News Letter of the Los Angeles County Public Library September 1959

              JUVENILE HALL BRANCH
LAUDED BY GIRL USERS
1:fu {fo,o~ Ct,,n:/;:.d. --3~
NEWS LETTER
LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
322 B. BROADWAY P.O. Bax 111 LOB ANGELES .153, CALIF'ORNIA
September 1959
\fhat the County Library 9s branch at Juvenile Hall means to the two
hundred girls in residence there, the majority fourteen to seven~
teen years old, was told this month in a series of letters the
girls wrote to our chief Institutions Librarian, Barbara Wight, at the suggestion of the
branch librarian at the Hall, Doris L. Neale. Thoughts expressed by the girls are strictly
their own. No hints were given, no letters edited. Following are a few samples, typical
of the entire lot.
"When a person is lonesome or by tbemself0 a book can keep them
company. Some books tell what other people 0s lives are like. My vocabulary is getting a
little better since I have been reading."
"I lose my troubles in the books I get out of the library."
"You can learn about authors and the way they think about people
and things, like some authors write about love. And some authors write books in anger to
hurt people or because they have been hurt. I lean11 things when I read. Well, that ' s what
the library means to me."
"At the library we have a chance to choose our books which seems .
very interesting to me. Some of the sections I like to choose from are fiction 0 mystery
and romance. When we check out books it gives us a sense of responsibility because we
have to return them on a certain date and we are held responsible. I enjoy reading and
since I am not on the outside I think the Juvenile Hall library is a great privilege to me .. ''
"It helps a lot to read stories and get your mind off your own
problems."
"I think the library is helpful to girls who are sad and homesick.
When one's mind is occupied one forgets sad and unhappy things."
"The library helps me when I need to find something out and
understand the meaning of it. I like to read in my spare time. It keeps me from aTguing
with someone.''
"The library is a good thing. It is interesting to find out
what 0s in books. It helps to understand life more easily and it helps girls to understand
why they shouldn°t be here. Girls find out the hard way. But it is good for girls to have
a library to take their minds off other things."
"The library means a lot to me because if there were no books to
re~d then people would be less educated, less happy, and would not have the power of
speech or the peace of mind that books can giveo With books I can read and imagine
myself to be anywhere in the world, in the Tropics, in OZ, in the sunny land of Hawaii or
in the mountains skiing down the slopes. The land of books is a world of wonder and song
and happinesso"
The book collection for the girls 0 735 volumes, is kept in a
classroom. The remainder of the books11 111 400 volume~ are housed in a room in . ~he boy~~ ...
~~ction. The latter collection will be moved early in Nove~er, according to librarian
Neale, into a new library room equipped with sufficient tables and chairs to seat twenty
users at one time, and sheJve an additional number of bookso '
. Miss Neale, a 1950. Jraduate of the School of Libr~ry Sc~eiicen DSC, ··
devotes part-time service to Juveni~e Hall0 the Sybil Brand Institution for Women0 Terminal
lsland0 and the Los Padrinos School for Boys 0 a detention home operated by Juvenile Hall
and the County Probation Department~ . __ .. _
Hot-rodding0 auto mechanics and science fiction are the favorite
subjects among the boys1 teen~age romance and mysteries among the girls.
Last year Juvenile Hall branch circulated 110 702 boo~so
BUSINESS MANAGER DAVIS This year the Library is .planning seven=league strides in progr~ss
GIVES BUDGET ANALYSIS and improvement0 with expenditures apportioned to better many
phases of service and to lay a system=wide foundation of adequa~~
librarieso The Library's Business Manager .Robert M. Davis, has prepared the following
sunmary and analysis of funds the Library has to spend in the current fiscal year and the
manner in which it is prop'osed to spend them.
