00:00:05.840 - 00:00:24.350

welcome. Um, would I'm very pleased to have you as our latest interview in the Sonoma County Aural History Government project. Wonder if you'd please tell us your name. David Subsea. And what were the roles you played in Sonoma County government or affiliated agencies? Well, from 1956

00:00:24.350 - 00:00:44.100

to 1965 was a city library and of Santa Rosa in 1965. The county contract ID with, said Rosa for library service. So for 10 years, it was called the set of Rosa Dashed Sonoma County Library. And in 1975 the rest of the cities in the Cody

00:00:44.870 - 00:01:01.830

and the Kelly came together in a joint powers agency. Call the snow a county library again on I was a director of that until 1992 when I retired. No, if you would like to it you were mentioning to me previously, the uniqueness of the Joint Powers

00:01:01.830 - 00:01:19.790

Arrangement. Would you like to say a few words about that? How it came to be well, Sonoma County had some of the oldest municipal libraries in it in the state, and about a fairly new county library, which is rich with rural, was served The unincorporated areas.

00:01:20.780 - 00:01:50.730

Um, so the the service was pretty uneven, but not strong anywhere, and the trick was to fuse them into a single unit. But preserving the the local feeling, the degree of local autonomy. And, uh, they're couples that we used quite useful, inflexible state local. The Joint

00:01:50.730 - 00:02:11.950

Exercise of Powers Act, which allows public agencies to do together functions which they are authorized do separately, 11 being library service. And the law also says that in order to do that, they can either delegate the responsibility to one of their members, one of a group,

00:02:12.640 - 00:02:33.280

or they can set up a separate agency called the Joint Powers Agency. And that's what we elected to do. And so, uh, because by doing that we were able to create a library commission and give representation to the cities and to the county rural areas. So

00:02:33.280 - 00:02:50.790

the library commissioners that were set up at that time represent specifically delineated geographical that's right to the two largest cities. Santa Rosa in Petaluma each have a seat on the commission and then to represent the other cities that works. There were several the Board of Supervisors

00:02:50.790 - 00:03:08.620

that points the other five but they're appointed from Supervisorial District, so they're localized her large degree. Now, the nature of it, If you If you'd like to say a few words about that as to say, the collections and the certain aspects of library budgets are managed

00:03:08.630 - 00:03:29.150

by the municipality and others by the county, how how generally speaking does that actually operate, say, in Santa Rosa, or will They're really it's a separate agency unit has its own budget. Uh huh. The funding comes from a, I used to say the library tax. Well,

00:03:29.150 - 00:03:49.630

there's no such thing of separate taxes anymore. It's the library share of the property tax collected Countywide, including all the cities, and that by by agreement by law, goes to the to the Drink Powers Agency. Um, a provision was added late in the game into the

00:03:49.640 - 00:04:05.670

into the agreement, giving the Board of Supervisors the authority to review and approve the budget. That's because the commission is not elected. So here's an elected body that has that 30. But it's it's the commission's money and goes to the commission automatically in the actual day

00:04:05.670 - 00:04:26.930

to day operations. That am I right that the municipality has has the oversight in the responsibility of the actual edifice. So yes, they own. They own the buildings. And the library has a responsibility off operating, providing the service and not bringing buildings and routine maintenance, custodial

00:04:26.930 - 00:04:48.790

services, that sort of thing. Utilities, major improvements, responsibilities of the city. I see and salaries and collection. It's all commission, all commission and essentially therefore county money that comes to the commission for dispersing. You know, it's fashions. It's a fascinating idea. Asai. I've observed libraries around

00:04:48.790 - 00:05:07.160

the country as you mentioned. It is unique in California and to the Observer Unversity. In it. One would think it might be potentially difficult to effect having a cooperative venture like that between municipalities with their own interests and sort of comedy. Agencias well, but it has

00:05:07.160 - 00:05:25.350

been observed to work very well. It does. It doesn't work very well. Of course, the the difficulty was in establishing it, once established, run quite smoothly because it is unified. There is. There is a single authority, and except for the annual budget review, there is no

