The Carnegie Library

7/12/1879

Pitt's school district has a library of two hundred volumes, while Dixon district has but nine - not nine hundred volumes, but nine.

4/1/1885

--Mr. Thos. E. Kennedy, statistician, who is engaged in collecting material for Bancroft's history of California, is in town, and will probably remain for several days. His object is to interview all the old citizens and pioneers, with a view of obtaining from reliable sources, all the early incidents in the history of Solano county. Mr. Kennedy informs us that of the 39 volumes which are to make up Bancroft's history of the western half of the continent, fifteen are ready for delivery, and the remaining volumes will be published and issued at the rate of four per year, until the entire number is completed. This work will unquestionably rank as the standard history of all those state and Territories of which it treats, and no

library will be complete without it.

1888/06/30

The Free Public Library - The general committee appointed to consider the feasibility of establishing a free public library, met in the Baptist church last Friday evening to hear the report of the subcommittee. A basis of action was reported as follows: A committee of seven was suggested, consisting of M. Dudley, H.E. McCune, S.G. Little, H. Eppinoer, Peter Timm, N.B.S. Coleman, and A.B. Story, whose duty it is to solicit subscriptions.

The conditions of the subscription are: 1st. The library is to be controlled by an incorporated Board of Trustees. 2d. The library is to be conducted on the plan usual in lending libraries and reading rooms, with a view to the intellectual improvement of the community, and in accordance with the principles of good order and morality. 3d. The use of periodicals is to be free to all in the building who will observe the rules of the library. 4th. The privilege of borrowing books for home reading shall be restricted to members who pay the current support of the library at the rate of 25 cents per month. 5th. The Trustees shall arrange a constitution and by-laws in accordance with the foregoing,

11/1/1891

Another Library Scheme. The public library proposition, that oft-mooted subject, has taken on a new

phase. This plan has been proposed and seems to meet with favor. As it is now definitely known that the

old Academy building will be occupied as a Union High School, at an early date, it has been suggested

that one of the extra recitation rooms be secured and an association be formed, in which a membership

may be secured by the donation of a standard book or books, or a cash equivalent. The contribution of

one book will work no hardship on anyone, and in time by this means a valuable reference library may be

gathered, to be used by the citizens of Dixon and vicinity and the students and to which access may be

had during school hours. This scheme admits of many modifications and improvements, but something

of the kind will probably be undertaken during the winter.

05/01/1892

--Notice has been received from J.W. Horn, manager of the Parmalee Library Association, announcing

that the Dixon library is on the road from the East and will arrive next week. It will be established at the

TRIBUNE office in the Hall block for the present. --J.W. Horn, manager of the Parmelee Library Co., was in town Monday and set up the library for which he

was soliciting subscriptions some weeks since. The library has given perfect satisfaction to all of the

subscribers who have examined .it. Tile books are well bound and the selections good. We commend the

Parmelee plan to all communities not already having a public library, as it is the best substitute for a free

library that we know of.

1/1/1893

--One hundred volumes were added to the town library this week. The money devoted to their purchase was part of the proceeds of an entertainment held nearly ten years ago for the

purpose of starting a library fund. Mrs. S.F. Shaw who was the custodian of the fund, made the purchase and placed the books in a case with the Parmelee library for the present. When

the two-year subscriptions have expired therewill be a nucleus of 400 volumes with which to start a public library.

1893/06/01

[Baptist Church] A Needed Institution. To the Editor--Sir: By your permission I wish to call the attention of the community to the purpose of the Baptist Church to establish a free library and reading-room. For many years this has been talked of by the people of the town, and once or twice some effort has been made to secure funds for this purpose, but nothing in the way of results has been accomplished. The absence of anything of the kind and the manifest necessity for it, should lead every one of our citizens to

hail with enthusiasm any effort looking to this end. On last Sabbath our church voted to raise a sufficient amount of money to build an addition in the rear of the present building, forty-six by seventy-one feet. This addition will contain five rooms, a lecture room, thirty-three by forty-six feet; a reading-room, seventeen by twenty-six feet; a gentlemen's parlor, twelve by

seventeen feet; a ladies' parlor, eighteen by twenty-four feet and a kitchen. The gentlemen's parlor and reading room will be kept open all the time. The parlor will be provided with fire-place, bath room, combs, brushes, towels etc., while the reading room will be provided with a fire-place, daily and weekly papers, magazines, hooks, writing material, etc.

The ladies' parlor will be used by the ladies as they see fit. Ladies can come to the reading-room, get books or papers, take them to their parlor and read in quiet. The kitchen will be made to do service on social occasions. The lecture room will be used for various purposes. We will want now and then a lecture from prominent men whom we may secure. We shall want also a literary society, composed of young men and young women, to meet once a week for improvement in debate, composition, reading and declaiming. And ,once a week we shall hold a special religious service for young men. Thus I have outlined briefly the purposes of the building. The erection of this building will cost about four thousand dollars. One member of the church has agreed to give one-fourth of the amount, and we have two subscriptions of five hundred dollars each. In fact, nearly three-fourths of the money has been pledged. A part of the other fourth I wish to accrue from the citizens of the community. May I now express the hope that I shall meet with a liberal response. I know that the time are hard, but we must do something for the social, moral and intellectual interest of our boys or they will be much harder. Very truly, W.T. Jordan, Pastor Baptist Church

1905/02/01

[Women's Improvement Club: Organized in 1905. Instrumental in securing legislation

and funds to establish the Andrew Carnegie Public Library and later established a park

fund to develops a city park adjoining the library.