"Comparison of several appropriations: 1958-59 1959=60
SALARY & WAGES
MAINTENANCE & OPERATION
BOOKS
EQUIPMENT
STRUCTURAL & NON-STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS
. $1117830725 $202420848
51011 285 7860 919
4900000 5750000
840976 1010081,
10 0300 668 lvl240 270'
The most significant change between 1958=59 and 1959=60 is th~
funding of structural building appropriations~ Where in previ~us years all such
appropriations remainlng unspent .became surplus (whicb necessitated rebudgeting them in
the next successive year) they are now accumulated. This means that they can be carried
forward until such time as sufficient funds are a'vailable to construct and equip the
project as plannedo This is also a separate fund and as such will more clearly reflect
the operating expenditure vs. building expenditure of the County Libraryo
The Mechanical Services Repai rs and Minor Changes appropriation
was substantially increased from $170 162 to $620 1650 The magazine subscription appro­priation
was increased from 15 to $200 0000 Library Furnishings for 1959-60 provide for
approximately 326 adult chairs 0 126 jμvenile chairs 0 972 sections of shelving and
$50000 of miscellaneous Library furnishingso Rental expense has increased from $2230 000
to $3670 000e to buy more space for bl:.anches . The Capital equipment provides for
considerable relief in book trucks 0 wheeldexes and other small items essential to branch
operationo ·
(2)
The building program provides funds for Regional libraries ~t
Centinela Valley0 and East San qabriel Valley this yearo Appointment of architects
has already been made by the Boar~ of Supervisors and plans are going ahead rapidly0
Money for land acquisition for West San Gabriel Valley and Rio Hondo regional head­quarters
is being spent this year.
Comparative tax rates for 1958-59 vs. 1959~60 are 10.58¢ vs.
10088¢ per $100 of assessed yaluation. This provides for the Salaries and Wages 0 _
M~intenance and Operation, and book appropriations. The Accumulative Capital Outlay
fund tax rate is 1.00¢ vs. 1. 74¢. As mentioned aboire~ this more properly reflects the
expens·e of buildings. Salaries and Wages provide ;33· positions in 1958-59 and 746 in
1959~60, or 489. 7 full time positions vs. 541.8."
MR. HENDERSON TO HELP Mr. Henderson was asked this month to serve as Chairman of the
NAME TOP LIBRARIAN Jury that will select the recipient _ of the i96o Joseph - w~ __ _ _
_ Lippincott Award0 an honor bestowed ann~ally on that librar~an _
who is considered to have performed the most distinguished service for the profession or
its aims. Nominations a re submitted by the ALA membership and selected hy ballot . by -the.
Jury. Jury members are scheduled for a discussion meeting at the AI.A Mid-Winter session.
MR. GELLER STEPS UP Two national committee chairmanships were assigned .this month to
IN TWO ALA COMMI1TEES Mr. Geller by ALA executive divisions. Keith Doms 0 Chariman0 ·
Buildings and Equipment Section0 - Library Administration Div~s~9n 0
appointed Mr. Geller Chairman of the Equipment Committee0 on which he served as_ a ~~b~r .
last year. Mrs. Grace Stevenson0 Deputy Executive Director, ALA0 named him chair~~ of
Membership Conmittee for Region II0 an area that includes California, Arizona and Nevada.
Last year Mr. Geller served as Chairman of the Membership Committee for the Southern
Distridt of California.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
ON ADVISORY GROUPS
Twenty-two of the thirty-six incorporat.ed cities in the Library 0 s
service area appointed their represnetatives to the Library
Advisory Councils this montho Appointments include one member
and one alternate from each of the various City Councils. In three instances the city
Mayors are serving as their community's representative. They are Mayor Percy A. Yerian of
Bell0 Mayor Angelo M. Iacobon~o of Lakewood0 and Mayor Francis Go ~tiles of S~uth El Monte.
