For Larkspur residents, the world's greatest library isn't the Library of Congress with its 32 million volumes. It's the Larkspur Public Library with its great collection of fiction and mysteries, books on everything from World War II history to gardening, travel, and cooking, its vast assortment of books on tape and CD, its cozy children's library, and its comfy chairs for perusing the latest magazines and newspapers. The "World's Greatest Little Library" has been an important part of Larkspur's history and its City Hall almost from the city's beginnings, so it's fitting that the library celebrated the Centennial with a special day.

     The Library Centennial Event on Saturday, May 17 started off at 10 a.m. with a children's program featuring "Walter the Giant Storyteller," who in real life is Walter M. Mayes, a 6' 7" author and advocate of books and stories for kids. Activities included making birthday cards for Larkspur (featuring "Larky," the library's hippo mascot). Cupcakes from Sweet Things Bakery in Tiburon were on the menu.

     Larky, the book-devouring hippo, has been an important part of Larkspur traditions since 1970, when Larkspur and Greenbrae school children were asked to submit names for the library's mascot. With his bright yellow papier-mache head and matching suit, Larky has been seen at many library and civic events, and his sculptured form, by Sally Lindsey, has a place of honor near the check-out desk.

     At the event, the library dedicated a Centennial Bench, placed at the entrance by the Larkspur Library Foundation and Friends of the Larkspur Library, and announced winners of the Centennial Photo Contest:

First Place: Joel Aron for Bill's Barbershop profile.

Second Place: John Hogg for night shot at the corner of Magnolia and Ward.

Third Place: Beth Slye for sunset over Corte Madera Creek.

Runner Up: Wendy Feltham for kids running in the woods.

     All 84 entries can be viewed online here.

     "Accolades for Ancestry," a presentation by the Marin County Genealogical Society, focused on Marin resources for genealogical research, and a member of the Costello family shared research on the family's 100 years in Larkspur.Larkspur's library and its City Hall both owe their creation to a determined group of "founding mothers" who banded together in 1912 to form the Larkspur Women's Club. They set out first to clean up and beautify the newly incorporated city by removing rubbish, installing litter cans around town, and creating Larkspur's first park (now the city parking lot on Magnolia Avenue). Then they promoted a $45,000 bond issue -- $10,000 for a city hall and $35,000 for paving Magnolia and other streets.

     Shortly after City Hall was completed in 1913 (at a cost of $15,100), a committee of the Women's Club led by Belle C. Brown opened a library in a small room on the first floor, stocked with 265 books and a few magazines. According to Larkspur Past & Present, the history and walking guide published by Larkspur's Heritage Preservation Board, the club committee bought and maintained the books and staffed the library for the next nine years. By 1923, when the library was finally turned over to the City of Larkspur, the collection had grown to more than 2,000 books,

     Citizen volunteers have continued to play an important role in the development of the library. Friends of the Larkspur Library, a group of volunteers dedicated to supporting the library, grew out of the Women's Club committee. One of its members, Helen C. Wilson, became the first City Librarian and served from 1932 to 1968 (with time out to serve as city clerk from 1956 to 1961). Mrs. Wilson (no relation to the author) greatly enlarged the library's resources but her dream of a full-fledged library, independent of City Hall, has yet to be achieved.

     A bond issue to build a new library was narrowly rejected by voters in 1976. This defeat, plus the passage of Proposition 13 which threatened to reduce city revenues, led the next year to formation of the Larkspur Library Endowment Fund and Foundation. According to Phillip A. Terry, who at the time was president of the library board of trustees, the foundation was suggested by the late Charles Curley, then a member of the City Council, as a way to provide permanent support for the library. With funds from the foundation, Friends of the Larkspur Library, and the San Francisco Foundation, the library was able to remodel and expand in the 1980s, adding the vaulted lobby and stained glass door that enhanced the historic character of the facility.

     With plans for a new or expanded facility on hold for now, the library has been working to meet demand for special programs and services for adults and children. Library Director Frances Gordon has launched an art lecture series and a book club and is working with the Lark Theater and Book Passage bookstore in the popular Books2Film screening series. The library is also planning to develop expanded access to online resources with added Internet stations. But no matter how much the library changes and grows, its small-town charm will always be one of Larkspur's treasures.

Click here for a complete Centennial Year Calendar.