“ Her library stands as a silent monument to this woman who dedicated her every moment to its formation.” —Dorothy H. Vera, September 28, 1963 BEFORE THE BOOKMOBILES OF TODAY, THE residents of Monterey County received their literature via donkey power. Anne Hadden, the first director of the Monterey County Free Library system, advocated for widespread access to library services. From 1913 to 1929, Hadden established 126 branches of the library system— located inside schools and even private homes. Hadden led by example, restocking books and maps for far-flung libraries on foot or from the back of a donkey. In its first six months of operation, Monterey County Free Libraries supported 219 “borrowers” at five branches in Greenfield, Spreckels, Salinas, Corral de Tierra and Lincoln School with a catalog of 1,009 books. Anne Hadden FIRST DIRECTOR OF THE MONTEREY COUNTY FREE LIBRARY SYSTEM HISTORIC PROFILE Left: Anne Hadden in Esther Ross's garden on library grounds. She is writing a work paper for the American Library Association (1925). Right: Anne Hadden on a library trip to the coast with staff members (left to right: Mrs. Brunetti, Anne Hadden, Mrs. Bulger, Miss Wadland, June 1920). Photos courtesy of the Monterey County Free Libraries, Marina, CA
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