Mr., Henderson has said he has "high hopes that this unique experi­ment
in library operations will be a strong bond of conmunication between the Library 9s
500,000 registered patrons and policy formulations at Central.,"
As soon as membership of each Council is completed Mr. Henderson
will call an introductory meeting0 probably in October0 and briefly outline the Library 9s
current policies 0 problems and progr amo Tours of regional headquarters and Central
operations will be schedul edo
Newly appointed City Council members and the Regional Councils on
Which they will serve are~ William Lo Elliott 8 alternate for Mayor Yerian of Bell~ san
Antonio Region0 Chester Ro Crain0 member0 and Benjamin Jo Little, alternate, of Compton0
San Antonio Region;; Mrs. Mary Louise Richardson, member0 and Oro Raymond O'Neal0 alternate0
of Culver City, Centinela RegionQ William Ho Allen 0 member, and Sidney Kadinge alternate,
of El Monte0 West San Gabriel Valley Regionq Lo Pete Jenson 0 memberv and Harvey Lo
Chapman, alternate, of Gardena 0 Torrance=Sout~ Bay Region.
(3)
Others are: Mrs • . Patricia ~zin 0 member0 and.Frank S~ sine 0 - alt~rnate0
of Hermosa Beach0 To~rance-South . Bay R~gion; Loui~ J~ Kenn~y0 member0 and. Mrs. Irj~ Crochet0
a!ternate, of Inglewood, Ce~tinela Region; Robert W. Baker, alternate for Mayor la~9bQ~i
of Lakewood, Los Cerritos Region; L.F. Sununers0 member, and Richard English, alternate, 'of
Lynwood0 San Antonio Region; William F. ·suppe0 inember, of Manhattan eeach, no alternate,
Torrance~South Bay Region; Mrs. Elaine Iqrchner, member, and George B. Skidmol"eo _. ~­alternate0
of Montebello, Rio Hondo Region; Mrs. Ruth Benell, member, ot ~ico Riy~ra,
. no alternate, Rio Hondo Region; Walter F'o Lowrey0 member, and A~ E. <;ook, alt~~nate,_ .. of
Ro~emea~, · West San Gabriel Valley Region; L.A. Copeland, alternate for Mrs. G~adys E.
Moosekian0 pr~viously _ announced, of San Fernando, Antelope Valley Region; Mrs. Helen
Achilles, member, and James L~ Durde~~ alternate, of San Gabriel11 West San Gabriel' __ _
Valley Region; Willys Blount0 member, and George Bradford0 alternate ~ of Torrance,
Torrance-South Bay Region; Vernon R. Mottinger, member, and Dale Pittenger0 alternate,
of West Covina, East San Gabriel V~lley ~~gion. ·
Final appointments received this month are: E.K. Jackson, member,
a~ternate . to be appointed later0 of Claremont, East San Gabriel Va l ley ~egion i J~hn - -
Zinunerman, member0 Clarence Hibma, alternate, of Norwalk, Los Cerritos Region; Mr~ •. ~ladys
R. I!if~, member, alternate to be chosen later0 of Paramount, Los Cerritos Region; Pet~r v. Miller, alternate to Mayor Francis G: Stiles of.South 'El Monte, San Antonio Regi on ~
Elvis E. Swindle, member, Leo A. Lomeli 0 alternate, of La Verne, East San Gabri el Valley
Regiono
PROBABLE OCTOBER The enlarged and renovated Palmdale branch i s expect ed t~ be- re~dy
OPENING FOR PAUEALE for public use in late October ·or early November. Civ~c - ~e~emoni~s
to celebrate its opening are now being arranged by the Of~i~~ _of_
Sup~rvisor Warren M. Dorn. Space of 1480 square feet has been added_ to the former service
area to provide a total flooring of 3969 square feet 0 but even so the remodeled bra~ch i~
only a temparary solution to the community' s expanding library needso A ~uch larger
facility has been planned as part of the recently adopted ten-year building program. Two
lots adjoining the county-owned site were purchased last February at a cost of $200 700 f or
that purpose.
Palmdale, which had a circulation last year of 66, 611 has a great
call for the latest technical books in aeronautics, electr onics, space science and engineer­ing-
mathematics. Antelope Valley regional· librarian, Mrso Ann~ M. Davis is planni ng some
additional titles in those fields for opening day. During the school year, according to
branch librarian Mrs. Ann E. Dickenson0 the branch is swamped by students ' demands for
material on history, literature, biology and vocational guidance. She reports the
phamphlet file has recently received an abundC11ce of new career material.
registered borrowers.
