News Letter of the Los Angeles County Public Library December 1960

              Vol. 14 No. 6
NEWS LETTER
LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
322 &, BROADWAY P. O. Box 111 LOB ANllELEB 53, CALIF"ORNIA
December 1960
TO THE STAFF:
The past 12 months have seen the County Library provide
more books for more readers in better buildings than in
any year in our history. Members of the staff deserve
the highest praise for this achievement.
The challenge of the New Year calls for further growth
in services and resources. With pride in your perfor­mance
in 1960 and full confidence that 1961 will be
equally impressive, I wish for all of you a joyous
holiday season and a Happy New Year.
J.D.H.
SUPERVISOR BONELLI IS
NEW LIBRARY CHAIRMAN
The Library starts the New Year under the personal aegi s
of Supervisor Frank G. Bonelli, who was named Board Chairman
of the Library Department by Supervisor Ernest E. Debs
when the latter became Chairman of the Board December 6. Supervisor Bonelli takes
the helm in the Library's 49th year. The Library became a going concern December 23,
1912, when the first County Librarian was appointed and began building it into
the great organization it is today, but no one then dreamed of the proportions
it would attain in its 48th year or of the ambitious plans it will attempt to
carry out in its 49th.
1960 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
TELL PROGRESS STORY
As a salute to 1960, before it rushes off to the haven
of used-up years, here is a brief inventory of some of
the accomplishments left behind. From January 1 to
December 31, the
borrowers; added
by 28,742 square
opened an eighth
Library circulated 8,182,707 books; registered 97,445 new
241,794 volumes to the bookstock; increased branch buildings
feet (more square feet than will go into a regional library);
bookmobile route; increased the professional staff by seventeen.
It also built the San Vicente library in West Hollywood
Park; paid 50% of construction costs of the new Bell library under a joint­powers
agreement with the city; enlarged the La Canada branch; and under another
joint-powers agreement, this time with the city of Claremont, began enlargement
of the library there; purchased and enlarged the Manhattan Beach branch; established
three new branches in the East San Gabriel valley; relocated Sunnyslope, La Verne,
Lomita and Mountain View in buildings that have three times the space of their
old quarters; began construction of the half-million-dollar regional library for
East San Gabriel valley; and moved Centinela headquarters to a location large
enough to permit building the book collections for the new Culver City library and
for the new regional library in Hawthorne.
MR. GELLER ATTENDS
MID-WINTER MEETING
Mr. Geller, who leaves by train January 26 to attend ALA's
Mid-Winder Meeting in Chicago, has been authorized by the
Board of Supervisors to extend his stay long enough to
investigate several matters that could pertain to the future growth of the County
Library. He will visit the library schools of the Universities of Chicago and of
Michigan to interview students for prospective employment with us when they complete
their library education. The Library is interested in filling some of the vacancies
in newly budgeted positions that now exist on the professional staff with graduates
from these two outstanding schools.
A day will be spent at the Detroit Public Library. As
Mr. Geller has the immediate responsibility for the County Library's accelerated
building program he is anxious to inspect several new branch buildings Detroit has
recently completed that are creating considerable interest in the architectural and
library worlds. Mr. Geller also plans to visit Wayne County Library headquarters
where he will review the mechanized processing of books. Mr. Henderson and
Mr. Geller feel the County Library might adopt a similar process to expedite the
quarter million volume output we now acquire.
Mr. Geller, on arrival in Chicago Saturday the 28th, will
attend a meeting with the Board of Editors of Library Trends to confer, as
Mr. Henderson's representative, on a forthcoming issue that is to be devoted to
the future of library service.
Mr. Geller's activities at Mid-Winter will center largely
around the meetings of the Library Administration Division. He is the national
chairman of the Division's Equipment Section, and as such will conduct meetings
relative to equipment standards and replacements. He will also work with the
Library Technology Resources Project in establishing bases for determining the
best types of mechanized equipment for libraries.
As regional chairman of the ALA Membership Committ ee he
will take part in recruitment studies and discu~sions.
noon of February 8.
