The Library: The Latter Days



Overcrowding in the Library, 1975
Courtesy of Sonoma Public Library



The Petaluma library collection continued to grow and thrive. By the late 1950s, the library was already feeling the strain of space limitations. Shelving was added again and again to accomodate the ever-growing collection, reducing the space for reading and study until it became clear that Petaluma had outgrown its beautiful Carnegie library. Concern for the fate of the building kept residents from passing the bond measure that would fund the construction of a new library building. Petalumans did not want to see their beloved library demolished. It wasn't until 1973 (Kortum, 1988) when the city promised to retain the Carnegie building and find a suitable use for the space that the bond measure finally passed. The new library opened in July 1976 and the doors of the Petaluma Free Library closed, but not for long. The community interest in the fate of the Carnegie building was reflected in the city's decision to name the preservation of the building as its major project to celebrate the country's bicentennial in 1974. Through the efforts of the committee and major community fundraising, Petaluma's Carnegie Library building was reopened as the Petaluma Historical Library and Museum, which remains a vital institution within the community today.