Palmdale has a current book stock of 119 611 volumes and :50 258
ENLARGED CCl4PTON The newly enlarged Compton branch, now encompassing 59 553 square
SOON READY FOR OPENING feet 0 ranki ng it among the lar.ger buildings in the system, will
be ready for an open house celebration as soon as interior and
ext erior painting is comp leted0 probably in October. A new look has been given t o the
front of the building as well as a new0 much l arger than the old0 stack and r eading area
for adults. The added shelving makes i t possible to adequately display the pr esent stock
of 270 390 volumes 0 and have space left over for the rapidly growing collect ion. The
children's section also benefi ts by more space since it now occupies the larger area
f ormerly re s e~ved for adult reader s. Part of the new space is being utili~ed as a
r eference r oom. Commenting on t he collection br anch librarian0 Bess McCook9 said the
constant addition of popular and si gnificant t i tles has made it possible for most readers
( 4 )
to satisfy their needs without recourse to "requests" from regional and Central headquarters.
She said she "generally" finds m~terial to satisfy all reference que~ies !
Comptonqs circulation last year totalled 129, 271. The branch has
14,159 registered borrowers.
The open house program will be arranged by the Office of Supervisor
Burton W. Chace.
NEW BRANCH, HACIEM>A, The next new branch to be established, Haci enda, at 1016 South
MAY BOW IN NEXT MONI'H Hacienda Boulevard9 in the .East San Gabriel Valley Region~ - ~Y.-_ -_ ~
also be ready for public servi~e within the month. The building _ ~ill
be finished early in October, Upon acceptance of the building by the Library, the charging
desk, · shelving and other equipment will be installed. The new li~rary h(ls a ~ook capacity .. _
o~ ~3,000 volumes. Regional librarian G. Calyin Tooker, is planning to open with 8000
books and a five-member staff, including branch librarian0 two assistants 9 page and janitor.
Personnel assignments will be announced later.
The building, which has been leased for ten years, has _ floor _ ar~a
of 39 025 square feet and off-street parking for sixteen cars. It will serve a population
of 18,()()C) in unincorporated territory lying ~etween the city of Whittier and the City of
Industry.
RUSH EXPANSION FOR
~NCASTER UNDER WAY
Expansion of the branch at Lancaster to serve as ~ fuHy equfoped
regional headquarters has started with conversion of the former
bookmobile garage on the north side of the b~ilding i~to ~ffic~ .. _.
space and book collection area for the traveling library that operates in the Antelope valley
and the construction of a new bookmobile garage on the north and west walls of the building._
The main expansion is to take place on the south side where a
5000 square foot addition is to be completed within the current fiscal year.
Architect James Ronald Fetridge, of Palmdale, was appointed
September 15 by Supervisor Warren M. Dorn and was instructed to have final plans ready for
Board approval no later than Januaryo The sum of $210,000 has been appropri at ed in the
current budget to take care of project costsv with $1500000 set aside for bui ldi ng
construction. When completed the regional library Will have an area of between 10 and
12,000 square feet.
LEASE APPROVED ON NEW Lease of a new home at 24648 Narbonne Avenue for the Lomi ta branch
HOME FOR LOMITA BRANCH was approved by the Board of Supervisors at their Sept ember 9 session.
The New quarters which are to be ready for occupancy November 10 has
an area of 3,150 square feet . The old location, where the branch has been maintained for
thirty years, has only 1,255 square feet. The new building, which has been leased for a
ten- year period, is a brick and stucco st r ucture with complete interior remodeling to be done.
It is near the center of the conrnunity ' s business area and has ample free~street parking.
The owner is installing new sanitation faci li ties, a portable kitchen unit in the work
room, and light, heat and air-conditioning to t.1eet library specifications.
