Coronado Library Lookout

THE CORONADO PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWSPAPER DIGITIZATION PROJECT

2018-09-14T17:43:00.000-07:00

In 2012 we began investigating how we could digitize our holdings of various Coronado newspapers on microfilm. We had newspapers going back to 1887, when Coronado was first being developed, going up to the present. As might be expected, several newspapers had come and gone or had been absorbed into each other, and in one period there was no newspaper at all. All of them had been weeklies. What was certain was using the microfilm reader-printer was cumbersome. Only one person could use it at a time by coming into the Library. While we had been compiling our own index to the newspapers, this primarily covered the recent past, and it left much to be desired. The technology of Optical Character Recognition (OCR) as a keyword searching tool was very tantalizing. The costs, however, of digitizing and indexing our entire collection of well over 100 reels of microfilm was daunting. We insisted on National standards being applied.

We were fortunate to have made contact with and explored our options through the California Digital Newspaper Collection (CDNC) based at the University of California at Riverside. Working with its head, Brian Geiger, we continued discussions through a two year period as we explored financial options. We were supported in our efforts to make this a viable possibility through a bequest from Judith Bond. Judith had been a regular library user and had worked as an archivist at the famous Hotel del Coronado. Her family was supportive of this project, and once we received an estimate from Brian at CDNC, we knew we could have them process 120 reels, covering 1887 through 2013. Grayscale would be used to have good quality reproduction of the newspaper graphics (as good as we could get from microfilm). Before we went any further, the library director Christian Esquevin talked with the publisher of the current newspaper of the Coronado Eagle-Journal. He had started the more recent Eagle newspaper but had bought out the Coronado Journal, which included copyright to that newspaper and several amalgamated papers back to public domain in 1922. It was necessary to get his permission in order to have article-level indexing of the newspapers. Dean Eckenroth had had a long and positive relationship with the director and the Coronado Library and was happy to grant this request.

At this point the Historical Newspaper project involved sending all of our microfilm reels to UC Riverside (these were our back-up duplicates). The reels would be outsourced for scanning and digitizing, and then processed with a proprietary program to index for keyword and article-level searching. This process took a year. Our microfilm holdings represented nine newspapers and several other title changes with over 120,000 pages of newsprint. Extra time was spent in segregating a couple of short-term newspaper publications and in editing all of the results. .All images in the newspapers were included and their metadata indexed.

When the first test results first appeared we were not disappointed. The ability to do searching on the web and find full-text pages and articles from Coronado newspapers was exhilarating. It seemed like time stood still before all the newspapers were completed and the results became available on the CDNC, and with a link from our website. The public response has been tremendous. The project has been covered in the Coronado Eagle-Journal newspaper and use of the newspaper database has been heavy. We hope to extend the same coverage of the newspaper from 2013 through most of 2018, going directly from its digital source to its indexing process at CDNC, and thanks to Dean Eckenroth at the Coronado Eagle newspaper. This project has been one of the most successful and gratifying special projects ever conducted by the Coronado Public Library.

THE SALE OF CORONADO: HISTORIC DOCUMENTS OPEN THE WINDOW

2013-07-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

The sale price of choice individual houses in Coronado can take your breath away. But think about the days when you could buy the entire island for far less than the cost of the cheapest condo in town. The sale of Coronado to Elisha Babcock and Hampton Story is legendary, but ownership had changed multiple times before that. It all started with the last Mexican Governor of Alta California, Pio Pico, who owned the San Diego island as part of a land grant. He set off a chain reaction of sales and purchases after he gave the "Peninsula of San Diego" as it was then called, to Pedro Carillo as a wedding present. Carillo sold it after only a few months of ownership. The record of those various sales and buyers is traced in the very rare and original draft documents currently loaned to the Coronado Public Library. The loan of this archive is made possible through Ralph Bowman, a long established dealer in rare paper documents and historical memorabilia.

The list of owners of Coronado may seem like a list of characters from a Dickens novel; Bezer Simmons; Archibald Peachy; Henry Chauncey, et al, a seeming random list of names without local historical resonance. Yet their back-story is as colorful as any fictional character, and in reality, their stories are intertwined with the birth of the state of California.

Coronado didn't have a name back in 1849. It was just called The Island or The Peninsula of San Diego. Before the big dreamers came, there wasn't much commercial value in Coronado. There were rancheros that were much bigger, and its waters were too shallow for shipping. Carillo sold the island in 1846 to Bezer Simmons, a whaling ship captain living in Maine, for 1000 dollars in silver. Simmons had visited Coronado, or The Peninsula, as did many whalers, when they used the shallow "Whaler's Bight" to careen their ships in order to repair and clean the ship's hulls during low tide.The Bay, as attested to by Richard Henry Dana in Two Years Before the Mast, was also navigated by trading ships coming to get cow hides from the Mission de Alcala, in what was to become San Diego.

