Origins

The history of the San Mateo Public Library began when the Ladies of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church determined that there was a need for forming a library. This was done to provide a reading room for the local residents. One wealthy resident, Antoine Borel, gave a small empty lot for the library. It was located near the railroad station. After the formation of the San Mateo Library Association fund raising efforts began to finance a building. Library Hall was completed in 1885 at a cost of $12,000. Only one room was dedicated for library use and it did not open until 1887. The rest of the building served several functions, including retail space. The next few years the library was primarily just a reading room.

One prominent member of the community, Charles Kirkbride (City Attorney) lobbied town trustees for a public library. He drew up the enabling papers so that the City took over from the Library Association. It was then that a formal public library began to come together. The San Mateo Public Library opened in 1899. The town trustees also authorized the purchase of a 4,160 volume collection from the Knights of Pythias Library in San Francisco. This was added to the existing collection of 451 volumes. However, it still shared a building with other government offices though. The goal was still to have a dedicated library building and to do this the city created a four cent on every $100 of taxable property. Only $472 had been collected in the first year, so a new library building would not be possible in the near future.

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 turned out to be a propitious event for the Library. An application had been made to the Carnegie Foundation for a stand alone library building in 1905. Not only was the application approved, but additional funds were forthcoming following the earthquake. The Carnegie Library opened in 1907 and stood on the corner of 2nd Avenue and San Mateo Drive from its opening until 1966. Over the years there were several expansions to the building, but it still became overcrowded. Due to the lack of space older volumes were supplanted to make way for new books. The result was an incomplete collection. Unfortunately, it was torn down to make way for a parking lot rather than trying to preserve this historic building.

Given a comment made in 1876 by Frederic B. Perkins in Public Libraries in the United States, "Women should be employed as librarians and assistants as far as possible, as the nature of the duties is to a great extent, and in many cases, suited to them", San Mateo seems to have taken his advise. Their first two employees of the new public library were women.

The trustees for the new Carnegie Library were Charles M. Morse (President), George W. Hall, Julia Peyton Johns, W.M. Roberts, and Ella M. Doane. One person missing was the library's early and strongest advocate, Charles Kirkbride. However, this can be explained because he was probably preoccupied. He had become a member of the California National Guard in 1911 (the same time period as these trustees) and eventually served in WW I. In addition, Kirkbride was a successful local attorney (including his period as City Attorney). His biography clearly shows his dedication to the community. He has lived and labored to worthy ends and as one of the sterling citizens and representative professional men of his community is eminently worthy of specific mention in the annals of his county (History of San Mateo County, 1928).