Originally appeared in the 12/95 issue of Off the Shelf

"Libraries, being a product of, and functioning solely for the public, are a result of public demand and flourish accordingly."-- The Piedmonter and Bulletin, 1932.

This statement aptly describes the growth of the Piedmont Avenue Branch, which was established in 1912, in response to the needs of the community. The original Piedmont Avenue Branch was at 3975 Piedmont Avenue, near the present Wells Fargo. The location was determined in part by its proximity to residences, schools and transportation, including the nearby Key Route connecting the area with the ferry pier and San Francisco.

The new branch librarian was Miss Ruth L. Terpening, formerly the assistant in the Children’s Room of the Main Library. Miss Terpening’s advocacy for children was evident in a 1914 request for children’s books. In her request, Miss Terpening related the story of one child who was not visiting the library as frequently as before because she had already read all of the books. Her request to the library administration concluded &quotyou will understand this plea for the children, won’t you?"

In 1914, 28,000 books were loaned to patrons of the Piedmont Branch. By 1918, circulation had increased to over 45,000, and in that year, the library rented adjacent space to alleviate the crowding in the one-room branch. The use of the branch grew until 1931 when the need for a larger facility was evident.

In November of 1931, the Library Board sought approval from the City Council to enter into an agreement with S.M. Greenwood of 249 Montecito Avenue who would build the present branch at 160 41st Street. Mr. Greenwood leased the property to Oakland for a period of five years, with an option for another five years.

Oakland architects Miller and Warnecke designed the building strictly for library purposes. Berkeley general contractor Harry E. Kane built the branch at a total cost reported as less than $6,000. The new library opened to the public on March 8, 1932 with 500 new books added to the 7,000 volumes which had been moved from the old branch location.

The building then, as today, consisted of two main reading rooms, one for adults and one for children, and a third room with additional shelf space. Early photographs of the library feature the well-lighted rooms, including the Adult Reading Room with a large arched window to the south. The fireplace in the Children’s Room, not used today, ensured a cozy atmosphere for young users of the library.

The branch continued to serve the community during the war years and a routine report from the Piedmont Branch librarian to the Chief Librarian evokes a sense of time and place to readers fifty year later.

"The August of 1945 was filled with such tremendous events, such shattering implications for the future, that to write a report filled with such small concerns as our’s and to label it, too, August 1945, seems almost presumptuous. Throughout the early days of the month, the whirligig of time seemed to spin faster and faster, and one felt as if one were always three paces behind the last event but one. Oddly enough, however, in spite of atomic bombs, Japanese surrenders, and extra holidays, the circulation went up, not down; and more books went out this August than last."

The report goes on to describe changes brought about by the end of World War II, including temporary residents returning their library cards before returning home and former borrowers with time once again to read.

In the mid-70s, the transfer of ownership of the library building to a savings and loan company created concern about the future of the branch. Neighborhood representatives expressed concern about the possibility of the library being demolished to make way for parking for a new savings and loan office on the corner of 41st and Piedmont Avenue. Today, Oakland leases the branch from Citibank.

The local Friends of the Piedmont Avenue Branch actively supports the branch by raising funds to purchase equipment and materials. They also worked for the passage of Measure O.

The Piedmont Avenue Branch today carries on the traditions established in the branch’s early years by providing children’s programs and other services tailored to the needs of the community and patrons of the branch. The branch has story hours for children and serves the senior community through large print books and books-on-tape.

The Piedmont Avenue location is still highly accessible and, while it is one of the two smallest branches in Oakland, it is the fourth busiest.

- Winifred Walters

(Please note that this story may not reflect current staff assignments at this branch.)