 Good morning, everyone and welcome to this beautiful day in San Francisco. Thank you so much for coming today Our today celebrating the San Francisco Libraries 125th birthday, we should all be so lucky shouldn't we? I'm Sydney Kohara from KPIX CBS 5 in San Francisco where I anchored the CBS 5 eyewitness news Early edition getting up at 2 30 in the morning, so I'm very happy to see the sunshine out here It's never there when I get up. It is my pleasure to serve as host of this event tonight We have a great program for you this morning Starting of course with some fabulous music from the wonderful archbishop archbishop reared in high school jazz ensemble from San Francisco Under the direction of the great Tom Blount director of jazz studies Thank you so much Tom for bringing this great group here today, and you will hear them a little bit later on as well It's my very great pleasure now to introduce The mayor of San Francisco the honorable Gavin Newsom Thank you all very much for being out here today Got the helicopters watching the protests my kind of day in San Francisco great weather, but windy I'm honored to be here because I'm honored that we have such an extraordinary institution That's really I think distinguished the city and county of San Francisco 125 years Just think of the contributions that our public library system is made in the lives of literally hundreds of thousands of San Franciscans something at times you can almost take for granted But something that I think we should pause and reflect upon and that is the extraordinary cultural competency that Distinguishes this public library system and what I mean by that is 26 now almost Seven branches to this library representing the diverse communities in the city and county of San Francisco What makes this city great? Not good is the diversity of the people that come from all over the world to enjoy this city and to chronicle that diversity To allow that diversity to be disseminated through knowledge through exploration through what this library system offers is Indeed important just think of the collections in the main library behind me Collections offering distinct focus on the contributions the African-american community the Chinese community the Filipino Community the extraordinary International collection we have here at the main the contributions of the Communities represented by the gay and lesbian bisexual Community all again focus in this library system. It is a very proud tradition This library system is a proud tradition in San Francisco tradition that has been fostered and steward by the Extraordinary staff and we would be delinquent and remiss if we did not recognize the great Contribution of our library staff and the great stewardship of Susan in her five years at the helm In my capacity as mayor, I'm afforded opportunities like this to extend just 365 days a year to extend a day Honoring institutions and honoring people today I'd like to do both in honoring again the collective group that represents the commission our Director Susan the staff, but also recognizing the entire system of public library here in San Francisco by proclaiming Today June 7th 2004 not biotech day in San Francisco not not Helicopter day or you know all those other things we have to do But truly recognizing the day that distinguishes this day, and that's the 125th anniversary the founding of our free Public library system in San Francisco Congratulations to all of you Thank you very much mr. Mayor mayor Gavin Newsom for taking the time out of your busy schedule And I just have to let you know I saw him He's got a little cheat sheet with about 15 events that he has to take care of today And he truly is a mayor who takes care of everyone in this city So it really is wonderful that you took your time out to come to this library celebration again Thank you very much And now ladies and gentlemen, we have a very special treat for you giving its blessing today on this fine institution and 125 years the Kalan lion dancers a dance company that honors nature Community and the human spirit through performance is with us today to celebrate with us the 125th anniversary ladies and gentlemen, we are thrilled to welcome Right now. I would like to welcome city librarian Susan Hildred Susan. Well, thank you very much Sydney Mike That is such a hard act to follow my heart is still up here in my throat after watching the ladies of project Vandalup But Sydney, thank you so much for serving as our program emcee, you know I often have to take on that role here at the library myself and in addition to all those other duties I have to do and it's nice to have Sydney here today doing it for us What a special day proclamations lion dancers aerial performers jazz. This is just a typical life Day in the life of SF as we know that and we're so glad that you're all here today I wanted a wonderful day. I wanted to just make you folks aware of a couple special guests We have today. We have Catherine Dodd here from Nancy Pelosi's office, and they've given us a lovely resolution Thank You Catherine Michelle Moss is here from Senator Boxer's office. Thank You Senator Boxer office will be presenting a resolution and a little bit Resolution from our Secretary of