THREE NEW BOOKMOBILES Deli very of three new mobile units, two to serve as rep lacements ~
SLATED FOR DELIVERY one to i naugurate a new route in the Malibu, is expected momen=
tari ly. They were ordered last March 25. The new Malibu line is
to be an all=chi l dren ' s unit, while t he old one is to become an exclusive t r avel ing
library for adul ts. The j uvenile route will i ncl ude all the former school stops 0 pl us
( 5 )
some new ones, and .may be ext~nded to .take in one of the schools in Culver City0 regional
librarian, Mrs. Deborah B. Wilds said.
REGIONAL LIBRARIES
SCHEDULED THIS YEAR
their study and will be
Mr. Henderson, Mr. Geller and the regional librar i ans, who have
been working for some time on the f loor plans and space allocati ons
and relationships for the new regional libraries have about comi>leted
ready soon to turn over ·final recommendations to the ar~hi.t~?ts .
_ One novel feature that will be included in all final de~igns,
pr opQsed by Mr. Henderson and approved by the committee as a practical and convenien ~ _ space­saving
arrangement, provides for a long storage area on. one side of the buildings.
Since the structures are planned for a forty-year life span and will ultimately be e~pected
~o serve greater populations than their surrounding areas now support, every detail that
will _permit speedy and efficient service and yet allow the greatest space for readers and
books i s being given intense studyo
_ The Centinela building in the Hawthorne Civic Center and the East
San Gabriel Valley building in the West Covina Civic Center will' be started before the end
of the current fiscal year. The architectural firm of Tbonis, Harrison and Wolfev who are
designing the Centinela· library have already submitted a first schematlc draft .
Architect Maurice Fleishman was appointed this month to design the
East San Gabriel Valley · headquarters. Though space relationships in both will be simil ~ a r.9
each will of course, be a different and individual designo Because of a limited site at
Hawthorne, approximately 16,000 square feet , a second story is being designed for a porti on
of the building in order to provi de ~he required 18,750 square feet floor area.
LIBRARY OBSERVES 250th The County Library 0s ninety-one community branches this ·month
JOHNSON ANNIVERSARY ~~served the 250th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Samuel Johnson0
literary giant of the 18th century0 with special displays of books
by him and about him. Postersarrl a brief sketch of his life called attention to the books.
The Library ' s participation was in concert with many other libriaries in thi s area and
throughout the English-speaking world.
On September 17 Mr. Henderson took part with Supervisor Ernest E.
Debs 0 Forrest S. Drummond, head. of the County Law Library, Superior Judge Edward T. Bishop0
president of the board of trustees of the Law Library, and attorney Maurice Saeta, a member
of that board, in unveiling at the Law Library an exhibit of rare first editi on Johrison
bookso The exhibit includes JohnsQn's Dictionary of the English Language and James
Boswell 0 s Li.fe of Samuel Johnson. Mr. Saeta, a Johnsonian co Hector 0 arranged loan of t he
volumes from the private collection of Edward L. McAdam, Jr. , of New Yark0 prominent wri ter
on Dr • .bhnson and the law.
On September 21 Mr . Saeta was the guest of former Supervisor John
Anson Fora, now radio impresario, on Mr . Forcl's noon-hour FoM. radio show, Station KRHN, for
an interview about Johnson. The County Library's participation in the anniversary
observance was especially notedo
MR. SMITH MEETS Mrs . Mary Rogers Smith, who is chairman of the Professional Training
WITH CL.A COMMITTEE and Recruitment Committee, Cbildren ' s and Young People 0s Secti on0
1 CLA0 met with commit tee members September 17 in her office at
Central to complete work on recommendations that will be made to the CL.A membership for
final action at the annual conference at Sacramento, October 20=24. '
( 6 )
SPRING BREAKFAST FOR A drastic chaμge in d~te fof the 1960 Spring Book Breakfast was
NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK announced this month by Mrs. Smith. T~e ~vent will _be_ held in
·April, a month earlier than · usualq '!IS a par~ of ~he local)~atif?~al
Library Week observance. Library week is April 3-9 • . The ~re~kfast will take . plac~ .