STAFF MAKES MERRY
AT CHRISTMAS PARTY
Returning by plane Mr. Geller expects t o be back around
Staff talent bubbled and fizzed at the annual Christmas
party in the usual snappy manner to which we have become
accustomed,with members of the Social Committee , which
sponsored it, shining equally as its impresarios and as a goodly portion of its
cast. Business Manager and Staff President, Robert M. Davis emceed the affair
which included gr oup caroling, seasonal annecdotes by Clarence Bertler and intro­duction
of an honored guest, Merry Old Santa Claus himself, portrayed by
Mr. Henderson. But the number whi ch brought down the house was a riotous playlet
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depicting the Spirits of Christmas of three eras, the "Gay 90's", played by
Sarah Razo, the "Roaring 20's" brought to life EY Mrs. Marsha Marx and the
"Beat" present,nonchantly impersonated by Mrs. Barbara Flint.
Credit for the idea, arrangement and direction of the
act goes to Vernola Anderson, chairman of the Social Committee and her committee
colleague Sarah Razo. Featured arti-sts were: Luigia Castiello, Beat poetess;
dancers, Barbara Wight, Mrs.· Wil·la Mae DeVan, Cecelia Villanueva, Thurma Pankey
and Vernola Anderson; vocalists, Mrs. Rosalind Andersen, Barbara Wight and Sam
Medrano; and last, but not least, an unforgettable barber shop quartette that
blended the voices of William Geller, Jerry Bowles, Fred Leighton and Robert
Dennis.
BUDGET FACTS GIVEN
TO COUNCIL GROUPS
Buffet refreshments wound up the festivities.
Reeent meetings of the various Library Advisory Councils
have been devoted largely to discussions of the 1961-62
budget. Mr •. Henderson has told Council. members that this
year t he Library is requesting $750,000 for books, a sum that would permit purchase
of an additional 30,000 volumes over the 252,910 that were added to the collection
last year. The increase· would mean three to four thousand more books for each of
the regions. Mr. Henderson has stressed that the demand for books is constantly
mounting at each of the ninety-two community branches. Since Central is now
processing an average of 1000 books a day, it has been explained that the added
workload will necessitate employment of more help in the processing and purchasing
operations.
Ne·ed for more supplies and personnel so as . to make the
increased book collection availablet-0 the public was also discussed with Council
members. One of the prime budget aims, Mr. Henderson has told them, is to bring
county salaries up to a level with those paid other professions requiri ng the same
academic preparation. If the best qualified librarians are to be attracted to. its
se rvice, the County Library should do all it can in this endeavor.
Withdrawal in June of the City of Commerce from the Library
District and the consequent reduction of the District tax base by $200,000,000 has
also been among the main topics on the various agendas.
Mr. Henderson has spoken· of the expe.nse involved in small
unit operation, explaining that large branches, such as the county is now building
and leasing as rapidly as it can, are not only moreefficieRt, what with their
larger collections and staffs, but are also. mo:r>e economical. . They are busier and
attract a larger and ha~pier clientele and all their resources are called into
service. Many of the smaller outlets, he has explained, are being converted to
children's libraries as soon as large modern building are opened in nearby
locations. These are important since many children must be served in their own
neighborhoods or remain unacquainted with libraries.
Harry Bartin, Jr., Los Cerritos Council member, represen­tative
of branches in the region's unincorporated area, has suggested election of
chairmen for each Council, and elections are now scheduled for the next meetings.
Welcome is extended to Rev. William R. Patterson, appointed
by the City of Lawndale to represent that community on the Torrance-South Bay
Council. R. D. McDaniels, a member of that group,has resigned because of his
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pressure of work with the Torrance School District. James Bristow is a new
member of the San Antonio Council, representative of the City of Commerce.
AUTHORS PRESENTED . The year's final staff meeting in the Los Cerritos region
AT REGIONAL MEETING was a combined author-forum and early morning brunch.
Regional librarian Corinne Wicks presented three well­known
writers who live in the area, whose books are popular items in the collection
and who are registered borrowers at two of the region branches, Friendly Hills and
Bellflower. They were Bob and Janet Young, husband and wife writing team, and
Sally Benson, all of whom s pecialize in books for young adults. Mrs. _Benson, whose
short stories have long been featured in the New Yorker magazine, said she became
a writer because of a "·quirk of fate. 11 In order to meet an actor she had seen in
a New York play she made · believe she was a reporter , arranged an interview and
then became so i11terested in what the actor had to .:;ay she wrote it up and actually
sold it to t he newspaper she claimed had sent her. She has been writing ever since.
Among her popular titles are Junior Miss and Meet Me in St. Louis. Two of the
Youngs' books, to be released in 1961, One Small Voice and Saddles for Breakfast
have already been chosen as Junior Literary Guild selections, as was their first
book, Across t he Tracks.
