1878: Governor William Irwin signs the Rogers Act, instituting a property tax to raise library funds and creating a board of library trustees.
1879: First San Francisco Public Library opens on the second floor of Pacific Hall on Bush Street (between Kearny & Dupont (Grant.))
First City Librarian, Albert Hart, is hired.
1888: Library moves to the Larkin Street wing of City Hall, in the new Civic Center
1888-89: First three branches are opened, in the Mission, in North Beach, and on Potrero Hill.
1893: Library relocates to the third floor of City Hall's McAllister Street wing.
1901: The foundation established by Andrew J. Carnegie gives $750,000 to the city to help fund a new main library and several branches.
1903: San Francisco voters pass a bond issue to supplement the Carnegie bequest.
Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, leader of the City Beautiful movement, begins to design a master plan for San Francisco, including a Civic Center with a new library building.
1906: Daniel Burnham presents his final plan for the city's redesign. But shortly afterward the earthquake and fire destroy much of the city including the library collection housed in City Hall. Of the library's 166,344 volumes an estimated 40,000 were destroyed. Temporary quarters were established on Hayes Street near Van Ness. Two of the six branches were destroyed.
1907: the library moves to a temporary location between Van Ness & Franklin, Fell & Hayes.
1909: The city begins to raise funds and consider plans for a new Civic Center.
1914: The temporary Main Library reaches capacity.
Architect George W. Kelham's design for a new Main Library - the first building to be constructed specifically for the library - is chosen for a Civic Center location, the block bound by Larkin, McAllister, Hyde, and Fulton streets. Other local commissions given to George W. Kelham included the Russ Building (on Montgomery Street) and the Palace Hotel (on Market Street).
Carnegie Foundation funds are earmarked for the building of branch libraries in the Richmond, the Mission, the Sunset, Noe Valley, and Golden Gate Valley.
1915: Ground is broken for the Main Library
1916: The cornerstone for the Main Library is laid - ten years after the devastating earthquake of 1906.
1917: The Main Library is dedicated and opens to the public. Materials are moved by horse and wagon to the new Beaux Arts building.
3rd Floor: Music Room & Periodicals Department
2nd Floor: Reading Room, Reference, Card Catalog
1st Floor: Children’s Room & Newspapers
1920: The Main Library begins to acquire rare books and the works of San Francisco fine printers and binders: a collection that in 1927 is named for Max J. Kuhl. (For more information please visit The Book Arts and Special Collections Center.)
1921: Carnegie Foundation funds are used to finance branches in North Beach and on Sacramento Street.
Carnegie Libraries
In 1901 the foundation established by Andrew J. Carnegie gives $750,000 to the city to help fund a new main library and several branches. In 1903 San Francisco voters pass a bond issue to supplement the Carnegie bequest. In 1914 Carnegie Foundation funds are earmarked for the building of branch libraries in the Richmond, the Mission, the Sunset, Noe Valley, and Golden Gate Valley. In 1921Carnegie Foundation funds are used to finance branches in North Beach and on Sacramento Streets.
Chinatown Branch
Golden Gate Valley Branch
Mission Branch
Noe Valley Branch
Presidio Branch
Richmond Branch
Sunset Branch
1929: Business Library (a department of the Main) opens in the Russ Building in the Financial District.
1932: Piazzoni Murals begin to be installed in the Main Library's Rotunda.
1943: Main Library declared filled to capacity.
1947: Nat Schmulowitz, a local lawyer, donates his collection of humor books and magazines to the Main Library, forming the core of the Schmulowitz Collection of Wit & Humor (SCOWAH.) located in The Book Arts and Special Collections Center.
1948: Voters turn down bond issue to fund eighteen branches and an addition to the Main Library.
1949: Citizens concerned about the future of the library meet to form the first, short-lived Friends of the San Francisco Library.
1952: Series of articles in the San Francisco Chronicle criticizes the library.
1957: Hale Champion's series in the San Francisco Chronicle negatively critiques the library's operation and services.
1958: Emerson Greenaway, an eminent librarian, delivers a report recommending additional city funding, improvements to the Main Library, and hiring of trained staff.
1959: Mayor George Christopher creates the Committee of Fifty, a group of prominent cultural and business leaders, to build support for the library.
1960: San Franciscans for a Better Library, a citizen's group, is formed.
1961: Prominent residents meet to form another library support group, the San Francisco Library League.
1962: The Committee of Fifty, San Franciscans for a Better Library, and the San Francisco Library League join forces under a new name - Friends of the San Francisco Public Library.
