Orange
County
Biographies
ORANGE COUNTY FREE LIBRARY
SANTA ANA
To aid in making the use of a
library readily accessible to residents within the country, the operation of
the Orange County Free Library was sanctioned by the board of supervisors in
1921. The resolution establishing the
department was passed December 9, 1919, but no appropriation was made at that
time. The active interest of the Parent-Teacher
Associations and others resulted in the appointment of a country librarian in
July, 1921. The growth and expansion of
the library during the succeeding years has been steady and consistent. The selection of books reflects directly the
reading taste of borrowers. A
supplemental service is available of borrowing books from the great collection
of the California State Library.
A special department of the work of
the library has to do with schools.
Districts may, through the county library, pool their school library
funds to secure a better return for their money by careful purchasing,
supervision, and exchange of books from one school to another. Thirty-six districts have adopted the plan
with very satisfactory results. It has
been demonstrated that three times more supplementary material will be borrowed
by a school during the year than could be purchased by the school library fund
used singly.
Library buildings are provided for
county branches at La Habra, Laguna Beach, and Westminster. At Brea and Seal Beach a special wing for a
library was built on the new city halls.
Branches are maintained at Tustin, Wintersburg, Costa Mesa, San
Clemente, Shady Brook, El Modena and Trabuco Oaks. Each branch is in charge of a competent
person with special training. The policy
of the County Library is to extend the resources to all parts of the supporting
area.
The Orange County Free Library was
in charge of Miss Margaret Livingston from 1921 until her death in 1933. In the first week of June, 1933, the county
board of supervisors appointed Miss Dorothy E. Wents
to the position of county librarian.
Miss Wents, a graduate of Pomona College of
California, completed a library course at Simmons College of Boston. She has been a resident of Orange County,
California, for thirteen years and previous to her appointment as librarian had
served for two years in the capacity of assistant librarian of the Orange
County Free Library.
Transcribed by
V. Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: California of the South
Vol. IV, by John Steven McGroarty, Pages 309-310, Clarke Publ.,
Chicago, Los Angeles, Indianapolis. 1933.
© 2012 V. Gerald Iaquinta.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S
ORANGE COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES