Inez Mabel Crawford (August 16, 1869 – February 1938) was a prominent socialite in Ottawa, Kansas who moved to San Mateo, California, and worked for many years as the first city librarian and head librarian of the San Mateo City Library.
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Early life edit
Inez Mabel Crawford was born on August 16, 1869, in Ottawa, Kansas, the daughter of Levi Russell Crawford (1834–1897) and Inezette J. Kalloch (1847–1928).[1] She had two brothers, Clarence and Ralph.[2]
Career edit
Before moving to California, Crawford was the first president of Ottawa Federation of Women's Clubs,[3] and the first registrar of the General Edward Hand Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.[1]
She was the first city librarian and head librarian of the San Mateo City Library in San Mateo, California for 27 years from 1911 to 1937.[4] As librarian, she reduced fines for late returns[5] and adjusted her book acquisitions to the tastes of the community, including romances for the women of the community and adventure novels and mysteries for the men.[6] Beyond her duties as librarian, she also worked towards the passage of a local bond issue that increased the size of the library by a factor of three.[4]
She was a member of the American Library Association, California Library Association, California Book Plate Society, San Mateo Business and Professional Women's Club,[1] and California Artists' Society.[2] She was one of the local "notables" who founded the San Mateo Historical Society in 1935, using her library as its first meeting place.[7] She served the California Library Association as president of its second district[8] and became the chairman of the Art Section of the San Mateo Woman's Club.[1]
Personal life edit
She moved to California in 1908 and lived at 216 Monte Diablo Ave., San Mateo, California.[1]
She died in February 1938 and is buried at Highland Cemetery, Ottawa, Kansas.[2][3][9]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e Binheim, Max; Elvin, Charles A (1928). Women of the West; a series of biographical sketches of living eminent women in the eleven western states of the United States of America. p. 35. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c "Miss Crawford - 26 Feb 1938, Sat • Page 2". The Times: 2. 1938.
- ^ a b "Inez Crawford, City Librarian Taken by Death - 26 Feb 1938, Sat • Page 1". The Times: 1. 1938. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- ^ a b "First Librarian". San Mateo Public Library. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
- ^ "Here's a break for delinquent library patrons". San Mateo Times. March 13, 1930. p. 1.
- ^ Okker, Willa (December 12, 1929). "Sentiment quite lowbrow in choice of literature". San Mateo Times. p. 7.
- ^ Postel, Mitchell P. (Spring 2010). "San Mateo Historical Association: 1935–2010" (PDF). La Peninsula: The Journal of the San Mateo Historical Society. 39 (1): 20–22.
- ^ Library, California State (April 1913). "Second district meeting". News Notes of California Libraries. 8: 268.
- ^ "Necrology". Bulletin of the American Library Association. 32 (12): H363–H366. November 1938. JSTOR 25689565.
