the Redondo Fun Factory in the April 3 Easy Reader.
Handwritten notes
• (top) E R 5/15/80
Show the original machine reading
Source scan page 59
Page 23 est. ee 8:30 p.m. in the Marymount College Theatre on Palos Verdes Drive East scenes, Josephson's humorous oil paint- ings and drawings of people, Hall's draw- 375-7566 ings of gloves, and Nagatani's ciba- vork- peo- how chrome photographs are all on view in Saturday May 24 At last- displaying our own the town's own Museum.Sorry, forgot Skuro's porcelain wall sculpture. Too The Los Angeles County Museum of Art often our galleries forget our own, and at last bows in with a display of five con- its nice of the Los Angeles Museum temporary Los Angeles Artists' works in theArt MuseumCouncil's rental remembering once and for all. 5905 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Gallery. Boisvert's Arizona desert 937-4250 471. HB Friends of the Library celebrates 20th anniversary by Pat Gazin day, August 10, 1962. The building is A librarian's mission in life is to bring books and people togeth- 6400 square feet, with shelving capa- city for 21,900 volumes. The cost of er. The same is true of Hermosa construction was $115,884.91. Beach Friends of the Library. Gifts coming in to the new build- The HB Friends is collectively ing included a giant glove, a set of twenty years old this week. A little Harvard classics, special chairs and older, if we were to count as do the games forchildren, a daylight Chinese. from the embryo stage. screen (for movies), table furnishings To celebrate this milestone, Friends for parties, numerous sets of refer- of the Library will host open house ence books, and periodical subscrip- at the library from 3 to 6 p.m. Satur- tions renewed each year. day. May 17. Membershipdues provide the The organization started fomen- backbone of the budget; additional ting in 1959 when 13 women gather- money is generated through direct ed for an exploratory conference. cash gifts from Friends plus numer- Thegoals of the early nucleus ous events- a fashion show, gour- were the same as they are today: to met cooking class, excursions to generate a heightened awareness of other libraries, bake sales and the library and its value to the com- regular booksales, and a spring munity, tostimulate. interest in benefit which has become a legend books, especially among children, in its own time-Libations for the Library. to promote greater circulation, and to supplement regular library The HB Friends has steadily built eir sources with furnishings not ordi- a collection of Californiana for the narily come by through ordinary pleasure of local readers, offered a budget channels. At the time of founding.the 12-month Bicentennial display, and has sponsored special events to library was housed in the building honor retiring staff. A community which is now Vaupel's liquor store, tribute was tendered at the retire ib earlier the site of the local post of- ment of librarian Dorothy Olney in fice. There was a feeling in the com- 1965. Her successor, Carlotta Hoye, el of munity that the time had come for a was similarly lauded upon her retire new library building. ment in 1967. When Kathryn Ditt- The Hermosa Beach library is and mar, a Hermosa staffer for nearly 40 has been since 1913 a branch of the years, retired Friends sponsored a Los Angeles County Library system. communityreception at Valley As one of the smallest libraries (but Park ing also one of the busiest - in 1927 Her- Within the past year, Friends do- mosa ranked fifth in usage in the en- nated more than $1000 worth of gift cal tire system), Hermosa was well down books and periodicals. the the line in priority for a new library building. SO Chief County Librarian Following is a list of past presidents John D. Henderson and staff predict- of the Hermosa Friends Library. ofthe for Hermosa building ed at the time that should not be Beach sea Bondo 1959, 1960 anticipated before 1973 or 1974. The Hermosa Beach Friends en- Mary Edgerton - 1962 couraged the city council to ad- Kay Pontious - 1963 le vance city funds for the purpose of Charlotte Ann Malone - 1964 Lorraine Hales - 1965, 1968 construction of a library building, Beverly Corben - 1966 with the intent to sell it eventually to the county. And that is what hap- Patricia A. Gazin - 1967, 1971, 1977 pened. Dorothy Olney - 1969, 1970 Ground was broken for the new Mary Tyson - 1972 library Nov. 17, 1961. Foundations Betty Ryan - 1973, 1974 were laid by the following January. Naoma Valdes - 1975 Hermosa's new library was dedi- Evelyn Belasco - 1976 es cated and opened the same day, Fri- Delma Peery - 1978 Clyde W. Malone, Jr. - 1979, 1980 OVE THE LAsTe ?EGS HONT Iris Chap of Redondo Beach won a $50 savings bond for her winning entry in the clown coloring contest sponsored by the Redondo Fun Factory in the April 3 Easy Reader.