State Kevin Shelly So we know that we have free have a number of our library commissioners here today Charles Agarris our president will be with us soon, but we also have Commissioner Helen Bautista here Commissioner Carol's possibly Ken. So thank you for all your support. Thank you for coming today Oaks of this building and I you do you know even though the building was not designed to be a performer Architects Kathy Simon Anthony Bernier and Ben the building are here. So thank you so much for coming There are many people that I need to thank who are here today First and foremost our wonderful sponsor the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library and I'm a check even if we had the money to So the friends are really helping us out today It's through their generosity that we can present events like the ones today They fund our exhibitions programs children summer readings special programs for adults and children in the branches and much more and Right now, of course, they are raising funds to furnish and equip our branch libraries Thank you to the friends and to all of you the citizens who support the friends and the library through your votes Your use of the library and your ongoing support You are all a big part of what makes San Francisco such a special city And I thank you also for being so gracious to me during my tenure here. I really appreciate all the support We you give the library. Thank you so much as some of you may know I have decided to assume a new post in Tucson, Arizona as the director of the library there And I'm sitting here thinking now everybody tells me it's so darn hot there But I can July with a win like this where you can hardly keep your hat on so I'll always remember the wonderful weather here in San Francisco I also want to thank our media sponsors the San Francisco Chronicle and KPI XCBS 5 You have been generous in your support and have helped us enormously in getting the word out about today's program I would especially like to thank Rosemary Roach and the executives at KPI X as well as Jane Tobin Paulette Stracuse and the executives of the Chronicle for making this event possible I would also like to extend special thanks to our longtime friend of the library Phil Frank I I don't think I've seen him yet today But Phil Frank really is a library friend for him and he has done wonderful cartooning featuring the library's 125th anniversary and also even if Frank isn't here someone should ask him Where did he get that model for that old stodgy looking librarian that he used in there? We were afraid he was he was picking one of us here at the library We couldn't figure out who that was but I think he was just trying to create something generic But we really do welcome and appreciate Frank He does a lot for this library and also thanks to city guides for their support through neighborhood history programming in our branch libraries and Guided walks in the surrounding neighborhoods. Please check out our schedules for a full list of activities in honor of the 125th anniversary and also just one last word. Please check out our website www We have wonderful things on there a listing of the exact events and exhibitions We have this wonderful library timeline that shows you a history of the library and what books were bestsellers back in the late 1800s and the early 1900s a Photoscrap book the Farley cartoons and library memories the first one being our wonderful dr. Kevin star in his memory Thank you For all of those who are sharing the podium with me today And particularly mayor Gavin Newsom who made time on a very very busy day here in town to be with us So thank you all again for coming and we'll turn it over to Sydney Thank you very much Susan and good luck with your new position in Tucson. We will miss you here Right now I would like to welcome to the podium mr. Charles Egaris president of the San Francisco Public Library Commission Charles Thank You Sydney What a wonderful day, isn't it? You know, I gladly accept this wind if it guaranteed that we'd also get these cloudless sunny skies, so I Hope you all agree This is an auspicious day not just because 125 years have passed But because it celebrates this into institution as a powerful force in people's lives In my years as a library commissioner What I've been most impressed by has been how much the residents of San Francisco love their library as a native San Francisco I count myself among them and it's no wonder really the library is a welcoming place for all no matter their age their economic circumstance language skill or their country of origin All of them use the library actively to borrow books attend programs collect skills and yes use technology Even people who may not use the library very much or at all Recognize the enormous contribution of a free and public library to a genuinely democratic society We're very grateful for all the support that the library has received over the years and In most recent time by the passage of prop E Which enables the reliable access to the library that we enjoy today and prop a which was passed in 2000 which will be revitalizing our branch library system for another generation of users Among all those who have over the years supported this