Memories of McClatchy Library

PREFACE

“Though huge libraries can inspire awe, it is very often the small library that inspires affection.” –Michael Gorman, 1998

               The Ella K. McClatchy branch of the Sacramento Public Library is a small library that has inspired affection for over seventy years. Not only is it small, it was once a home where a family lived, and it still retains a sense of hospitality.  The family of Ella K. McClatchy donated their Beaux Arts-Neo-Classical home to the City of Sacramento in 1940 to be a “Library for Young People.” It came complete with almost all of its furnishings –Oriental carpets, overstuffed chairs, Monterey Furniture, even lamps with leather shades.  Because the family gave their home to the city, it has become a landmark to history and philanthropy.

               New visitors to the McClatchy Library are often happily surprised by the cozy atmosphere, the friendly staff, and the feeling of being in a wealthy, kind relative’s home.  Although conceived as a library for “young moderns,” the Branch has welcomed people of all ages for over six decades.

               We have often heard people remark about why McClatchy Library is special to them.  In this volume we share with you the vignettes, stories, and memorable moments of many of them.  To gather these stories, the Friends of McClatchy Library hosted writing workshops, conducted interviews, collected photographs, and issued a call for submittals.  Other sources for this book were interviews from Ella K. McClatchy Library, a DVD the Friends produced in 2007, and articles from the newsletter, McClatchy Friends (originally called Traces of the Past).

               Whether or not you have been to the Ella K. McClatchy Library, we hope this book will rekindle happy and fond memories you have of your favorite library.

Editors:  Virginia Kidd, Lynn Eder, Alice Levine, Nancy Gotthart and Lenore Lesher