00:05:25.580 - 00:05:42.050

interference by a city or county. Yeah, that's interesting, because I hadn't realized the library Commission is the unifying body isn't it as you describe it. Very interesting. Um, if you were to summarize briefly, how how would you describe your chief functions? I know it's a multi

00:05:42.050 - 00:06:08.870

faceted and very large job. What would they? Well, it's the usual management tasks of being a separate agency. Planning, organizing, stuffing, directing, coordinating. So on budgeting the library does it sold budgeting. And, um, and that was something that I did myself. Now, nowadays there's a business

00:06:08.870 - 00:06:35.960

manager, but personnel is a large part of it because again, uh, the library does not use the county personnel. Does its own personnel work labor negotiations? The buildings, well, the city's only buildings. Why reject its responsibility to plan them, get the funding for that's well, it's

00:06:35.960 - 00:06:49.270

operating. I was looking at your Vita and was very struck by how busy you must have been because there was a period of time. Was it mostly in the seventies or late sixties and seventies, when there was a vast amount of building of new buildings that

00:06:49.280 - 00:07:05.610

must have that? That was, Are they odd me to realize what you must must have gone through on that? Well, it wasn't essential because the carrot offered to the cities to get them to give up the autonomy of the libraries with library service with new buildings

00:07:05.610 - 00:07:27.720

often had old buildings. Carnegie buildings mostly, and they needed enlarged in new and modern facilities. We had the opportunity through the Joint Powers Agency, to provide City County Federal. Eventually, state funding to produce those way had to do it because that was a condition of their

00:07:27.720 - 00:07:44.630

Casey. So in a sense, you had a sort of automatic buying from many communities because there was at that time a real perceived need for you. Well, one automatic. It was uphill work. But because people have lived, all of their lives in Sanoma County were never

00:07:44.630 - 00:08:04.760

exposed. Two voted library service going hungry service. So they had to be persuaded that what they had wasn't adequate. Some of the strongest supporters were relative newcomers who had experienced good service elsewhere, other counties or other states. Right? Right. If that's an interesting point, what would

00:08:04.770 - 00:08:27.350

the the the old school sort of user here not have thought of as a library service that you were able to introduce that well, Libraries were considered places to borrow books, period, so and maybe read a newspaper magazines. But audiovisual materials were not concerned. Lots of

00:08:27.350 - 00:08:51.660

media that didn't even exist in because that we have now, but primarily information service. There were no designated reference librarians at that time. There was certainly no like central collection, and even the largest libraries centers in pantaloons were basically lending libraries. So you've seen there was

00:08:51.660 - 00:09:07.440

a real change affected in the whole notion of the role of a reference library in absolute was that nationwide to your perception? Was California perhaps in Sonoma County lagging a little bit? It was due to perhaps a home counties, then more rural nature. It was absolutely

00:09:07.450 - 00:09:28.080

right, right Arrest limit. When I came in 1956 the population of the whole county was 125,000. That's about the size of El Dorado County. Wow, that is amazing. What growth that really, really is. It's an interesting fact. I was doing a little library, statistics comparisons, and

00:09:28.080 - 00:09:43.260

I was noticing much, I think, to cinema. County libraries credit that it has a high proportion of librarians to the population it serves, which is what I believe in library services along the lines of your what you're describing, I think that's a very good thing. Did

00:09:43.260 - 00:10:04.690

you did you find in your tenure that you were actively trying to sort of bolster the sheer numbers of librarians because that's essential for for not only their information service, but for developing strong collections exactly and woe something else that didn't exist in those early days?

