by Lisa Robinson

The substantial community involvement that was exhibited when the current Boulder Creek Branch library was built was also evident in the spirit of the early inhabitants of the town of Boulder Creek. In 1892, a Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) was formed here and in 1893, a building was erected for the Union close to the corner of Lomond and Central. On a WCTU souvenir commemorating the dedication of the building in 1894 the following was written: 

 

Here a village surrounded by extensive lumber interests, a railroad terminus with scores of young men on the streets with little but evil before them; boys on the road to death — a woman’s heart is touched. “What ought to be done, can be done,” said the WCTU, and with women’s faith, it was resolved to build a Free Reading Room and Public Library. It meant incorporation, securing of lot, deed, time, money, toil; yet through difficulties, oppositions, discouragements and the greatest of financial depression, the work has gone forward and with the assistance of a few noble men the plan is wrought – “A gem of beauty and a joy forever”

 

The first floor of the building housed the library and the WCTU parlor; the second floor housed the librarian and their family. In order to raise funds to support the reading room, events such as a “Martha Washington Supper” (Martha Washington being the first first lady) and a “Festival of Days” were held in local halls. The arrival of new books was announced in the local newspaper, the Mountain Echo. Books such as “Trail of Sandhill Stag” by Ernest Thompson Seton – a beautifully illustrated book that you can now read in its entirety on Google Books, and Rebecca of Sunny Brook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin – a classic favorite. In addition, the reading room received books from the State Library. These books were noted as containing “valuable information and to the deep thinker, intensely interesting”, such as “Forestry” by Filbert Roth.

 

In 1906, the library became a truly public library with a Board of Trustees. Regular hours for the reading room were 9am-5pm on weekdays and on Sunday 9am-5pm “or longer at the pleasure of the Librarian” – this was possible because the librarian lived on the premises. Now at those times, you could only use the library as a reading room. If you wanted to check out a book, you would need to do it between 2pm-5pm and 7pm-9pm weekdays only.

 

In the summer months, the library would have summer visitors. These “strangers” would be required to put down a $1 deposit in order to receive a library card and check out books. This deposit was returned upon surrender of the card. In the month of August 1909, the library had 97 visitors and loaned 222 books. In addition to books that were part of the library’s collection, the library supplemented its holding by subscribing to the Bodley Club circulating library (named after Sir Thomas Bodley who founded his library, the Bodleian, in Oxford in 1602).

 

When Boulder Creek dis-incorporated in 1915 the library collection was put into storage until the County could establish a branch library, which they did in 1917 moving into the building next to Peery and Hartman’s real estate. In 1921, the library moved back into the WCTU building where they continued to operate until 1948 when they moved into the Fire Department Building. It wasn’t long before more space was needed. Thankfully, the Santa Cruz Lumber Company had a building they no longer needed, and so donated it to the cause. In 1950, the building was moved on a flatbed truck two blocks down Highway 9 and placed at the side of the Fire House. 

 

By the mid-1970s it was clear that the town had outgrown the little library and a determined group of volunteers worked tirelessly to make the current building a reality. Three workshops overseen by architect Jeff Oberdorfer were held in which local residents were highly involved in the design process.

 

Some of their concerns included:

  • The library should be a home away from home and always open.
  • There should not be any fluorescent lighting.
  • The library should accommodate teenage social activities, but these should be acoustically screened from the other areas.

 

Ground, donated by Boulder Creek resident Robert Kuerzei, was broken on April 25, 1984. The Boulder Creek Historical Society buried a time capsule in the cornerstone of the library’s foundation, holding historical documents and artifacts from the San Lorenzo Valley.  Ten months later on March 1, 1985 the Library was dedicated to former librarian June Brosios.

 

In 1987, the building was awarded the American Institute of Architects award for Excellence of Design. The headlines read “Small town library wins national honors.”

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