Jump to Content

Collection Guide
Collection Title:
Collection Number:
Get Items:
Finding aid of the Santa Clara County Free Library Collection
2008-004  
View entire collection guide What's This?
Search this collection
Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Descriptive Summary
  • Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Acquisition Information
  • Processing Information
  • Administrative History
  • Scope and Content of Collection
  • Arrangement
  • Indexing Terms
  • Bibliography

  • Descriptive Summary

    Title: Santa Clara County Free Library collection
    Dates: 1914-1931
    Collection number: 2008-004
    Creator: Santa Clara County Free Library
    Collection Size: 2 cubic feet
    Repository: Santa Clara County Archives.
    San Jose, CA 95112-2527
    Abstract: This collection consists of ten volumes listing accessions of the Santa Clara County Free Library. The volumes range from 1914 to 1931.
    Physical location: For current information on the location of these materials, please consult Archives staff.
    Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

    Access

    Collection is open for research.

    Publication Rights

    The Archives can claim physical ownership only for some collections. Users are responsible for securing permission of the copyright holder for publication or quotation.

    Preferred Citation

    Santa Clara County Free Library collection, Santa Clara County Archives.

    Acquisition Information

    These records were transferred by the Santa Clara County Library in 2008.

    Processing Information

    Each book was originally in its own box. The books were consolidated into two Hollinger boxes. They are stored flat on their sides.

    Administrative History

    The Santa Clara County Free Library was founded in July 1914 and was located in the Hall of Justice in downtown San Jose, at the corner of Market St. and St. James St. The original library consisted of three rooms, which quickly expanded to seven rooms. Within six years twenty-four community branches were established, ranging from Milpitas to Gilroy.
    The County Library was tied closely with the local school districts. Under the County Library law of California the school district gave the County Library its library funds, and professional librarians acquired the books and shipped them out to the schools. Thus the school children had access to all of the books at the County Library. The County Library was tied with two school districts in 1914, which expanded to almost all of the seventy-eight school districts in the County by 1922. In 1922 there were 48,000 books and over 14,000 borrowers in the system.
    As of 2008 the Santa Clara County Library has seven branches in Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Milpitas, Morgan Hill and Saratoga.

    Scope and Content of Collection

    The Santa Clara County Free Library Collection consists of ten accession books. These books were used by the Library to transcribe the titles, authors, publication dates and prices of newly acquired books. The first seven volumes are in chronological order and range from 1914 to 1919. The next two volumes record the accessions of books for the School Department and Santa Clara County Superintendent of Schools. These two books range from 1918 to 1931. The last book is not labeled, and records books acquired in 1925 and 1926. Most of the titles included in these accessions books appear to be for children's books.

    Arrangement

    The Collection is organized into one series: books.

    Indexing Terms

    The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
    Books--1910-1930
    Libraries--1910-1930
    Libraries--Accession department
    Santa Clara County (Calif.)
    Santa Clara County (Calif.). Superintendent of Schools

    Bibliography

    Sawyer, Eugene T. History of Santa Clara County, California with Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified with its Growth and Development from the Early Days to the Present. Los Angeles, CA: Historic Record Company, 1922.