The Mexican-American War was being fought then, and Mexico ceded Alta California to the U.S. in the Treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo in 1848, just before gold was discovered at Sutter's Creek.

During the gold rush in 1849 there were expectations that California would become a state. While Coronado (still called "The Peninsula") didn't seem to have many prospects, its location at the entry to the Bay of San Diego made it of potential interest to the U.S Army as a fort, guarding the bay entry along with the old Spanish fort in Point Loma. In these early documents, Coronado was denoted as consisting of "two square leagues" of land, "more or less."

Frederick Billings and Archibald Peachy, named on the 1850 deed, were the principal law partners in HBP in San Francisco, along with Henry Halleck. Billings also happened to be Bezer Simmons' brother-in-law. Simmons, his younger wife Laura, and her brother Frederick Billings had made the arduous trek from New England to San Francisco during the Gold Rush, travelling by ship down the eastern coast and across land at Panama. Laura died soon after reaching San Francisco, from a fever caught in Panama, probably the first woman casualty of the California Gold Rush. Billings met Archibald Peachy in San Francisco, a fellow lawyer. In the wild days of San Francisco they had both been deputized to guard a jail against the local Vigilantes, by no less than future Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman, then in command of the California State Militia. Frederick Billings and Archibald Peachy had become principal law partners in San Francisco, along with Henry Halleck. Halleck had been a fellow lieutenant with Sherman during the Mexican-American War. Their law firm specialized in the tricky but booming business of establishing legal land ownership claims during the transition from Mexican to American laws. Their other specialty was settling suits in mining claims, an even more booming specialty. Indeed, both Billings and Peachy had represented John Sutter (of Sutter's Creek) in different mining claim suits. The partners also made money from having bought the biggest commercial building in San Francisco, the Montgomery Block, where they hired George Granniss to manage the rentals.

Despite his nerdy name, Archibald Peachy was a tall, good-looking Southern aristocrat. He was fond of dueling whenever his name was impugned, a habit he started in college. He dueled with his friend James Blain in 1852, where he prevailed. Much later in 1879 when he had become nearly blind, he challenged California Supreme Court Justice David Terry to a duel, but Terry declined.

Bezer Simmons never prospered in San Francisco. He got deeper in debt and died in 1850, just after transferring full ownership of Coronado to Billings and Peachy to settle his debts.

The land title abstract shows various transactions of sales of portions of Coronado from Billings, and Peachy to various partners. The transaction that Coronado history sources mentions the most is the 1885 sale, where Elisha Babcock, Hampton Story, and Jacob Greundike (soon to leave the partnership) buy all of Coronado ("The Peninsula") for $110,000.

By then, Archibald Peachy had served in the California Assembly and in the California Senate, Frederick Billings eventually returned to his native Vermont, where he became active in the University of Vermont and in the conservation movement. His interest in the academic world is reflected in having indirectly suggested the name of Berkeley be given to the University of California.

Of course Babcock and Story had big plans to build a resort hotel, the Hotel del Coronado, and to develop most of the rest of Coronado into housing and business lots. The name of Coronado itself was decided upon by Babcock and Story. Although they had several names that came in through a naming contest, they ended up giving the Peninsula the name Coronado, after the Coronado Islands (Los Cuatro Coronados) off the coast of northern Baja California. The name was modified in various promotional documents as Coronado Beach, considered a more picturesque name in helping sell lots.

One of the documents in this collection is the folded map shown below. This street map was used for a sales prospectus in 1886-1887. The map shows the original Spanish Bight dividing North Island from the village. This same street map was used with minor modifications through the 1930s. The Spanish Bight was filled in as the North Island Naval Air Base expanded in the late 1930s.

Included in this Coronado archive are various drafts that notaries (historically notaries served as title lawyers) used in preparing the legal documents to transfer ownership of Coronado. in parts or as a whole. These documents could be considered like the manuscript that an author prepared before typing and sending the completed book manuscript to the publisher.

The later drafts specifically mention the Coronado Beach Company, the corporate name of the partnership that developed the Hotel del Coronado and sold lots in Coronado.

Such documents as are part of this archive provide a larger window in which to see the beginning of Coronado in the 19th century. Much has changed in the world, and especially in Coronado, since they were written. It is amazing that these fragile founding documents survive at all. It would be a blessing to have this loaned archive return to Coronado on a permanent basis.