Main Library begins to organize its collection into departments. The closed stacks are opened to the public.
3rd Floor: General Periodicals & Newspapers, Rare Books and Special Collections, Administrative Offices, Commission Meeting Room.
2nd Floor: General Reference & Catalog Information, Literature, Philosophy & Religion, History & Social Science.
1st Floor: Circulation & Registration, Exhibit (Meeting) Room, Children’s Room, Art & Music, Science & Technology.
1963: Richard Harrison, local calligrapher and collector of calligraphy, gives his collection to the library. (Located in The Book Arts and Special Collections Center.)
1964: The Friends holds its first annual book sale, raising $4,000 to purchase rare materials for the library.
The Main Library establishes a collection of materials on local history, later named the San Francisco History Room. (Now called The San Francisco History Center.)
1965: Robert Grabhorn's collection of 1,500 rare books becomes part of the Main Library's Special Collections. (Located in The Book Arts and Special Collections Center.)
1967-1988 Bay Area Reference Center (BARC) funded. Main Library designated "third-level" research center for Northern California. State grants provide SFPL leadership in reference service.
1969: San Francisco librarians form the Librarians' Guild, which soon replaces the Library Staff Association.
1970: The Librarians' Guild supports the four day citywide strike of public employees.
1972: The library begins walk-in service for the blind and visually impaired. (Library for the Blind and Print Disabled)
Keep Libraries Alive! forms to protest the closing of branches to meet cuts in the city's budget for the library system.
1974: The Library Commission, the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library, Keep Libraries Alive!, and other citizen groups fight successfully to retain Marshall Square as the site of a new main library.
1974-1976 California Video Resources Project begins producing & collecting videotapes.
1976: CLSI, the library’s first automation system, is installed.
1978: The passage of Proposition 13, rolling back property taxes, deleteriously impacts the city's ability to fund the library and other public institutions.
Library begins sign language and video services for the Deaf. (Deaf Services Center.)
1980: Special Media Services (circulating video collection, media production, and services to Deaf) started in the Communications Center (Presidio Branch). In 1976 moves into the Main Library. (Audio Visual Center and Assistive Technology)
1982: Report by Lowell Martin recommending consolidation of branches catalyzes public support for the branches.
1983: Project Read, the Library’s literacy program, begins.
1985: The Friends of the San Francisco Public Library offers to work with Mayor Dianne Feinstein on the completion of the Civic Center, including use of Marshall Square for a new library.
1986: A task force is created by Mayor Feinstein to complete the design of the Civic Center.
1987: Business Library closed (budget cuts)
October, 1989: Loma Prieta Earthquake severely damages the Main Library building and the stacks are permanently closed to the public.
1990: As a result of the earthquake, the library is reorganized.
3rd Floor: SF History/Special Collections, Automation, Chief of Man, Newspapers.
2nd Floor: Circulating Library (videos and books that circulated during past two years), Information Services, Humanities.
Administration offices move to 45 Hyde Street. Off-site storage created in Presidio.
1992: Lesbian/Gay Center collection begins. (James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center.)
Loan of audio Compact Discs Begins. (Audio Visual Center)
July, 1993: Municipal Cable TV Station (CITYWATCH, Channel 54) begun: SF Community Television Corp. moves into Main Library.
August, 1993: Automated router (Telephone System) installed, last rotary phone removed from branches.
1994: The library establishes Internet access and an early website.
April, 1994: Telephone Information Project (TIP) starts.
Spring, 1994: Community (Automated) Information Projects begin: S.F. African-American History Network, AIDS Information Network, Community Information Project. (San Francisco Community Services Directory.)
Summer, 1994: Dial-up to SF Catalog begins
Spring, 1996: New Main Library opens on April 18.
Focus Collections: The new library houses many focus collections: African American, Gay and Lesbian, International, Chinese, Filipino, Environmental, Teen, and Jobs & Careers.
1997: E-mail reference service is available augmenting answers to questions in person, by telephone, fax, and in writing.
1999: Over 25,000 historic photographs are digitized and made
accessible
on the library's website. (Historic
Photo Collection)
2000: January: Main Libary Post Occupancy Evaluation Report (POE)
2000: November: Voters approve of Prop A, a $106 million bond measure, for improvements to nineteen neighborhood branches and the construction of four new branch buildings. Branch Improvement Program
2001: April: Susan Hildreth appointed City Librarian
2001: June 1 - June 15: Overdue Book Amnesty.
2001: October: E-Books and QandA Cafe introduced to the library.