LIBRARY SPONSORS
UNUSUAL ART SHOW
An art collection of especial interest to Southern
California, Paul Bartlett's pen and ink illustrations of
the fast-disappearing remnants of the old Hacienda Empire
of Mexico, will be on display during January in six of the branches; La Mirada,
San Vicente, Sunnyslope, Montebello, Compton and Sunkist-La Puente. The collection
has been exhibited in many libraries, galleries and museums throughout the country
but this is its first showing in this area.
Mr. Bartlett was one of the authors presented at the
last Harvest Book Breakfast, for he is an author as well as an artist. Much of
his art work and his writing is centered on the same theme, the history of the
haciendas and of the wealthy, powerful, sometimes brutal hacendados who owned
them and ruled with feudal authority for nearly 400 years. Mr. Bartlett's latest
book, When the Owl Cries, is a fictional account of the ending of that period.
His pen and ink illustrations now on exhibit and more that he intends to make as
he continues his research, are .to be used as illustrations in a forthcoming
definitive record of the era on which he is now engaged.
Included in the collection the Library is showing are
drawings of chapels, churches, residences, sun dials, old stairways, grilled
windows, bells, leg irons, statuary, fountains, wall plaques, details of paintings,
all that now remains of what once constituted those great baronial estates.
· CHILDREN'S WORKSHOPS
TO START IN JANUARY
A series of in-service workshops for branch staffs on
children's services, to be held twice in each region
during this year and the next, outlined and planned by
Mrs. Mary Rogers Smith, will start in January in Region I. Programs being
offered are: Purposes and Polices of the Library's Work with Children,
including Reading Guidance for Young People, Mrs. Smith; Story Hours for Pre­School
Children, Mrs. Mary Pierson, Los -Cerritos regional children's librarianv
and Story Hours for Older Children and for Mixed Ages, Mrs. Carmen P. Collier,
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Centinela re.gional children's librarian; Work With Schools and Class Visits
to the Library, Mrs. Mayo Short, regional children's librarian for West San
Gabriel Valley; Reference Work for Children, Mrs. Mildred Herndon, regional
children's librarian, East San Gabriel Valley. ·
The first two workshops will be held this fiscal year,
the latter two in 1961-62.
PUBLISHING FIRM LIKED
LIBRARY'S PUBLICITY
The Library's participation in the contest staged by
publishers , Rand McNally & Company , through America's
libraries to find a name for the young colt of Misty
of Chincoteague was suitably recorded by the Los .Angeles Times in a three­column
picture showing three children, Paul Devan, Frank Castiello and Caren
Davis dropping their entries in a ballot box beside Mrs. Smith. The picture
came to the notice of Lillian McClintock, the firm's editor of children's books,
who wrote Mrs. Smith expressing Rand McNally'E? "appreciation and interest."
STAFF NEWS AND NOTES Mrs. Hazel Lord returned November 28 from her favorite
vacationland with pictures, brochures, data and enthusi-astic
reports on the new libraries of Mexico and the
regard felt for them by the citizens of that country. She attended the month­long
National Book Fair held in Mexico City that was sponsored by all the
libraries of the country as a part of the 150th anniversary celebration of
Mexico's independence. She visited the new State Library at Jalisco,
Guadalajara, and was duly impressed to learn it had been dedicated by the
President of the Republic. A message from the president to the people is carved
on the outer front wall of the large, impressive, and beautifully designed building •
•••• Dorothy Snell, promoted to senior librarian, was named head of the Acquisitions
Section, Central Services, November 16. Miss Sneil joined the staff in March, 1953.
A graduate of the library school at Simmons College, Boston, she had worked as
cataloger at the Providence Public Library arld with the library of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and had,as a WAC, served as occupational consultant with
the AGD, U.S. Army, before coming to use0 ••• Mid-year promotions that go into effect
January 1 have been awarded to Robert M. Davis, who goes from Business Manager I
to Business Manager IIi to Nellie Frost, elevated from senior librarian to
principal librarian; and to Mrs. Helen Mencher, formerly library assistant, now
senior typist clerk.
Mrs. Alice Boldra, Lennox branch librarian, has been
named chairman of the Scholarship Committee of the Lennox Coordinating Council
and committee-member of the Council's Teen-Age Advisory group , which is now
planning establishment of a community club for boys and girls ages 10 to 13. The
Scholar ship Committee awards $500 annually to a qualified high school graduate ••••
Mrs. Sue Moore, assistant at the Lennox branch, told Christmas stories to an
audience of sixty-nine youngsters on November 17, while her husband, Charles
M,?ore, editor of the Northrup News, dressed as Santa Claus, distributed candy
canes to all members of the audience • •• • G. Calvin Tooker , East San Gabriel Valley
regional librarian, and Barbara Wight, Institutions librarian, contributed
time, effort and talent toward making Library· Day at USC a success November 5.
