| The Palo Alto History Project |
| The College Terrace Library 2300 Wellesley Avenue |
| College Terrace Library: The Smallest Branch on the Tree An editorial in the Palo Alto Times in September of 1925 asked the question that has been at the heart of library politics in Palo Alto for more than 80 years: "Will it be of greater value to the residents of this and other outlying sections of the community to have branch libraries than it will to have the same amount of money devoted to the building up of a better central library?" Eventually, Palo Alto went with the branch system, supporting 5 separate libraries --- a downtown branch, the Main Library on Newell Road, the crowded Mitchell Park branch, a special Children’s Library originally donated by Lucie Stern, and tiny College Terrace. It has given Palo Alto a diversified system, but almost everyone agrees that none of the branches alone are adequate for a city that is 65% college-educated. Still, those who argue for the branch system, treasure College Terrace Library, the smallest of the Palo Alto libraries. It is a quaint little neighborhood library that recalls an earlier age. Literally standing in the middle of Wellesley Avenue, the College Terrace Branch has been in this location since 1936. Originally, it was built to serve the residents of Mayfield --- the part of South Palo Alto that had been recently annexed. But it has not grown much since those early days. Today it resembles the kind of carefully selected, worn book collection you might find in a mansion home more than a state-of-the art public library. Still, the library is treasured by the local community as a place to meet friends, grab a new best-seller or even check out a DVD. But in recent years, it has seemed that College Terrace’s days might be numbered. In 2004, Library Director Paula Simpson and City Manager Frank Benest proposed building a full-service main library and closing the Downtown and College Terrace branches. Their supporters argued that none of Palo Alto’s five branches match the full- service, state-of-the-art city libraries next door in Mountain View or Menlo Park. The City Council eventually rejected ending the branch system and protests and bitter feelings against closing libraries were so strong that many feel it was the reason for Simpson's eventual resignation. College Terrace also survived attempts by different city managers to close the branch in 1969 and again in 1978. College Terrace survives --- admittedly with limited hours and staff --- but is much beloved. As one local said, “It’ s an institution recognized by all as the heartbeat of the Terrace. A place for the young and the old, rich and the poor, educated and uneducated. It is a cultural institution, a gathering place for children, and is one of the reasons we bought into the Terrace." -Matt Bowling |
| Palo Alto: Then & Now |
| The College Terrace Library |
| Library volunteers sing outside the library |
| The map below shows the locations of the Palo Alto libraries |
| 1956 |
| 2006 |
| The playground on the western side |
| A rather worn-out looking sign |
| The library sits in the middle of Wellesley Avenue |
| The library from the back |
| City Manager Frank Benest outside City Hall |
| Links: College Terrace Library http://www.city.palo-alto.ca.us/library/about/collegeterrace.html |