The San Diego Public Library is a public library system serving San Diego, California.

History

The San Diego Public Library was established on May 19, 1882, by an elected board of library trustees, one of whom was civic leader and philanthropist George Marston. The first location was rented space in the Commercial Bank building at Fifth and G streets, and the new library opened its doors to the public for the first time on July 15, 1882. San Diego was the first city west of the Mississippi River to receive a Carnegie Library grant. The grant was received in 1899 and the library built in 1902. The library moved to Eighth and E streets where the new Carnegie Library was constructed.

A notable librarian during this period was Clara Estelle Breed (1906–1994), who served as children's librarian at the downtown branch and was appointed City Librarian in 1945, a post she held for 25 years. She founded numerous branch libraries and established the Serra Cooperative Library System, which allows users to borrow books from other libraries in San Diego and Imperial counties. She maintained contact with many Japanese American children when they were interned with their families during World War II; her correspondence with those children is now on display at the Japanese American National Museum in Los Angeles.

In 2021, San Diego Library published its first children's book titled "Odi's Library Day" written by Hunter Hackett and illustrated by Anisi Baigude. Youth Services Librarian Emily Derry was responsible for introducing the concept of a published book to the library and brought the author and illustrator onto the project. The bilingual book is centered around the mascot for the San Diego Public Library system, Odi the Coyote, visiting the San Diego Central Library. Odi was named after the vision statement of the library, with each letter standing for opportunity, discovery, and inspiration.

Since the construction of the Carnegie Library, there have been 36 branch libraries opened throughout the city.

Central Library

In 1952, the Carnegie Library was demolished and a new Central Library was opened at the same location on June 27, 1954. That library closed permanently on June 9, 2013, to begin the 10-week process of transferring its 2.6-million-item collection to the new library.

In 2010, construction began on a new $184.9 million Central Library at 330 Park Boulevard in downtown San Diego. This 9-story structure was designed by San Diego architect Rob Quigley. The building includes bay view terraces, roof gardens, a public reading room, an auditorium, and an art gallery. It opened on September 30, 2013. The library displays numerous books and collections, including the second largest collection of baseball memorabilia in the U.S. The collection is housed in the Sullivan Family Baseball Research Center. Nearly 300 public art pieces are displayed throughout the library.

The Central Library also houses a new charter high school, e3 Civic High School, which is billed as the only school in the United States to be housed within a library. The school serves grades 9 through 12. It opened on September 3, 2013, with an initial student body of 260 ninth and tenth graders. Additional grades were added in 2014 and 2015 resulting in a student body of approximately 500.

Services

The San Diego Public Library system currently consists of the Central Library, 36 branch libraries, and an adult literacy program office (READ/San Diego). Library cards are free to applicants who reside within the state of California or own property in the city of San Diego, and to men and women serving in the armed forces who are stationed within San Diego County. Library cards are permanent and must be renewed every year. There is a $30 annual fee for a non-resident library card.

In October 2023, in honor of Banned Books Week, the San Diego Public Library partnered with Library Foundation SD and Books Unbanned to provide free digital library cards to anyone aged 12–26 in the United States, becoming the fifth library to do so. Unlike other programs, this collection focuses on banned and restricted books, as opposed to the entire collection.

On the third floor of the Central Library is the new Innovation Lab that was originally funded by a state Library Services and Technology Act grant in 2013, when the Central Library opened. Since then, thanks to donations from the community, the lab has expanded and added additional machines. The new space was funded in part by the California State Library. Available equipment and resources from the Innovation Lab include: 3D Printing & Scanning Silhouette Cameos/Vinyl Cutter Sewing & Embroidery Machines Milling Machine Laser Cutter Computers Maker Classes & Workshop

In fiscal year 2006, the Library system had a circulation of more than 7 million and more than 6 million visits by patrons. The San Diego Public Library was one of the first major library systems in the United States to offer free wireless Internet access at all of its locations, including the Central Library and branch libraries.

While testing the Spirit of St. Louis airplane in San Diego, Charles Lindbergh used the resources at the San Diego Public Library to plot the course for his historic solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean.