Wednesday, April 6, in the Pacific Ballroom, Statler Hilt9~. Mr. Henderson was asked by
the local committee in charge of progra11111ing the ·week to au~horize the change. Mrs. Smith
said emphasis will be placed on books for teen=age readers.
HARVEST BREAKFAST
PLANS IN THE MAKING
The Harvest Breakfast9 the Libr~ry 9 s other gala public event, -for ..
which full announcements will be unwrapped in ~he n~xt News _ f:,et~er~ ­is
to be held November 18 in the Golden State Roome Statle:r HHtQn.
Mrs. Terry, Breakfast chairman, is arranging a program of local authors whose writings range
from Californiana items to life behind the Iron Curtain. It will include writers of both
fiction and non-fiction, biographies .and trav~l booRs. .
As Jean Ward0 staff writer for the Los Angeles Examine~, . sa~d_ jn
covering last year's breakfast, "One thing you can be s.ur~ of (along with _ ~he death~and-taxes
duo) is that the Los Angeles County Library's Harvest Breakfast will have a fast=moving
program by_ top writers, and ea.ch year a larger attendance." So iake action now if -you .
wish. Tickets cost $2.75. Reservations may be made through Mrs. Terry 9s secretary9 Mrs.
Helen Mencher, at 322 South Broadway9 Los Angeles, 13.
SPACE ENGINEERS END Space Engineets wound-up the su111Der reading program prioi: ~ to tile. ..
sur~~ER READING PROGRAM opening of school with special parties and activ ities in most of the
branches. Several Award Day ceremonies were r~orted ~ast month_ and
more will be listed next month. This month's group includes~ VIILA CARSON0 at which
sixty-five children read and reported on 532 booksv the cha; pion accolade goi ng to _ o~e . ~~ader
who turned in forty-three reportso••··~ ~ !oThe 290 children at GJ;tAHAM who re~d ~heir way_ .
. through five books, or more, were feted with a motion picture show and party refieshJ!!~nt~
served by the Southeast Women's Club ••••• 0 LIVE OAK 0Sl22 members who read the _requ ir~d number
of books, including sixty-four who read several moreQ celebrated with a mi llinery fas~ion
show in which each child walked do.wn a runway displaying an "atomic" hat of their own
creationQ while branch librarian Mrs. Lillian B. Freer made appropriate conunents. First
prize went to a hat that symbplized a space station over Jupiter. Punch and cookies
were serveq in the library parking lot.
At MANHATTAN BEACH9 Miss Hilda Jellison 9 chairman of the Friends of
the Manhattan Beach Libraries, gave a party at the branch for fifty and served each a large
molasses cookie adorned with the child ' s name •••••• MANHATTAN HEIGHTS celebrated with a
party hosted by Mrs. Otis Callaway, vice=chairman of the "Friends." The children were
entertained by a folk-dancing group who later taught their steps to the Space Engineers • •• •• oo
EAST LOS ANGELES awarded 110 certificates to boys and girls who read and reported on 700
books .... .. SOUTH SAN GABRIEL entertained its 219 club members with a puppet show ••••••• ••••••••
At LANCASTEJi Mrs. Rose Bolin 0 who directed the reading program, presented Elsa Falk0 author
and illustrator of children°s books as the special feature of her Award Day activities • ••••• •••
Mrs. Mildred Herndon, regional children ' s librarian of East San Gabriel Valley region paid
a guest call at MONTEBELLO (Rio Hondo region) on the final day and told a series of stories.
Three of the "constant readers" in that Space Engineer 0s group who do folk dancing when not
launching literary satellites 11 entertained with! several dances •. •• • Awards earned at SUNNYSLOPE0
ROSEMEAD and LA CANADA were presented in the classrooms of the various schools in their areas
at the request ot the teachers •••• .• At LAKEWOOD, seve~ty-fi ve of the 150 children who completed
the program read more than the required five books •• .' ••• CULVER CITY gave awards to 150 youngsters.