00:10:04.700 - 00:10:22.950

It was a strict separation of professional and non professional personnel. People tended to do everything. Um and, uh, But by making that separation, we were able to increase the salaries, professional stuff. Onda track good people. The fact that it was a growing system and have no

00:10:22.960 - 00:10:40.510

buildings on the way attractive feature turnover magnet. Not to mention this beautiful part of the world. It's very interesting if you were to describe the chief challenges. I mean over a 10 year as long as your own, I'm sure that there were many. But if what

00:10:40.510 - 00:11:04.740

would come to mind uppermost, perhaps well, 1st 1 of course, was to educate people to the need for improved service and then to get them to come together into us into a unified system. Then finding the funds from the buildings, which I mentioned earlier was a

00:11:04.740 - 00:11:24.830

culmination, usually of local and federal and sometimes state funds and private funds, and then planning the buildings. That was that was a major preoccupation because of they had to be knowing that the revenue would be limited. We didn't know then how limited but limited. We had

00:11:24.830 - 00:11:44.960

to play in the buildings, to be operated functionally with the minimum staff and to be able to go to handle expansion. So that so that planning was a big part. And, as we mentioned, recruiting good staff, right? Did you consciously make a nationwide effort to search

00:11:45.050 - 00:12:03.040

through Library Journal's on such first? Yeah, that's how I heard about you. Isn't Florida very glad to be here? I'm curious. If you would you want to say a word or two about? I'm very intrigued by how you would go about a combination of both educating

00:12:03.040 - 00:12:21.430

and enticing the public into the need for a new kind of new, expanded kind of librarian Shippen library. Because you had you had that big job to do. Did you know it was and it was. It was the toughest job because people love their libraries. They

00:12:21.440 - 00:12:44.700

were used to them. They were nostalgic about these Carnegie buildings that were all of them quaint and a few of them handsome. Uh, and it was with difficulty visualized something different, something motor. And it was the most useful device we had with creation of the friends

00:12:44.700 - 00:13:05.960

of the library organizations. We created them in each of the city, um, and use that as the leaders were typically people who had a progressive notion of library, right? And so they most of the educating that's really wonderful with the best library advocates and congratulations on

00:13:05.960 - 00:13:22.430

a job well done. Because the Santa Rosa Friends of the library, for instance, have their the most remarkable fundraising history with their book sales has been a huge success. And the first sale ever was held outside the old Carnegie Library. Was it outdoors and they probably

00:13:22.440 - 00:13:43.050

raised three or $400. Boy times have changed their very, very, very profitable nowadays. Um, were there any crises that would be something to mention just for the States states, you know, the sake of history of the library. Some really tough times critical biggest. The biggest crisis

00:13:43.180 - 00:14:03.290

cross each. The bond issues that were held in played Rosa in Petaluma were. We're nail biting events, said Rosa. Lost to bloom dishes before the successful pantaloon. My headache had a couple before they 600. But the big crisis for the county library system was across Proposition

00:14:03.300 - 00:14:27.730

13. Well, because it would cut property tax revenue by 60%. And that was all the revenue. The library research scene. Right now, cities have a mix of revenues property taxes, relatively minor counties more dependent on property tax. But I have other revenue, but the library have

00:14:27.940 - 00:14:49.060

only property tax, so a 60 per cent cut was severe, really. But in times later, when state funding When I first came here 5.5 years ago and people were really reeling with the impact of the state funds being cut wasn't, in fact, that though those struggling

00:14:49.070 - 00:15:04.680

to that Sonoma County library system was in a relatively more favorable position in many other California's county libraries, was it not because of the degree to which they were dependent or not dependent rather on state funds? That was kind of my general understand? Well, there there

00:15:04.680 - 00:15:21.950

were no state funds before Proposition 13 and one of the things that I did personally spent a lot of my time on was loving for state funding state to come to the help of the library's. And it took several years to accomplish that. Uh, but, uh,

00:15:22.740 - 00:15:43.110

so and the the funds are distributed by former pretty equitably Santa Rosa was, I know this because of the years this testimony at the Legislature as an example, Cinema County was absolutely average in terms of expenditure per capita capitalism. So for us, so it didn't get

00:15:43.110 - 00:16:01.960

any more than its share. Yeah, didn't get any less. We did get, I think, more than I rather bowling a share off construction money. But I know that had to do with with with the application process. I see a grants. Manship, I guess. Yeah, well, it's

00:16:02.530 - 00:16:18.630

library is such a history of success, and it's really such an excellent system. But you look around the county and see really frightening stories like the situation and Down and Selena's your several years ago, and there have been some libraries have suffered very severely, so we're

