Pasadena Central Library Turned 95

The Central Library as it looked shortly after it officially opened for visitors, circa 1927-1928 (Photo – PPL collection @pdhc2019)

February 12 is an important date in American history because it’s on this date in 1809 that Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, was born.

By Young Phong

California and a few other states have made Lincoln’s birthday a legal holiday, and for many grateful students and government employees, it’s a day to relax or to participate in festivities celebrating Lincoln’s life and presidency. For the Pasadena Public Library and the City of Pasadena, February 12 is also important for another reason. It’s on this date in 1927 that the Central Library was dedicated and opened its doors to the people of Pasadena, who had supported its construction and who were “so broad of mind and so public-spirited as to visualize this library building.”

Opening the new library on the anniversary of Lincoln’s birthday was only fitting for a public institution that stands for the ideas and values that Lincoln supported and, in many ways, embodied. An avid reader throughout his life, Lincoln believed in the transformative power of reading and valued books for how they can empower the individual with knowledge. The dedication of the Central Library on February 12 was in essence a tribute to a great man who loved and valued books and all that they represent,

Originally published on February 2017 on the Pasadena Library’s Blog. This article has been edited for clarity and length.

Pasadena Central Library is currently closed pending seismic retrofit (Photo – cityofpasadena.net)