SPOTLIGHT: Carmel Public Library Foundation

Beyond Books. The Carmel Public Library Foundation supports an extensive collection of historic artifacts.

By Agata Popeda

The Carmel Public Library opened in 1928, in the era when Carmel was establishing its bohemian reputation. It was a year after the Carmel Art Association was established, and two years before Sunset Center was built, as a school. The main branch, Harrison Memorial Library, was named after California Supreme Court Justice Ralph C. Harrison, who was a member of The Bohemian Club in San Francisco.

The library is supported by an ambitious nonprofit, the Carmel Public Library Foundation, which fosters knowledge of the library’s collections, archives and treasures. The mission of the foundation is “to keep the library open, relevant and thriving and to ensure free library service in perpetuity by providing funding for 100 percent of the books, materials, programs, equipment and services.”

There’s more to it than materials. The foundation hosts regular evening lectures as part of the Henry Meade Williams Local History Lecture Series.

Every season comes with an absolute cherry-on-top of a long list of splendid guests, often literary stars. This spring it will be Susan Orlean, a staff writer at The New Yorker and author of The Orchid Thief.

These events are not only literary in nature; they are deeply rooted in local history, from music to architecture to personalities. Vince Emery has lectured on Jack London, Upton Sinclair, Mary Austin, Robinson Jeffers, George Sterling and Sinclair Lewis, using the writers’ own words, handwritten manuscripts and other items from the library collection to illustrate the surprising stories of these authors.

Many of the artifacts came from the Carmel Public Library’s own collection, in the Henry Meade Williams Local History Room. The foundation’s Big Idea for Monterey County Gives! is to bolster this effort of preserving cultural artifacts, historical documents and local histories, “building a bridge to future generations.”

“Libraries have always been more than just places to borrow books,” Foundation President Marci Meaux wrote. “They are hubs of lifelong learning, centers of exploration, and gateways to opportunity. Our library serves everyone in our community, from toddlers learning their ABCs to adults seeking lifelong learning opportunities and everything in between.”