00:16:18.690 - 00:16:38.820

very fortunate. That's a good example of of the problem of separate city and county libraries hears us. Here's a country library See in a city library in the same town, both of them struggling. And were they to Burj Or had they merged before the financial crisis,

00:16:38.820 - 00:16:58.920

they would have been like stronger position sense, bolstering each other in a way, Yeah, there were each of them isolated, very interesting. What features, if any of your tenure with a Sonoma County library again, perhaps comparing it to other California County library systems or even library

00:16:58.920 - 00:17:17.150

systems, County library systems around the country? Would you say that we're unique? That were uniquely Sonoma County? Well, the Joint Powers operation, Of course. It was the only one and California at the time, and I don't I'm not even sure there were other states that had

00:17:17.150 - 00:17:43.750

such a such a law permitted. Oh, that was the primary difference. The county also Oh, I had after after the formation of drink powers and say had county Countywide service population. And that was not typical of California. Most of California. There are city libraries and county

00:17:43.750 - 00:18:05.770

libraries. County library serves some cities, but not all cities. In very few cases did the country library served the whole county, and they tended to be rural counties. So here was a rural but rapidly urbanizing county that had unified system so that it was also fortunately,

00:18:05.780 - 00:18:28.680

well, oh, will placed strategically in that there were cities and counties seat the largest city in the center of the county cities in east, west, north and south and conform the basis of regional library service. That was an important element of planning, no, so that instead

00:18:28.680 - 00:18:47.930

of the rural Bookmobile, service and stations which the county library had operated for years were able to develop strong a regional wipers that were within our within reach of everybody. Yes, again, that's That's a fortuitous geographic fact. As you say, I haven't hadn't occurred to me,

00:18:47.930 - 00:19:05.550

but the sort of arrangement of the municipals with municipal center, but but also a real challenge. It strikes me. Coming from Back East is the sheer size of the county, though it's so huge, but then California counties can be, and still it works awfully well. Um,

00:19:06.610 - 00:19:27.980

it might. Having said that that Sonoma County Library was in was the beginning of the Joint Powers arrangement for libraries. Do you know off other systems in the in the state that followed suit fairly shortly thereafter? Uh, well, Napa County, which which consolidated the city of

00:19:27.980 - 00:19:50.340

an upper library in the county library and in the Calistoga Library. Uh, and the muddled it pretty much on on our moment. Although ST Alina never has joined, it has not. Santa Cruz, which had a city and county ah, contract with County with the city, provides

00:19:50.340 - 00:20:11.650

service many years later, develop that into Detroit powers but again does not include all the cities. Andi, I think those are the only two. They will not a lot of interest in it, but accomplishing it, particularly after Proposition 13 because the mechanism disappeared. You say we

00:20:11.650 - 00:20:29.000

had understate lower. We had something called a Cody library tax and it could be living. I was living in the rural areas, unincorporated areas, and could be levied on any city which was willing to accept it, and that that was funding mechanism that doesn't exist anymore.

00:20:29.180 - 00:20:49.030

There is no such thing as a separate library tax are a separate pock tax, are assembling any kind of attacks, but we inherited a proportion off the property collected by states and counties. Certain states and venues I've seen elsewhere have Library district's created and and I

00:20:49.040 - 00:21:11.360

wonder, Do you have any notion of the relative merits of that? Versus this is faras will. If the district for Countywide district included major cities, it would operate in much the same, probably with even more autonomy. Because districts in this state at least totally, totally autonomous

00:21:11.410 - 00:21:30.640

right? I know of instances, say, in Florida, for instance, where a library district was created by act of the state Legislature, which which seemed to ease the sort of comprehensiveness of membership in it can be done. Yeah. Interesting. Um, I know you keep your eye on

00:21:30.640 - 00:21:50.040

the library. Your fortunately, living with in this in the midst of the area. Still so I was winning. If you had any observations on the chief challenges that might either be facing the library. This system uniquely or libraries generally Well, I ready. Don't, uh, an intimate

