Alameda County Library - Timeline

Timeline

• 1910 The Alameda County Library Department was organized as part of the Oakland Free Library. San Lorenzo opened as the first Alameda County branch.
• 1911 Irvington, Newark and Niles branches established.
• 1913 Albany branch opened.
• 1914 Dublin branch established.
• 1918 Board of Supervisors established Alameda County Library; contract with Oakland ends.
• 1920's Jail Service began.
• 1948 Bookmobile put into operation.
• 1964 Publication of the Henderson Report which recommended the Library's current organizational structure including the proposal that the systems' central library be located in Fremont. Alameda County Library Advisory Commission established by ordinance.
• 1965 Opening of the Union City branch.
• 1966 The Libraries of Alameda County, Contra Costa County, Alameda City, and Richmond formed the East Bay Cooperative Library System (this system would develop into the Bay Area Library Information System).
• 1970 Dublin moved to its new building on Village Parkway.
• 1971 Main Spanish language collection bought with federal funds. Fremont Main opened in September, dedicated in November. Irvington branch building, which moved to a new building in April, was destroyed by fire in November.
• 1972 Irvington branch reopened.
• 1973 Audio Visual Collection established with revenue sharing grants.
• 1974 Centerville closed by fire; half of the collection was saved.
• 1976 Centerville reopened in their new building.
• 1977 Bay Area Library & Information System (BALIS) formed.
• 1978 All libraries closed at the end of June because of Proposition 13 funding decrease. Branches reopened for circulation in August (except Niles and Irvington which opened later).
• 1980 Jail services reestablished in November.
• 1983 New Newark Library opened.
• 1984 Budget for library materials reaches $1 million.
• 1985 Library received John Cotton Dana Award for "Know How" campaign.
• 1986 Library received John Cotton Dana Award for Picture Books campaign.
• 1988 Circulation exceeds 3 million items. Library won John Cotton Dana Award for the Local Support Project.
• 1989 Fremont Main Library moved to 2400 Stevenson Blvd.
• 1991 Albany Library awarded $2,599,393 grant from the 1988 California Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act toward the construction of a new library.
• 1993 State shifted property taxes to cover Stage budget deficit resulting in a 40% reduction in County Library revenues. Library open hours and staff were reduced by approximately 50% as a result.
• 1994 New Albany Library opened at 1247 Marin Avenue.
• 1995 Public access to the World Wide Web available at Fremont Main, San Lorenzo, and Union City Libraries funded by the State Infopeople Grant. Castro Valley's workstation was funded by community donations.
• 1996 Provided a gateway to the Internet through the Library's on-line public access catalog (OPAC). Established an independent Alameda County Library Foundation with the goal of seeking donations from businesses and individuals to enhance library services. Received a three-year grant for $221,000 from the Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund through the Alameda County Library Foundation to enhance and improve the Adult Literacy Program.
• 1997 Introduced CD-ROMs for checkout at all branches.
• 1999 Pleasanton withdraws from the Alameda County Library and forms a City library.
• 2003 New Dublin Library opens at 200 Civic Plaza.
• 2004 Castro Valley is awarded 13.9 million dollars in bond funding to build a new replacement facility.
• 2006 Free wireless internet access is added throughout Alameda County Library Branches.