Written by Christian Esquevin

THE BRAVE NEW WORLD OF PUBLISHING

2013-04-18T14:43:00.000-07:00

The traditional world of book publishing has been broken, and we are now trying to figure out how to fit in to this Brave New World. Publishing companies are no longer the independent imprints that literary America grew up with. Publishers such as Viking Press, Harper & Brothers, Doubleday, Scribner & Sons, Houghtin-Mifflin, Harcourt, and Knopf, publishers of the great American novels, fiction and quality non-fiction, have all been swallowed by conglomerates.

These publishers are becoming part of ever larger conglomerates – Random House, which has consolidated Knopf, Crown, Dial Press, Doubleday, Dell, Ballantine, and Delacorte, is now owned by the German company Bertelsman. Penguin consolidated the publishers Dutton, G.P. Putnam, Viking Press, and Grosset & Dunlap. Penguin is owned by Pearson, an English company. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp owns HarperCollins, and Macmillan (who consolidated Henry Holt, Little, Brown and St. Martin’s) is owned by Holtzbrink of Germany. Simon & Schuster is a division of CBS. And now the two publishing giants Bertelsman and Pearson will merge.

While the conglomerates play a game of thrones, readers, authors, book sellers and libraries are buffeted by strong winds of change, winds that are clearing the decks of many players. Although change has been occurring for years in the publishing and retail sectors, the advent of ebooks has added gunpowder to the mix. Ebooks in 2012 accounted for 23% of book sales. and of the 250,000 or so self-published books, a majority of these are now self-published ebooks. With the Barnes & Noble Nook, 25% of sales are from self-published ebooks. Over at Amazon, which has 65% of the ebook market, it is estimated that 30% of ebook sales are those from self-published authors. This represents a huge evolutionary step in self-publishing.

This phenomenon has helped many authors, and may also help libraries in the future. As it stands, the major publishers have been reluctant to "sell" ebooks to libraries. They have changed the rules of the game under which libraries and publishers have operated for 200 years. Although ebooks sell cheaply through Amazon and other sellers, the publishers charge libraries three or four times retail for their ebooks, and they add other restrictions like the number of times libraries can check out an ebook before libraries are obligated to "buy" another one. As for authors, most writers routinely have their manuscript submissions rejected. Of those that are picked up, only a small percentage make a decent advance or regular royalties. Now with the relative ease of self-publishing electronically, authors are by-passing publishers altogether.

Of the 250,000 or so self-published books ( a conservative estimate), a majority of these are now self-published ebooks. The average price for an e-book is now below $8, with many in the $1.99 and $2.99 bracket. Amazon offers its Kindle Direct Publishing service for self-publishing, and Smashwords offers another self-publishing service for authors. The total number of ebooks, self-published or otherwise, will continue to grow.

"Buying" ebooks is actually a misnomer. Libraries (and the public) only lease ebooks. The normal written agreement when obtaining an ebook, spelled out in very long and not very clear legal language, states clearly the terms of this arrangement. Perhaps this may come as a bit of a surprise, but you can't re-sell your ebook as you could re-sell your printed book. The legal doctrine of "first sale," after which you (or libraries) could sell, loan, or exchange books does not apply to digital properties under new copyright laws. Thus the restrictions for libraries on the number of loans.

Behind the scenes, the road to ebook sales by the big six publishers has been bumpy. The publishers wanted to combat Amazon's selling of ebooks at less than what it was buying them for - a practice the publishers thought would erode their sales and revenues. When Apple planned to launch its iPad, it reportedly convinced five of the six big publishing conglomerates (Penguin, Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins, Macmillan, and Hachette) to set up an “agency model” for ebook sales. With this model, Apple would allow the publishers to set whatever price they wanted, as long as Apple got a 30 percent commission. And because publishers had to offer the same contract to all “like” retailers this would apply to Apple and Amazon. The publishers accordingly demanded that Amazon raise its prices. Amazon wasn't happy, so it most likely blew the whistle to the feds. The issue was that if Apple and the publishers had agreed to set a price, this was illegal. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Department of Justice filed an anti-trust lawsuit against Apple and the five publishers, alleging price fixing. The publishers one by one decided to settle rather than to fight this battle in court, and ebook prices dropped back down.

Meanwhile, three bookstores have filed a class action lawsuit against Amazon. In the suit the stores claim they are filing the complaint “on behalf of themselves and all other similarly situated brick and mortar bookstores.” The stores are making the claim that Amazon holds a monopoly on e-book sales in this country, maintained in part by their use of a proprietary DRM (Digital Rights Management) format, and that the big six publishers are complicit with Amazon in establishing contractual terms by which those DRM-based ebooks are sold exclusively through Amazon. Their lawyer stated, “We are seeking relief for independent brick-and-mortar bookstores so that they would be able to sell open-source and DRM-free books that could be used on the Kindle or other electronic ereaders.” This essentially means than having ebooks for sale that aren't restricted to one particular brand of electronic reader like the Kindle.