02/17/1906

FOR PUBLIC LIBRARY. A meeting of the Women's Improvement Club is called for next

Wednesday afternoon at the club rooms in the Mayes building when the public library

question will be debated.

05/03/1907

---The New Traveling Library has arrived at the Dixon Pharmacy. These books are free

to citizens of Dixon and vicinity. Fines will be collected at the rate of five cents a day if

books are kept out more than fourteen days. S.E. Morse, librarian.

04/01/1908

---As the Ladies' Improvement Club seems just at present to be out of a job, so to speak, we would suggest that they interest themselves in the matter of securing for Dixon a Carnegie

Library. Other towns as small as Dixon have succeeded, and a library is needed here and would be used and appreciated by the citizens. But we need somebody to take the initiative and

who or what body would be more suited to the work than the Ladies' Improvement Club. A nice brick library building erected, say on the corner lot facing Mr. Schulze's store, would be

very convenient, and would add greatly to the appearance of the town.

06/1/1911

It is now generally known that the Supervisors have ordered an election for July 1st, to decide whether

the High School district shall be also a Library district. The speakers Saturday evening will endeavor to

show why it should be a Library district and how we can have a Library with small burden to the City of

Dixon.

The residents of the Dixon school district are becoming quite enthusiastic over the proposition to

establish a high school library district, and to have a Carnegie Library building erected for the

accommodation of the library. The residents of the Dixon school district are becoming quite enthusiastic over the proposition to

establish a high school library district, and to have a Carnegie Library building erected for the accommodation of the library.

1911/07/01

VOTE FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARY TO-DAY. It Will Be An Up-Lift To The Entire Community.

1912/01/01

January – 1912 H.W. Bessac, Editor

The Carnegie library is beginning to look like a certainty, as the trustees of the Dixon Union High School

district, who are also trustees of the library, have engaged an architect to draw the plans, and expect to

begin work in early spring.

03/01/1912

Our suggestion last week that the proceeds of the annual May day festival be turned over to the

Womans' Improvement Club for the purpose of buying books for the new library, seems to have struck a

popular chord.

Headlines - April 20, 1912:

The New Library. The New Grammar School.

1913/02/21 LIBRARY BUILDING DEDICATED. (Feb.21,1913)

The Women's Improvement Club had charge of the exercises, and had invited several prominent men

from Sacramento and elsewhere to be present and deliver addresses, but only one, Mr. Ed Leeke, was

able to be here. Following the speaking refreshments were served.

The building, which is a very beautiful edifice, was the result of the efforts of the Women's Improvement

Club, who secured the donation from Mr. Carnegie. Mrs. O.C. Schulze, who so generously donated one of

the most valuable lots in town on which to locate the building, is entitled to the gratitude of the citizens

of the town.

The Women's Improvement Club will meet in their new quarters in the Library building next Weds afternoon.

1913/04/19

Another photo shown in this edition is the new Carnegie Library.

1917/06/01

(Front page of June, 5 edition shows photos of new grammar and high schools and the library.)

3/1/1918

HOME GUARDS DISBANDED. After paying a bill or two, the $170 in the treasury will be turned over to the

Red Cross Chapter. The beautiful flag, given by Dr. L.P. Hall, will be placed in the Library for public and

school uses, that being the donor's wish.

11/01/1922

a Carnegie library with a present value of $30,000

08/01/1930

---In order to enable Miss Florence Eggert to get ready to go back to University of California for another

year of preparation for teaching, Mrs. Eggert Rohwer is in charge of the library. Miss Della Eggert, regular

librarian, now taking a summer course at Riverside, will not return for two more weeks.

12/1/1939

Library Checked Out Three Thousand Books One Month. Rotary knows more about Dixon library since

Miss Mary Hitchcock, librarian, spoke at the Wednesday noon luncheon. There is now a more varied

request for books, The pick-up in reading here has been in line with more reading generally. In the past

ten years reading throughout the United States has increased over sixty per cent. Lack of employment

due to depression has turned many thousands to reading; new political and business problems have

called for more study; movies have stimulated interest in books, the showing of "Wuthering Heights" in

Dixon being followed by fifteen requests at the library for the Bronte novel. There are 900 book

borrowers in the Dixon area. There are 7,000 books in the library, and around 3,000 are annually

borrowed from the county and other libraries. Miss Hitchcock said that the book still in most current

demand here is "Grapes of Wrath."

12/1/1940

DIXON LIBRARY - Mary Hitchcock