Miss Wight was a member of the Planning Committee, a post acquired by reason
of her chairmanship of the Recruitment Committee, Southern California, of the
Special Libraries Association. Mr. Tooker was one of four librarians, represen-
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tatives of various fields of the profession, who spoke on I Would Do It Again.
He also led one of the discussion groups.
Mrs. Carmen Collier, Centinela regional children's
librarian, spoke December 1 to West Hollywood PTA on What Makes a Good Book,
and on December 7 to the Beta Chi Chapter, Epsilon Sigma Alpha on Books for
Young People •••• Mrs. Mayo Short, children's librarian for the West San Gabriel
Vall ey region, was a "local author" guest-speaker at the annual Book Fair of
the Los Robles School on the afternoon of November 1 and in t he evening of the
s ame day spoke to the El Monte Junior Woman's Club on Helping Children Discover
Books. November 9 she spoke to faculty members of the Willard School, on
Reading Guidance for Children and service offered at the South San Gabriel
branch . November 10 sh~ attented the Book Fair put on by the Shirpser School
and acted as consultant to parents and teachers on books for s pecialized needs.
On November 15 she ·talked to t eachers at t he Rio Hondo School on services
avai l abl e a t t he Live Oak branch.
Business Manager Robert M. Davis received his 20-year
s ervice pin at t he November staff meeting. His 20-year government career began
at the County Hospital where he was a messenger boy. He has been senior accoun­t
ant at Harbor General Hospital, a member of the s t a f f of t he County Engi neer' s
Department and of t he Auditor' s Office and spent four years in the Navy, YlC,
in service overseas and in South America •••• Service pins received in December
i ncluded 15-year emblems for Mrs. Ella S. Curtis, typist clerk, Institutions,
and for Mrs. Margery E. George, branch librarian at Imperial, and a 10-year
pin for Herman VanGelder, library assistant, Technical Services •••• January
pins i ncl ude one for 30-years service for Mrs . Doris Myers, intermediat e t ypist
clerk , Business Administra t i on, and one for 25 years f or Mrs . Genevieve Skel sey,
principal l i brarian , Technical Services.
Mrs. Leola R, Spry retired this month after twenty years
ser vice as assistant at San Dimas branch. Her going-away party , celebr a ted at
t he librar y , was attented by representatives of the San Dimas Ci ty Counci l,
Chamber of Commerce, Coordinating Council, Bonita Unified School Dist r ic t , and
many other local clubs and organizations . She was s hower ed with numerous gifts
and messages , all expr essing community appreciati on •••• Mrs . Clara E. Mohlengr aft,
Hacienda branch librarian, and her assistant Mrs. Greta Hansson entertained the
pr e sident s and literary chairmen of all PTA groups in their area November 29.
The party was given to help acquaint the community, in an i nf ormal manner , with
servi ces offer ed at the Hacienda library •••• Mrs. Dolores Towns end, I ngl ewood
br anch l ibrarian , and Muriel Alexander, children's l i brari an a t t he branch , wer e
guest s peakers at t he December mee t i pg, Li t er ary Secti on , I nglewood Woman ' s Cl ub.
Both discus s ed Books as Chris t mas Gifts and exhi bi t ed and reviewed sever al of
t he outst anding titles on the new winter list.
Mrs. Margery George, Imperial br anch l ibrar i an , dis cussed
Functions and Activities of a Branch Library at t he November 2 mee ting of t he
I ngl ewood chapter, Women of t he Moose •••• Mrs . Mi l dr ed Herndon , regional chi l dr en' s
l ibr arian for t he East San Gabriel Valley, and Mrs . Ma r gar et Hawkins , l i brar ian
on t he East San Gabriel Valley Mobilibrary, were thi s year ' s judges f or the
Monte Vista s chool' s annual StoryBook Parade. Mrs . Hawkins divi s i on incl uded t he
1st, 2nq , and 3rd grader s who dressed as their f avor i t e storybook charact ers;
Mr s . Herndon' s , the 4th , 5th, and 6t h graders.
UW:bj
12/ 31/60