Summer Reading Club Begins!

It's Summertime!

and that means

Summer Reading Club!

The fun begins Tuesday, June 1st.

Come in, sign up, and get

your Summer Reading Log.

And don't miss the Summer Reading Club Program Wednesday, June 2nd

Live Animal Show with Wild Animal Things of Salinas

2 pm at Jewel Park!

Facebook - FYI

Ever since we launched our Facebook page, people have commented that they can't visit us, because they don't have a personal Facebook account. Well, guess what? Anyone can visit us on Facebook! If you don't have a Facebook account, you can't post messages or add comments. But you can read everything on the Wall, as well as check at our Events page, Photos and even the Blog.

Check it out here.

Or you can click on the Find us on Facebook button at the bottom of our home page.

Better Budget News!

At this evening's City Council Meeting, the Council voted unanimously to increase the Library's budget for FY 2010/11! Yes, that's right, an increase in General Fund monies was allotted to our budget!

Councilperson Lisa Bennett gave an impassioned plea for greater support for the Library, and made the motion to raise the General Fund allocation from $550,000 to $600,000. After thoughtful discussion among the six Council members, the motion was passed unanimously.

Will this allow the Library to be open more hours? Not yet. However it will allow more part-time staffing - which will help us catch up on the backlog of routine tasks and special projects that have been on hold during the severe budget cuts of the past three years.

Also, as Councilperson Bennett emphasized, increased support by the Council sends a strong message to Pagrovians that together we can rebuild the Library to be strong and vibrant once again. She painted an inspiring scenario that with General Fund support and a successful Library ballot measure, the Library's budget could be restored to its previous funding level of $1.1 - $1.2 million.

The recommended changes are contingent on a second reading and final approval of the Budget on June 16th. Meanwhile, you may want to drop your City Council members a Thank You.

Budget News....

It's that time of year at City Hall - "Budget Season." On Wednesday, March 25th, the City Council will review the Recommended Budget for FY 2010/11 in a Special Meeting designated specifically for that purpose.

The 138 page document is available for review at the Library, and online.

How does the Library fare? Better... and worse... than hoped for last year at this time.

Because Measure J narrowly lost the election, (approximately 30 votes shy of the needed 67%), the Library will not receive an influx of new funds.

However, due to solid citizen support, new leadership at City Hall and a concerned City Council, it is recommended that the Library continue to receive funding from the General Fund. In fact there is a slight increase in General Fund monies, (that essentially replaces a generous gift towards operating funds received from the Friends of the Library last fiscal year).

If the Recommended Budget is passed, the Library will remain open the same number of hours and days: Tuesdays and Thursdays 11 am - 6 pm. Fridays and Saturdays noon - 5 pm.

The meeting commences Wednesday at 6 pm. All interested persons are encouraged to attend.

Rollin Pickford Exhibit Continues Through May 31st

The Library has been honored this month to display sketches and ephemera from the collection of Rollin Pickford.

Pickford has been painting watercolors for over 60 years, and his mastery is evident in every stroke.

He has painted thousands of watercolors; the majority in Fresno, where he has lived most of his life. Their evocative chronicle of a vanishing rural landscape has earned him the title of “painter laureate of the San Joaquin Valley.”

The Monterey Bay Peninsula also figures prominently in his work. Beginning in the late 1960s, he painted here every summer.

Several Pagrovians recall seeing him around town. He spent hours walking about, absorbing a scene before painting it. As he explained:

"It takes a long time to study a landscape and absorb all the facets of it. You don't get that immediately, and walking around is the best way to let it come into your consciousness."

"The Chinese are famous for walking through a landscape sometimes for two days or three, not making any image. Then they go back to their studio to make the paintings of what they have absorbed."

We invite you to come in and enjoy "the poetry" of Pickford's paintings. And if you're interested in learning more about this amazing artist, check out California Light, The Watercolors of Rollin Pickford, or the inspiring documentary, Master of Light: the Life and Watercolors of Rollin Pickford.

To view more images of Rollin Pickford, visit his son's website, Pickford Pictures.

