Photographed by A. W. Barker of Ottawa, Kansas, likely before 1900

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.

Early life

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

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

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

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 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.Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  2. 1 2 3 "Miss Crawford - 26 Feb 1938, Sat • Page 2". The Times: 2. 1938.
  3. 1 2 "Inez Crawford, City Librarian Taken by Death - 26 Feb 1938, Sat • Page 1". The Times: 1. 1938. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  4. 1 2 "First Librarian". San Mateo Public Library. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  5. ↑ "Here's a break for delinquent library patrons". San Mateo Times. March 13, 1930. p. 1.
  6. ↑ Okker, Willa (December 12, 1929). "Sentiment quite lowbrow in choice of literature". San Mateo Times. p. 7.
  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.
  8. ↑ Library, California State (April 1913). "Second district meeting". News Notes of California Libraries. 8: 268.
  9. ↑ "Necrology". Bulletin of the American Library Association. 32 (12): H363–H366. November 1938. JSTOR 25689565.
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