Fullerton Public Library - Timeline

Timeline

1888 The Gem Pharmacy, owned by William J. Starbuck, ran a "traveling library" supported by private donations. Books could be checked out free of charge.

1902 Mrs. James Dean opened a "free reading room" on the NW corner of Commonwealth Avenue and Spadra (now called Harbor Boulevard). It was intended to fill the idle hours of oil field and migrant workers.

1906 The City Fathers established a free public library under Ordinance No. 46 two years after the City incorporated. Population 2,000.

1907 The City's first library building was erected on the NW corner of Pomona and Wilshire Avenues with a $10,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie.

1927 A separate Children's Library was built as an annex to the Carnegie library. Mary Campbell served as the first children's librarian. Later the building was relocated to Hillcrest Park for use by the American Red Cross.

1942 The Carnegie Library was razed to make way for a new building on the same site. The construction project was funded by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) of the federal government. Population 11,000. Today this building houses the Fullerton Museum Center.

1955 The City introduced the very first bookmobile in Orange County. Population 43,412.

1961 The Friends of the Fullerton Public Library was established.

1962 Norton Simon and the Hunt Food & Industries Foundation, donated a building and park located in Southwest Fullerton, to the City on the condition that it is "used solely for a public library and public library park." The donation became known as the Hunt Branch and is located at 201 S. Basque Avenue. Population 64,100.

1971 A joint powers agreement was entered into between the County of Orange and the City of Fullerton for the purpose of issuing $1.3 million in revenue bonds to finance construction of a new Main Library on Commonwealth Avenue.

1972 Ostrich Eggs for Breakfast; a History of Fullerton for Boys and Girls, written by children's librarian Dora May Sim and illustrated by Wanda Collins, was first printed. The book would become required reading for all Fullerton public school third grade students.

1973 The new Main Library at 353 W. Commonwealth Avenue was dedicated. The former library at the corner of Pomona and Wilshire Avenues would later become home to the Fullerton Museum Center. Population 90,000.

1986 The Fullerton Public Library became the first public library in Orange County to computerize the circulation (checking in and out) of books by barcoding books and library cards.

1987 For the first time in its history, the Library checked out more than one million items in a single year.

1994 The Fullerton Public Library was the last public library in Orange County to replace the card catalog with a computerized card catalog on computer terminals for public use. The Fullerton Public Library Foundation was established. Population 119,500.

1997 The City Council approved the Library Board of Trustees' plans to expand the Main Library. The City launched the library's first web page. Population 125,000.

1999 Construction began on a $1.6 million expansion of the Main Library funded primarily with a Redevelopment bond. The Children's Library closed for 12 months during construction.

2000 The Library Foundation raised $318,000 in support of the Children's Library expansion and for library technology. The Friends of the Library contributed an additional $45,000 towards the expansion project. A new bookmobile arrived. The Main Library received a generous gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for new public computers and a technology lab. Internet service became accessible to the public. A self-checkout machine at the Main Library was installed. Population 128,255.

2005 The Library began digitizing photographs in the local history collection and making them available via the Internet and the library's catalog. Both the Main Library and the Hunt Branch became wi-fi hotspots, supporting laptop computer connections to the Library's databases and the Internet. Population 135,672.

2006 The Fullerton Public Library celebrated its 100th year in operation. The library also participated in One Book, One Community, with programs about and influenced by Khaled Hosseini's Kite Runner.

2007 Began its first adult summer reading program, called the Women of Mystery, which shares the same mystery theme with the children's summer reading program, Get a Clue.

2008 The Library had its second annual One Book One Community Program on Homer Hickman's Rocket Boys.

2009 Library expansion plans are moving forward with construction slated to begin March 2010.

2011 July 23 The Main Library reopens after a $10 million expansion and remodel. The library added a new conference center, group study rooms, a cafe space, expanded Local History room, and redesigned teen area, computer lab, and floor plan.