institution there are of course a number of significant persons Who have done more than their share? In just a few weeks. We will be installing the history of the SFPL in the Larkin Street entrance here to the main library Thanks to the considerable efforts of my fellow commissioner Steve Coulter We will be able to remind ourselves of the significant events and people that have formed this great institution It promises to be truly inspiring It's now my distinct pleasure to represent the Commission in Recognizing one such notable citizen and contributor to the legacy of the San Francisco Public Library Dr. Kevin star we have a resolution here, which I'd like to read. It's brief Whereas the San Francisco Public Library Commission is pleased to recognize honor and commend the many significant Contributions which state librarian emeritus and former city library of San Francisco Dr. Kevin star has made to improve California libraries during his years of service and leadership and Whereas the invaluable civic contributions of scholar librarian Dr. Kevin star a highly respected historian author Journalist and university professor at the University of Southern, California Teaching in its history department and as a noted commentator on current events has significantly enhanced the prosperity cultural economic political and social enrichment of our state and City and well-being of the people of San Francisco the Bay Area and indeed all of California and Whereas the San Francisco Public Library Commission Salutes California State of Librarian Emeritus and former city library of San Francisco Dr. Kevin star as an outstanding exemplar of the high ideals of Professional achievement personal character and community leadership at its regular meeting of June 3rd 2004 therefore be it resolved that the San Francisco Public Library Commission the San Francisco Public Library and its users in recognition and honor of his outstanding and exemplary leadership and Dedicated hard work and in recognition of his designation as the California State Librarian Emeritus Do hereby recognize honor and commend dr. Kevin star Thank you very much. I'll just be very brief first of all the Four nearly five years. I spent a city librarian here in San Francisco or among the happiest of my life you look out this great Plaza and you have a Complete orchestration of what it is to be a San Franciscan with government with the courts with the Asian Art Museum with the library With the great Bill Graham Auditorium a tremendous sense of this marvelous city When my great-grandfather came to San Francisco in 1852 from Ireland There was not a public library. There are many private libraries in San Francisco But not a public library and I think that the establishment of this library in 1879 showed San Francisco coming of age Those of you who saw that wonderful movie the last samurai remember that scene where Tom Cruise is a top Knob Hill Having the having the dinner with the Japanese officials and he comes out on top of Knob Hill And you can see the cable car coming up the city coming up the hill. It was a beautiful shot That cable car was inaugurated in 1873 by Andrew Hality the same person who stimulated the formation of this public library And I think that if you look back in history, you'll see that all great cities have had great libraries All cities want to remember want to inventory wants to store the accumulated knowledge of the human human race We love our libraries we San Franciscans. That's why we support so many of them in terms of our brand system That's why we've been and I'm a San Francisco voter all my life That's why we've been so generous in terms of the propositions to to construct the new library here and the branch libraries This library and the entire library system is available for us throughout our lifetime When we're young, it's available to us in the children's room as we go to school and continue our education It's available to us as we develop our talents in later life and retirement It's available to us as we go back and read those books. We didn't have time to read in in previous Years of our lives. It's a great privilege to get this commendation from my as a fourth generation San Franciscan from my native city as a professional librarian I've had the privilege of being city librarian of San Francisco then which there is no more distinguished and Fulfilling position in the library world. Thank you And what a wonderful day for libraries and for San Francisco. Thank you Thank you very much dr. Starr dr. Kevin Starr Please welcome to the podium now and Damiani from assemblyman mark Leno's office and Morning everyone and welcome. I echo everyone sent sentiments on expressing what a glorious day in san francisco It is I'm actually here on behalf of assemblyman mark Leno Speaker pro tem of the assembly lilin ye and President temporary of the senate the honorable john burton and I've brought a resolution For the library. I want to take a quick moment though to say What an honor it is for me to be here. I moved to san francisco Approximately 27 years ago And one of the first things that I did that make me made me feel Like a real san franciscan and like I really lived here Was that I got my library