00:21:50.040 - 00:22:08.330

knowledge of the library now using patron. But I don't I don't have not involved at all in the operation, so I can only speculate, Uh, it seems pretty obvious that the need for expanding some of the buildings there 25 years old or more that there have

00:22:08.340 - 00:22:31.410

been outgrowing areas that badly need buildings that don't health. Um uh, like, uh, western part of Santa Rosa, right? And finding funding for those It is not easy because the first federal programs that we used heavily don't exist any longer. There is a state program, but

00:22:31.420 - 00:22:52.330

then competition is very keen. We did secure funding some of the first funds for the Rincon value. So So that has to be a major problem. I think operating funding isn't this serious problem, probably as it waas because of the rapid development in the coming right.

00:22:52.410 - 00:23:11.710

But still, the population growth is outstripping the other types of taxpayers. Right, Right, right. And then, I suppose, recruiting good staff continuing challenge. You know, I should think it is the nature of library in ship. I've been in libraries 20 years now, and I've seen transformation

00:23:11.710 - 00:23:30.050

is a much abused word, but it is nothing short of a transformation with technology. Obviously, it's a cliche, but it's It's a huge change allocating, for instance, in things as mundane and Aziz allocating enough space in the library. And what do you allocate it? Do you

00:23:30.050 - 00:23:51.490

allocated to chairs and tables, or do you allocated to see two computers along this One of the challenges was to design buildings that that would be functional when they opened, but also flexible. So then, when these changes come, you can remove chairs and put in Charlotte,

00:23:51.500 - 00:24:10.810

remove shelving and putting seating, and so on. One thing we we insisted upon was having under flawed ducks installed, without which the automation that came later would not have been possible ever would have been very difficult. But all of the builder hold billions. Have repealed with

00:24:10.820 - 00:24:27.440

within those concrete slab floors have a pattern of raceways. Terrific, that can reach to have a part of the building where you appreciate or was that fortuitous? Well, I think way, you know, I had a very sorry coming. That's great. I must say observing. Say that

00:24:27.440 - 00:24:43.870

Santa Rosa library, which is a large building. It is an open space which could so easily be have space re allocated, as you describe. Yeah, very interesting. Um, what? We've mentioned the joint powers and your role in it. If you were to describe some of the

00:24:43.880 - 00:25:04.270

milestones and the things that you feel were so your greatest achievements in your long work, what would they be? Well, you know, of course, getting the big agency established, Getting all the son of many cities and counties to agree, Um, getting the funding for the buildings,

00:25:04.270 - 00:25:25.710

getting sites for the buildings. That was that was offering, right, Because And they're all good sites. There have locations where the library are situated for easy use and maximum participation securing the funding. I think, as I say, we got probably more than our share. But we

00:25:25.710 - 00:25:46.650

were ready to pounce when we got the first federal money for library construction. The very first in California from the Central Library and enough money to build the branches and cutting town. Really, which which had no local money in it at all. We, uh we were

00:25:46.650 - 00:26:05.890

able to get many years later. Some of the last of that federal money for the Pillsbury Library there only wanted to funded in the state at that time. When revenue sharing came in on the late sixties and early seventies, we were able to persuade the cities

00:26:05.890 - 00:26:31.870

in the counties each to turn over some of their revenue sharing money, in a sense, using federal money to match each other's federal money. And when that disappeared, uh, there came a depression in the in the late seventies Economic Development Act money, federal money given to

00:26:32.790 - 00:26:53.930

cities and counties without strings. And again we were able to persuade cities and counties to turn over portions of their share to build the building. Interested And finally, when the oh, the library annex building, which I guess you have your office was the headquarters was built

00:26:53.930 - 00:27:09.590

as the headquarters of the North Bay Cooperative Library system, and that was the first cooperative system in the state with headquarters here. And we got money establishing money and got the state to allow us to use that to build that buildings of that was all state

00:27:09.590 - 00:27:28.940

funded, which is now part of a deliberate, interesting. And then I mentioned the Rincon Valley Library, which was built with the first of the state bond AC funds. So it was, uh, those are all difficulty, but kind of challenging, yes. Triumphs to yes drives. Indeed. Tramps,

