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The San Francisco Public Library operates twenty-seven
(27) branch libraries spread
geographically
throughout the City.
The San Francisco Public Library was organized in 1879
and very quickly began to expand. The first three (3) branches opened
in 1888-89, with two (2) more branches opening in 1921. By 1925, the Library
operated nine (9) branches and a main library. Branch library construction
has tended to fall within three historical periods, the Carnegie Era
(Andrew J. Carnegie Foundation), WPA (Work Projects Administration) and
modern, the latter buildings were constructed during the late 50’s and
early 60’s. . The new Ocean View Branch Library, which opened in June 2000,
was the first new branch library construction in over thirty (30) years.
In the book
A Free Library in This City,
author Peter Booth Wiley provides a detailed history of the development and
growth of the San Francisco Public Library. Branch libraries have been a
part of the fabric of the communities in which they are located from their
inception. In addition to bringing much needed library service to the city’s
far-reaching neighborhoods they also serve as community centers and in some
cases came to be part of a larger complex of community buildings.
In 1988, voters approved a Library Bond Program to construct
a new Main Library and to renovate branch libraries. From 1990 to 1998, the
renovations of five (5) branches were completed: Mission, Park, Presidio,
Sunset and Chinatown, which also expanded. Proposition E was passed by the
voters in 1994 to increase library hours and ensure a stable funding source
for library operations.
In November 2000, San Francisco voters passed the Branch
Library Improvement Program (BLIP), totaling $106 million. This bond program
provides funds for the renovation of nineteen (19) branches, replacement of
four (4) leased spaces by City-owned facilities and the construction of a new
branch (number 27) in the emerging Mission Bay neighborhood. Updated information
on the revitalization of the branch libraries is available through the
Branch Library Improvement Program.
Contact the Chief of Branches.
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