Our thanks to Melissa Pickford Smith for the loan of all items in the exhibit.
And our best wishes to Rollin Pickford, as he celebrates his 98th birthday this month!

Why So Many Names of Women On The Plaques?

Every month, we answer hundreds of questions at the Reference Desk. Some are simple. Some are difficult. Some are "repeats"(asked more than once). And we have yet to find a definitive answer for a few.

For your enjoyment and erudition, we'll be sharing some Q&A in the Blog.

This question came from a visitor who was "charmed by all the wonderful small houses and especially..the plaques with the original owners' names on them....Is there a specific reason why so many women were owners of these houses in late 1800s and early 1900s? Do you think it had to do with Asilomar being a YWCA facility"

This is an example where we found no definitive answer. But the question was discussed in the February/March 2002 issue of The Heritage Society's Board and Batten. In the article Magic Plaques? by Adam Weiland, it's written:

"We do not know for sure why so many homes recorded only a woman as the owner. Many long time residents are surprised when they find out their family home was "officially and legally" owned by their great-grandmother with no mention of their great-grandfather. Other descendants are surprised when they find out their "family home" was really owned by a great-aunt or, in a few cases, someone not even related to their family. .....Although this is just speculation, here are some my thoughts on why there are so many plaques with a woman's name:

1) Women lived longer, so perhaps it avoided some tax issues when the man died. 2) Many of the men owned their own business, so perhaps it was to protect their home from creditors should the business fail. 3) In some cases the woman was a widow or unmarried when she had the house built. 4) Perhaps it was a generally accepted practice at the time. 5) Religion had nothing to do with it. Although Pacific Grove was founded as a Methodist retreat,nothing precluded men from owning real estate in the Retreat."

If you have additional information on this topic, we'd be interested to hear about it. Leave a comment on the Blog or stop by the Reference Desk.

102 and Loving It!

The weather was gray outdoors. But inside the Library was bright and cheerful as we celebrated our 102nd birthday on Saturday.

Nancy Raven & Anne Downs regaled us in song.

Mr. Horsefeathers had all the kids laughing.

Francis, Gary and Anita sold lots of used books, to help the Library purchase new books.

And everyone enjoyed popcorn & cake!






These two Friends summed it up well: "I love PG Library."

A special thanks to CTB-McGraw Hill for selecting the Library as a recipient of their generous Community Volunteers program. It was a delight working with their staff, who assisted from beginning to end in a myriad of ways.

Eat Pizza & Help Raise $ for the Library!

Did you notice the article by Mike Hale in The Herald on Wednesday? It noted that "Americans consume 350 slices of pizza every second, an amount equal to 100 acres a day. Just as you read that sentence, another 20,000 slices of pie disappeared down our collective gullets."

We're hoping Pagrovians and other Library fans are in a pizza-eating mood on Sunday, the 16th, when our local Round Table Pizza is offering 15% of all food sales to the Library.

Yes, that's right.

Eat pizza and raise money for the Library!

Round Table Pizza

1116 Forest Avenue

1-8 pm

Sunday, May 16th

Treat yourself to a pizza pie on Sunday

& help the Pacific Grove Public Library!

The Library is coming to facebook.

We hear you've been looking for the Library on facebook.

We're on our way....

Look for us

May 15th, 2010

Come to the Library's Birthday Party....and friend us!

You're Invited to the our 102nd Birthday Party!

It’s a Party!
Come Celebrate
the Library’s 102nd Birthday!
Saturday, May 15th 1–4 pm

Music, Magic & Cake!

Folksinger, Nancy Raven & her Appalachian Dancing Dolls with
Anne Downs on banjo & mandolin.

Mr. Horsefeathers
Wacky & Wonderful Fun!

Birthday Cake!

...and laughter, popcorn, the Library's new Facebook account, friends, neighbors, etc.....

Note: this is the 102nd birthday of the Carnegie Library that opened at 550 Central Avenue on May 12, 1908. The Pacific Grove Free Public Library was established December 19, 1905.