00:27:28.940 - 00:27:50.840

indeed. Yeah, it was your you work. Would you Would you characterize your career at Certainly at that time is being an unusually active participant in the statewide picture and specifically close to the legislation involved. I've noticed from your veto that it seems very much. And would

00:27:50.840 - 00:28:09.090

you would you not naturally assign your good fortune to be funded so well, so early to the fact that you were very much involved? Well, it was probably part of it. I certainly certainly waas intimately involved, usually even in designing the program so that I knew

00:28:09.090 - 00:28:32.170

how they operated. Um, and, uh, was also able Teoh secure the support of some important local legislators. Way killed they. They're supporting, obtaining the legislation and the funding and, uh, which didn't hurt our application. And he, of course, um, in my life, I find he's the

00:28:32.170 - 00:28:52.210

way a bit. Um, let's see. Um, have you any thoughts about that? I know you. You you mentioned that you haven't You haven't been intimately involved in the management of libraries for a few years now, But observing as you must as a library user, uh, the

00:28:52.370 - 00:29:15.010

shift of proportionality from books, perhaps to DVDs and CDs and such things. Do you have any thoughts? What that might four tell for the future of libraries are well lower. The same, of course, Mark or changing. Ah, a shift continuing shift from print to non print

00:29:15.010 - 00:29:43.950

material, right? Oh, uh, more reliance on the Internet more. Uh, but the library still has to maintain its rule is a source of off. I don't want to say legitimate but sound information, huh? And, uh, um And then the book is not going to disappear, you

00:29:43.950 - 00:30:01.350

know? I mean, it may change its physical form, but it's always going to be kind of Brooke basis off our knowledge. I think so. Passing can see it passing away at all, then being replaced by the E books that we see. Though there's certainly a role

00:30:01.350 - 00:30:24.670

for those. But I, uh, just inject one of my views a ZA library in two is that I'm increasingly concerned at among the nut among several issues the public's lack of guidance in assessing the relative merits of what they find online, as though if it shows

00:30:24.670 - 00:30:49.700

up on the screen, it's all equal, all good. And that concerns me a lot. Does that Does that seem so? You get so I think that's a problem. Uh, the Wikipedia is a good example. Here's a pretty large, very large and comprehensive, uh, encyclopedia online, but,

00:30:49.850 - 00:31:16.080

uh, the authority is it's not President all. Another concern that I have for the future of the present, I guess, And the picture is is the lack of off good professional Clyburn's because people interested in information service these days are more up to go into industry,

00:31:16.750 - 00:31:36.950

where they're in great demand. And most of the library schools, as you know, have become schools of information, services, information, science and whatever they want to call themselves. So, uh, competition for those bright people with an interest in if the facility to deal with information is

00:31:37.050 - 00:31:54.950

is going to be continued continued to be very, quite true. That, that is, that's a very interesting point because my observation of graduates of good library schools in the last 15 years is that they are one highly intelligent. But they're also uniquely suited for really serious

00:31:54.950 - 00:32:15.050

research, and they could find a very proper, profitable nation, other places as well. And they do get wooed away. I think you're absolutely right. Um, you have run into some very interesting people. I would think in your years in the field would you like toe talk

00:32:15.050 - 00:32:31.760

about some of them Are the people that were most memorable are most important in the development of the library to you are. Well, it's a little dangerous because I'm going to leave out. If anybody I mentioned, I'm gonna leave out lots of important people, but, uh,

00:32:33.140 - 00:32:47.630

yes, there were. There were many people who were important in each of the cities that were library leaders. They might be the librarian. They might have been a member of the library board, one of two cases. It was a city manager who had a strong influence

00:32:47.630 - 00:33:21.340

in library the library. There were some of those people continued on from the city library to the library commission of the library advisory boards, which which were created to replace him. There were again the librarians who kept their buildings killed, their library say, going through difficult