Renowned American sculptor Donal Hord bequeathed to the San Diego Public Library his lifelong collection of books and several sculptures in appreciation for the assistance he had received from library's staff over the years.

Branches

Aside from the Central Library, the system includes the following 36 branches:San Diego Public Library: Locations

Name Address Neighborhood Current building opened Notes 1 Allied Gardens/Benjamin Library 5188 Zion Avenue Allied Gardens 1965 Opening funded by Edwin A. Benjamin. Expanded in 1986. 2 Balboa Library 4255 Mt. Abernathy Avenue Clairemont 1971 Initially named Mesa Vista Library. 3 Carmel Mountain Ranch Library 12095 World Trade Drive Carmel Mountain Ranch 1997 Offers two meeting rooms and a Friends of the Library book store. 4 Carmel Valley Library 3919 Townsgate Drive Carmel Valley 1993 Designed by Rusty Coombs, includes and displays a collection of public art. 5 City Heights/Weingart Library 3795 Fairmount Avenue City Heights 1998 The library is next to the Performance Annex, a black box theater. 6 Clairemont Library 2920 Burgener Boulevard Clairemont 1958 The thirteenth branch opened. 7 College-Rolando Library 6600 Montezuma Road College Area 2005 Replaced the College Heights library built in 1955. 8 Kensington-Normal Heights Library 4121 Adams Avenue Kensington 1937 Remodeled in 1962. It is currently the smallest of the branch libraries. 9 La Jolla/Riford Library 7555 Draper Avenue La Jolla 1989 In September 2015, the creation and opening of its Bio Lab made it the first public library in the world to house a biotech lab. 10 Linda Vista Library 2160 Ulric Street Linda Vista 1987 11 Logan Heights Library 567 S. 28th Street Logan Heights 2009 12 Mira Mesa Library 8405 New Salem Street Mira Mesa 1994 13 Mission Hills-Hillcrest/Harley & Bessie Knox Library 215 W. Washington Street Mission Hills and Hillcrest 2019 14 Mission Valley Library 2123 Fenton Parkway Mission Valley 2002 15 Mountain View/Beckwourth Library 721 San Pasqual Street Mountain View 1976 16 North Clairemont 4616 Clairemont Drive Clairemont 1962 17 North Park Library 3795 31st Street North Park 1959 18 North University Community Library 8820 Judicial Drive University City 2007 19 Oak Park Library 2802 54th Street Oak Park 1969 20 Ocean Beach Library 4801 Santa Monica Avenue Ocean Beach 1928 21 Otay Mesa-Nestor Library 3003 Coronado Avenue Otay Mesa 1986 22 Pacific Beach/Taylor Library 4275 Cass Street Pacific Beach 1997 23 Pacific Highlands Ranch Library 12911 Pacific Place Pacific Highlands Ranch 2024 24 Paradise Hills Library 5922 Rancho Hills Drive Paradise Hills 1964 25 Point Loma/Hervey Library 3701 Voltaire Street Point Loma 2003 26 Rancho Bernardo Library 17110 Bernardo Center Drive Rancho Bernardo 1996 27 Rancho Peñasquitos Library 13330 Salmon River Road Rancho Peñasquitos 1992 28 San Carlos Library 7265 Jackson Drive San Carlos 1974 29 San Ysidro Library 4235 Beyer Boulevard San Ysidro 2019 30 Scripps Miramar Ranch Library 10301 Scripps Lake Drive Scripps Ranch 1993 31 Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Library 9005 Aero Drive Serra Mesa and Kearny Mesa 2006 32 Skyline Hills Library 7900 Paradise Valley Road Southeast San Diego 2016 33 Tierrasanta Library 4985 La Cuenta Drive Tierrasanta 1984 34 University Community Library 4155 Governor Drive University City 1978 35 University Heights Library 4193 Park Boulevard University Heights 1966 36 Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library & Performing Arts Center 5148 Market Street Southeast San Diego 1996

See also Althea Warren, head librarian, 1916–26

References

External links

Carnegie Libraries in California Sullivan Family Baseball Research Center