Alameda, Alameda Co., California, situated on the eastern shore of the Bay of San Francisco. A city of homes. Being a brief description of the beauties of Alameda, and its surroundings on land and (14763225444)

Identifier: alamedaalamedaco00alam (find matches)
Title: Alameda, Alameda Co., California, situated on the eastern shore of the Bay of San Francisco. A city of homes. Being a brief description of the beauties of Alameda, and its surroundings on land and water
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Alameda (Calif.). Board of Trade
Subjects:
Publisher: (Alameda, Calif.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation



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he year 1877 by a few ladies and gentlemen,who organized the Alameda Free Reading-room and LibraryAssociation. Gifts of money and books were generously con-tributed, and the association, with several hundred volumes, theleading California newspapers and principal American monthlymagazines, opened its rooms on August 25, 1877. From that time the growth of the Library has progressedsteadily. On January 1, 1897, the Library was opened in its presentquarters in the west wing of the new City Hall. Here will befound conveniently arranged rooms, where members may haveeasy access to all the books. The reference department, on thesame floor, has a good collection of bound periodicals and stand-ard reference works. The children have an alcove to themselves,where they may read and consult the books provided for them. The Library has 26,400 volumes, and a membership of 6,243,more than one-third of the population having cards. For the yearending May 31, 1902, there were issued for home use 123,547
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volumes. A monthly bulletin is issued by the Library containinglists of recent accessions, a serial catalogue, and items of informa-tion and interest to its readers. This is distributed free. A branch reading-room is maintained at the west end, wherein addition to the daily and weekly papers and monthly magazines,a collection of reference works and bound periodicals may befound. Mr. Andrew Carnegie, who has done more than any otherman toward the erection of library buildings, has given to thiscity ;35,000, with which to erect a building suitable for its needs.The lot on which the building is now being constructed was boughtby the Library trustees in 1887. The new building is to be of sand-stone and pressed brick ; it will have a frontage of 70.6 feet and adepth of 65.6 feet. An easy rise of wide granite and marble stepsleads up to the vestibule of mosaic and marble, making an artisticentrance to the main room. No partitions will obstruct the viewin this room, the several departments b