PARK BRANCH, SFPL

1909 - present

The Unique History of “Branch No. 5”

• The Harrison Branch, 720 Harrison Street • The Phelan Branch, 4th and Clara Streets• The Phelan Branch was destroyed in the

earthquake of 1906.

• Funded by a gift of $30,000 from James D. Phelan, Mayor of San Francisco 1896-1906 • Opened October 29, 1909• Designed by McDougal Brothers• Neo-Classical style • 8,825 square feet• Expansive Reading Room with two oval skylights

Park Branch, The New #5

The Park Branch Library1910-1911

• 115,775 Volumes Circulated• 15 Circulations per item

• 2,044 Patrons library cards issued

Park Branch’s Near Misses• In April 1953 the San Francisco Department of City Planning published the Report On a Plan For the Location of Public Libraries in San Francisco. The Park Branch building was deemed “obsolete and out-of-the-way”. • The City Planning Department recommended closing the building at 1833 Page Street and relocating it to the corner of Haight and Masonic Streets. • The new building was to be named “The Buena Vista Branch”.• In 1982 the Park Branch was slated for closure when an attempt was made to consolidate resources and create “supermarket” libraries. Public outcry saved 10 branch libraries, including Park Branch.

The History of the Haight-Asbury District1800 - 1900

• 1800s: Farmland• 1883: Completion of the Haight Street

Cable Railroad

• 1880s: Day-trip and vacation destination for the middle-class• 1890s: Development and sale of residentialhomes marketed to middle-class families with children

The History of the Haight-Asbury District1800 – 1900 (cont’d)

The History of the Haight-Asbury District1890 – 1910: The Boom Years

• 1890-1910: Further residential development.• 1900: Census indicates that most dwellings in the Haight were occupied by middle class married couples with children.• By 1910: Almost every piece of land in the Haight was developed.

• The Great Depression: Many families lost their homes or did not have money for

repairs. • Affluent families left the Haight for newer,

up- and-coming areas of the city. • By 1939: The City’s Planning Department

haddeemed 15% of the buildings substandard.• 1939 – 1945: Single-family homes subdivided, dwellings doubled• 1950s: The Beatniks arrive

The History of the Haight-Asbury District1920 – 1960: Years of Decline

The History of the Haight-Asbury District1960 – present: Resurgence

• 1960s: Students come to the Haight • 1964: The hippies have landed • 1967: Summer of Love• 1980s: Revitalization as the counter-culture became a draw to tourists and homeowners• 1990s: Gentrification

• The counter-culture lifestyle continues to attract tourists.

• Housing and rental prices remain high. • Many young families with one or two

children live in the neighborhood. • Families tend to move out as the children grow and need more space.

• The streets and parks are home to many residents of the Haight.

The Haight-Asbury District Today

• Many residents who settled here in the 1960s continue to live here,others have been priced out by climbing rental rates.

The Park Branch Service PopulationDemographics

• Population29,696 in 2000 32,000 projected by 2010

• Age of Population57% Ages 30-6427.8% Ages 20-297.5% Age 65 or older3.4% Ages 5-142.5% Age 5 or younger1.8% Ages 15-19

• Ethnic Make-up76% Caucasion7% Asian7% Hispanic7% Other

-Based on 2000 Census Data

The Park Branch Service PopulationDemographics (continued)

• Languages Spoken• English 82.6% • Spanish 4.4%• French 2.6%• Chinese 1.7%• German 1.3%• Russian 1.2%

• Family Finances• Median Family Income $66,554• 3% Unemployment* • 10% of Families are Below the Poverty Line*

• Largest Employers• University of San Francisco – 1,805 jobs • University of California San Francisco – 1,400 jobs • St. Mary’s Medical Center – 2,000 jobs • University of California San Francisco Medical Center –

data unavailable

*Data may not include homeless population, which is difficult to survey

-Based on 2000 Census Data

The Park Branch Service PopulationEconomic Data

The Park Branch Service AreaHaight Street, the Business District

• The Upper and Lower Haight’s Businesses Include:• Clothing Stores Tattoo Parlors• Shoe Stores Piercing Salons

Record Stores Jewelry StoresLiquor Stores RestaurantsHead Shops BookstoresCoffee Shops HotelsBike Shops BarsSmall GroceriesBoutiquesHair Salons

Belvedere Montessori PreschoolHaight Ashbury Cooperative Nursery SchoolWhitney Young Child Development CenterUniversity Childcare Center (UCSF Preschool)

Grattan Elementary SchoolJohn Muir Elementary School New Traditions Elementary School

Lycée Français La Perouse (Middle and High School)

Urban High School Ida B. Wells High School

The Park Branch Service AreaSchools

The Park Branch Service Area Service Organizations

Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco, Ernest Ingold Clubhouse Food Not BombsHaight Ashbury Free ClinicHaight Ashbury Neighborhood Council Recycling Center, Native Plant Nursery, & Garden for the

EnvironmentHaight Ashbury Psychological ServicesHuckleberry HouseLarkin Street Youth Services (LSYS) Referal Center

Talk Line Family Support Center

The Park Branch Service PopulationCommunity Groups

• Alamo Square Neighborhood Association • Cole Valley Improvement Association (CVIA)• Cross Cultural Family Center• District 5 Dog Owners and Guardians • Grattan Playground• Haight Ashbury Improvement Association• Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council (HANC)• Haight Ashbury Street Fair & • Haight-Divisidero Neighbors and Merchants Association• Hamilton Family Center• North of Panhandle Neighborhood Association (NOPNA)• Panhandle Residents Organization Stanyan Fulton (PROSF)• Waller Street Associaion

The Park Branch Service PopulationHospitals and Universities

• Hospitals

• University of California San Francisco Medical Center • Saint Mary’s Medical Center

• Universities • University of San Francisco (USF) • University of California San Francisco (UCSF)

The Park Branch Today

2007 – 2008 By the Numbers• 124,379 Volumes Circulated• Circulation up 14.83% from 2006 - 2007 • 5,703 Active Patrons Registered at Park Branch• 30,370 Items In the Collection • 26,547 Questions Answered• 94,646 Reading Room Visits • 10,223 Attendees at Storytimes and Lapsits (September ’07 – June ’08)• 672 Attendees at 19 Summer Events for Children (Summer ’08)• 1,172 Attendees at 19 Programs for Adults

Programs For Children and Teens• Two Family Storytimes for children each week• One Infant Lapsit for children each week• Outreach services to Preschools• Extensive programs for children in the summer months including:

• Yoga • Cooking• Crafts and Stories • Visits from animals• Magic Shows

• Writers’ Corps Teen Poetry Open Mic

The Park Branch Today

The Park Branch Today

Programs For Adults• Second Tuesday Open Mic with hostDiamond Dave Whitaker• Rock history programs with author Richie Unterberger six times a year

Recent Special Events for Adults• Photo display and visit by photographer Lisa Law, author of Flashing on the Sixties, Fall 2007• 40 Summers of Love ’n Haight art and print media exhibit, August – November 2007• SF Tape and Music Center panel and discussion, Spring 2008

The Park Branch of the Future

Branch Library Improvement Program (BLIP)• Remodel the Park Branch Library’s interior while maintaining its historicappearance• Update the Library’s spaces and furniture to provide accessibility for all patrons• Expand the number of computers for children, teens, and adults• Create staff work areas• Refinish and reupholster historic furniture• Refurbish community meeting / program room

The Park Branch Team