( i )
STAFF NEWS AND NOTES Mrs. Lita Deyoe0 La Mirada branch librarian, has been nomihated· for
Woman of the Year of her community~ Her sp~~sor is the La ~irada
Optimist Club. Nine other nominees are in the race which is · .. . .. .
sponsored by the La Mirada Business and Professional Women's Club •••• Frank C. C~~i~s. _i959 '
graduate of the School of Li.brary Science0 USC, is the new branch librarian at Inglewood •••••
Scot Paxton has resigned for reasons of heal th as branch librarian at Torrance,. .... ., Mrs. Nina
Wilson, UsC Library School graduate0 is the new ~eference librarian for the Torrance-Sog~h
Bay region •••• Mrs~ _.K. Doris Johnson. library graquate of the Oniversi ty _of Washingtoμ, .an~.. .
former branch librarian at Bellflower, has been appointed reference librarian for the Los
Cerritos region • .o • .• Mrs. Julia ElEler, 1957 graduate of USC's Library School, is the new branch
librarian at Duarte. Mrs. Dorothy Sheffield, for~r~y in charge of the branch, . h~s _been
named first assistant •••• 0 Mrs. Beatrice Kadauli newcomer 0 is the !leW b~anch . Hbr~r~a,n ~ at . -
Norwood, succeeding Mrs. Harriet Butler, resigned ••••• Mrs. Anna May Isbell0 ~ew~ome!~ - .. .
succeeds John Howard Pierce as bi-anch librarian ~t Victoria Pa.rk. Mr. Pierce, .high school
teacher. who accepted the postiton for the summer months, :has returned to his profession.,
COUNTY HOSPITAL HAS At the close of the last fiscal _year, Ju~e 3o,_ tge Count.I ~neral
WITHDRAWN FROM SYSTEM Hospital withdrew from the system. This institut~on.~t~:ranch ·
came under the jurisdiction . of the Cc;>unty LiJ;>rary i.n J~nua:cy 1914 . _
when quarters were provided in a new building and book service extended to nurses . ~n~
physicians. Previously the Christian Endeavor Society of Lo~ _ Angeles had maintained a book
collecti~n for patients only. Hospital administration has now. for financial reasons,
converted the branch into a professional medical library only.
. .. .
FRED LEIGHTOO GIVES Subject specialist Fred Leighton told how the Library _ m~kes _ ~ts
BOOK· TALK AT CLUB MEET. fiction selections and discussed current reading trengs .at _the _
' . August 13 meeting of the Cent~nela Valley YW lYiyes ~ .. Clubo MrQ _, ...
Leighton alSo reviewed five · o,f the current popular fiction. titles, plus _the best selJi~g
non- fiction 0 Status Seekers<> and thre·e juvenile· books. He displayed and reviewed a pre.;,.·
release copy of a new book scheduled for September distribution0 Station Wagon In Spain0
by Frances Parkinson Keys, and predicted it would be on the early fall list of best sellerso
MRS. PETKUS BOOKED FOR The Literary section of the San Fernando Women's Club has scheduled
DATE AT LITERARY CLUB Mrs. Hypatia Petkus 0 subject specialist as principal guest speaker
at their October 22 meeting. Mrs. Petkus 0 who has made several
appearances before the group, has been asked to discuss literature and drama and to revtew
latest si~nificant titles in both fields.
REGIONAL ORGANIZATION Donald F. Fullera Principal Librarian, Readers Servicesa Alameda
STUDIED BY VISITOR County Library, spent a day as the Library's guest, studying
our regional organization. He said his library felt there was
"great possibilities in the regional idea" and had been following everything that appeared
in print about our set-up. He was assig,ned to observe the "whole" operation in action. A
series of question and answer periods wi-th Division Chiefs was followed by a tour of the
Norwalk and Mont ebello branches. Norwalk serves as both branch and regional headquarters.
Montebello served the same dual purpose until regional offices moved recently into quarters
of their own.,
JJll/csa 9/59