card and it had my name on it and it said san francisco public library That made me feel great because it really made me feel like I belonged And it was that building right over there in a few years ago Anyway, I'd like to take a moment and read a few passages From this resolution Which states a lot of wonderful things about the library and gives some great history Whereas in 1879 the first free public library opens opened its doors with 5,656 books However, it was a reading room only and a wire fence Protected the tomes from theft by the masses In 1881 the public was allowed to withdraw books free of charge The library grew quickly and soon outgrew the first building The collection moved to city hall in 1887, but the disastrous 1906 earthquake and fire Decimated some 140,000 of the collected 160,000 volumes at the time Whereas the Andrew Carnegie Foundation Assisted the construction of the main library with $375,000 that helped build the main library in 1915 Carnegie donated another 375,000 for assistance with san francisco library's branch system And carnage's contributions are great for great fully acknowledged with a transcription Which still stands inside the main library Whereas the main library continued growing rapidly and reached a half a million books by 1944 To the today the library contains over 3 million texts With approximately one third residing in the main building And the entire system contains 27 facilities and stores over 37 miles of text In various collections. It's pretty amazing And whereas the new main library Offers research and study areas plus an interactive center The public can walk off it can walk in off the street Be on the internet be a high speed hookup and in seconds the library the city And numerous public private and nonprofit agencies have linked together to build bridges in cyberspace Using the library system as the main causeway Now therefore be it resolved By assembly member mark leno speaker pro tempore of the assembly lilin ye And president pro tempore of the senate john l burton That they take great pleasure in drawing the attention of the public to the san francisco public library On the occasion of its 125th anniversary Commend the library and its staff for providing valuable resource services to the community And extend best wishes for the library's continued success And it's signed assemblyman mark leno lilin ye and john burton Susan We are so lucky to have good support from all our legislators in sacramento And i'll just say to all the staff here remember us in those prop 14 applications We have five in there. We want to get at least one, but we are blessed to have good legislators in sacramento. Thank you Thank you very much and i'm yanum Right now i'd like to introduce martin gomez executive director of the friends of the san francisco public library Good morning. Thank you very much sydney. I'll be very brief It's my pleasure on behalf of the friends of the san francisco public library to Sponsor this event for all of you to attend today This is a year-long celebration The friends have been around not quite as long as the san francisco public library. We're only 43 years old But over that time we have been very successful in providing additional support for this library as well as advocacy in the form of new legislation We'd like to invite all of you to become actively involved with the friends of the library. We have membership table to the right There's also commemorative t-shirts that Identify this celebration today with the artwork from phil frank as well as a publication that was produced when this building was Opened called a free library in the city written by historian and local san franciscan peter wiley So what do you do when you have a birthday party? You're supposed to give presents aren't you? Well the friends of the san francisco public library are very pleased today to give the library a very special present Mr. Herrgeros and uh city librarian susan hildreth We'd like to present you uh from the friends of the san francisco public library Now we couldn't wait on this. We're supposed to really give it to you later But we couldn't wait because we hear you're getting out of town. We'd like to give you a check for 725 thousand dollars Thank you very much. Mr. Martin Gomez You know I I have done a number of projects for the san francisco library but it really pleases me to be here because I remember growing up in louisiana and You know you talk about san francisco being a big city It's really made up of so many small neighborhoods the neighborhood I grew up in was one small street a gravel street in louisiana If it wasn't for the bookmobile coming during the summer which really broadened my horizons I figured the only way I'd ever visit san francisco was on my honeymoon and here I am able to live in this wonderful bay area and be a part of this community So the library goes back a long way for me and I know for each and every one of you You know the power of a book right now Project bandaloupe returns performing excerpts from another original piece stories of gravity and transformation Original musical scores for this dance were written by raymond grandland and zachary catatine Please welcome back project bandaloupe