[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 10]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 14201]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




IN HONOR OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MONTEREY COUNTY FREE LIBRARIES

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                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 13, 2012

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of 
the Monterey County Free Libraries. Author and broadcaster Studs Terkel 
once said, ``All you need in life is truth and beauty and you can find 
both at the Public Library.'' Well, for the last century, Monterey 
County's library system has offered up beauty and truth in abundance.
  On August 6, 1912, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors 
established the Monterey County Free Libraries. On September 2, 1913 
Miss Anne Hadden started as the first County Librarian. In her first 
six months she opened five branches. By 1923 she and others had 
established branches in 105 locations. Some were simple reading rooms 
housed in private residences, schools, and stores; the Big Sur branch 
was located in the Post Office. In those early days Miss Hadden used 
every means at her disposal to distribute books to the far corners of 
the county: by train, by car, and even on foot. Indeed, a photograph of 
Anne Hadden delivering books by burro has become an iconic image of the 
whole library system.
  Today, the Free Libraries still function under the authority of the 
Monterey County Board of Supervisors. The County Librarian operates 
seventeen branch libraries, two bookmobiles, a library-by-mail program, 
and also maintains collections in schools. Books for all ages and 
interests in regular and large print, books on tape, CD's, DVD's and 
videos, magazines, electronic resources and materials in English, 
Spanish, Korean and Vietnamese are available to the community. The 
libraries also maintain ten homework centers and a literacy program. 
All together they provide services to 220,000 people over 3,250 square 
miles.
  Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the Free Libraries on their 100th 
anniversary and know that I speak for the whole House in saluting them 
on this joyous occasion.

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