Yorba Linda Star

The Yorba Linda Public Library dates back to the first day of October, 1913, at which time an election was held, establishing the present Yorba Linda Library district. On March 3^rd, 1914, the Yorba Linda Library by order of the trustees, H. P. Turner Chairman, Theo Stanley and Mrs. W. G. Corbitt, Secretary, who had been appointed by the County Supervisors, became a free public library, and the event was celebrated by a silver tea, served in the library rooms. The Library is now one of the largest and best managed of any of the smaller libraries in this section.

For eighteen months, Mrs. C. R. Selover, due largely to whose efforts the library was established, donated her services as librarian; then Miss Clair Amstutz was elected librarian and reelected for another term.

Since these two pioneers the Yorba Linda Library has had as librarians, Mrs. Dool, Mrs. Theis and Mrs. Hale, and is at present in charge of Miss Blanche Bemish, who is most capable and efficient. Miss Bemish has been in California since last August, coming here from North Vernon Indiana, where she was with the Jennings County Public Library.

The Library has grown from a total circulation of 31, with 12 borrowers, in the first month of its existence to a circulation of 1566 for April, 1924, with a list of 1,287 patrons. During 1923 the circulation was 11,354, for adult fiction, 6,767 Juvenile fiction, and 1,694 magazines were circulated, while during the year 1913 the total circulation was only 698.

There are now 4,773 books on the shelves of the library, 979 of these being added during the year 1923. Several daily papers are secured to contribute to the interest of the patrons and 33 of the best magazines are received for the entertainment of the reader.

About 1,591 of the books are fiction and the balance are juvenile, books of travel, biography, history, poetry, reference work, encyclopedias, books of art and music, law and modern business and many of the books are found on the shelves which are recommended by the foremost educators and thinkers of the day. The Library is housed in a comfortable brick building on Olinda street and that far seeing Library Board including Mrs. W. M. Smith, Chairman, W. G. Cannon and Mrs. H. R. Brown, Secretary, have this year purchased an excellent building site on which, when the proper time comes, will be built the new modern home of the Yorba Linda Public Library.

In this connection the Board has a plan, if the present tax rate is maintained, not of asking for a bond issue for a new building but to save enough each year after the community is supplied with the best books possible, to have a fund, that they may be ready to build when the time comes without any extra burden on the taxpayers.

Patrons can cooperate very materially by returning books promptly, and, if overdue, they should be sure and return them, the fine of 2 cents a day for overdue books is low in comparison with many libraries, and the loss of a book is a serious matter.