00:33:21.340 - 00:33:41.690

times. And until they merged and some of them transferred over to the trying poppers agent saying, retired. There was transferred smurfy like she was a founding county librarian and Sonoma County, and she graciously stepped down to become the assistant director of the city county of the

00:33:41.800 - 00:34:12.110

Joint Powers, first the City County Library. And then they tried power until she retired. Uh, there were legislators like, uh, but like No, Mr Rattigan. Radical, sir. Franken was he? Was he very instrumental in? Yes, he was. Hey, was a lead author and senator of our

00:34:12.110 - 00:34:39.440

major funding bill for library systems. Some to call her later there and funding some of the post Proposition 13 funding. Oh, they were one of the little. The strongest leaders we had was a form of president Junior College of late Randolph Newman. It was on the

00:34:39.440 - 00:35:01.610

Santa Rosa library board and then became the fresh chairman of the commission. Dorothy Bertucci. Oh, yes. Who was the library? Born in Catalonia and was a founding member of the commission. Awesome. And still is still with us. And mercifully, just any number of ready find competent

00:35:01.620 - 00:35:23.040

people. No, really. It be speaks good things about the library that you attracted such good people who have remained faithful friends for years and years and years myself, in any other people that came your way and your your, uh, iPhone memories of my predecessor in Santa

00:35:23.040 - 00:35:43.960

Rosa with Hall, who was never and for starting something years who welcome this 25 year old kid who took our play, have the audacity to take her place and uh, we we retained her to do the bookkeeping for the Libra on. She would come to work

00:35:44.130 - 00:36:00.950

to three times a year and tell May that I just love to come and see the changes here for me, that's unusual. It is? Yeah. The natural instinct of a human being would be Where you changing all the things that I I had? Perfect. No. Have

00:36:01.040 - 00:36:15.880

asking. As a librarian to you, from your vantage point of so so much time having been spent in the profession, I'm sure you would have to say in some that it was a good thing. Is that so? Being devoted to the field of librarian ship? Oh,

00:36:15.880 - 00:36:45.480

I think was very rewarding. I not don't regret it one bit. Uh, and, uh, for one thing, attacked. It's a great many talents, one house and wishes one. Everything from the mundane to the esoteric, uh, very rich and things of great complexity. I always when people

00:36:45.480 - 00:36:58.340

have asked me why I like Clyburn ship, I think it's just enjoyed to be able to know that anybody who comes into the library with a question you may not get at the absolute final answer, but you can be assured you'll get them closer to it.

00:36:58.730 - 00:37:26.900

I think that's what keeps librarians kind of perking along. So, um, it would you Did you have any other subject that comes to mind that you might want to mention? Uh Well, um, just thinking back again to the early days of this county with cities were

00:37:26.900 - 00:37:53.800

all small. Sooner I was. It was less than 30,000. Lumiere was about 13,000 Cloverdale. He'll spring the vast Belson. Omar, we're each under 5000 toddy. There was no road park. There was no Windsor. Right? Um, there it was still rural and agricultural, but the crop with

00:37:53.800 - 00:38:21.210

not grapes probably work grapes, but we weren't really ready to diversify. There were apple orchards and prune orchards and center. So I remember taking by predecessors Predecessor. This was a lady who was a library and into the 19 twenties who was living in downtown. And I

00:38:21.220 - 00:38:38.050

took her once, uh, out to Montgomery Village, where we have the first branch, library, city First Branch library anywhere in the county. And was the reason actually, I came to center, is it? Show her the branch. And on the way back She said It's a It's

00:38:38.050 - 00:38:57.360

a lovely branch library, Mr Cepsa, But please don't let any more people come to the city. Uh, and, um, the ladies who worked in the library with me and they were all ladies in those years would come back from lunch and complain that they saw people

00:38:57.360 - 00:39:16.620

on the street that they didn't know. So those are interesting time. They were quite a change. Transformation indeed. Right. Well, your excellent work goes on, and we're all in Cinema County. Very grateful and cognizant of the great work you did. We thank you for being with

00:39:16.620 - 00:39:20.240

us today. I'm very happy to do it. Thank you very much.