With reduced profit from the sale of ebooks, some publishers are deciding to get in the game of selling their services to aspiring authors. Penguin now has Author Solutions, a separate entity that sells self-publishing services like marketing, publicity, and even publishing of your book - all for a healthy price. And at Random House, its science fiction imprint Hydra decided to do away with author advances (an initial payment to authors in advance of royalties collected). In this plan, Hydra stated that authors and publishers would share the risk in producing a book and would share in the proceeds. Hydra would take the first cut of the profits to cover its costs and the rest would be split between the author and publisher. After the Science Fiction Writers of America loudly complained, and a shower of criticism was made by authors, the plan was dropped.

Coming along with the increasing numbers of ebooks, and becoming an increasing problem with print books, is how do you discover what is out there and available? Looking for a particular author's book is simple enough, but when you search for new books by topic or subject through a device, how long will your patience last before you just settle on the first few scrolls? With fewer brick -and-mortar bookstores, how do you browse for or find a book serendipitously? Publishers are finding this to be a problem. Discoverability is the name of the game for where and how books and ebooks (or any information sources), are placed in front of a searcher's eyeballs. This will become an increasingly important function for libraries.

With books increasingly becoming digital ebooks, and libraries unable to own them, what will the long term scenario be for archiving books? Paradoxically, the relative ease of preserving digital files will be contrasted by the lack of this being done by anybody. Publishers don't have the mission of preserving even their own printed books, will they care about ebooks that never sold well? The books that Google has digitized over the years, along with research libraries, are print books, not ebooks. Will self-published authors preserve their own works for the long run? Will archaeologists of the future be digging up old e-readers in the hopes of extracting some lost ebooks? The copyright issue is making all these trends murky.

The good news is that digital technology is making it possible for libraries to make easily accessible a variety of special collection documents and photographs, including the contents of historic local newspapers. The Coronado Public Library has its own plans to deploy the Coronado PhotoAtlas project and to digitize over one-hundred years of Coronado newspapers. And we do provide ebooks through the Coronado Library/Serra Library Cooperative Overdrive platform.

Another renaissance is coming for libraries.

WHAT IS A MAP FOR?

2012-06-19T16:59:00.000-07:00

Maps for getting around can be produced in an instant these days, on computers, tablets or mobile devices. And many cars have their own GPS navigation systems. Printed road maps are still plentiful in car bins or side pockets, and occasionally the older ones are bought out of nostalgia. Yet producing the maps of 150 years ago or more took major expeditions and even an Act of Congress. The maps and charts shown or described below, in the Coronado Public Library's collections, are no longer needed to determine your roads or navigate your route, but they are fascinating glimpses into a very changing, and much changed, American landscape. They show the proposed routes of the transcontinental railroad, the tentative boundary line between the United States and Mexico, the wagon roads from El Paso to San Diego, the entrance to the San Diego Bay, and how Coronado looked when there was still water that divided most of it from North Island.

The map and chart above is reproduced in the book Maps of the Pueblo Lands of San Diego, by Neal Harlow and published by the Dawson's Book Shop in 1987. This map from 1782 is based on the expedition of Juan Pantoja Y Arriaga, and is named after him. It is the first reliable chart of the San Diego Bay. It was made when the Mission San Diego and the Presidio were the only large structures in San Diego, although the map also shows the Rancheria de las Choyas in the area of present day Chula Vista.

This important map above was surveyed and drawn to determine the initial boundary between the U.S. and Mexico following the Mexican-American war of 1846-48. It is officially described as:
Topographical Sketch of the Southernmost Point of the Port of San Diego and Measurement of the Marine League For Determining Initial Point of Boundary Between The United States and Mexico as Surveyed by the United States Commission John B. Weller U.S. Commissioner, Andrew B. Gray U.S. Surveyor, agreeably to the decision of the Joint Commission of July 9th 1849, and in conformity with the 5th Article of the Treaty dated at the City of Guadalupe Hidalgo February 2nd 1848.

This hand colored map from 1851 shows the entrance to San Diego Bay with depths shown by soundings in feet. Map has one inset: a general sketch of San Diego Bay and Los Coronados islands. It is officially described as:

J. no. 7 San Diego entrance and approaches, California [cartographic material] : from a trigonometrical survey of the coast of the United States / by R.D. Cutts & Geo. Davidson, Asst., and A.M. Harrison, Sub Asst. ; published in 1851.

This beautiful hand-colored map from 1857 is described as:

San Diego Bay : California / from a trigonometrical survey under the direction of A. D. Bache superintendent of the coast of the United States ; triangulation by R.D. Cutts, asst. ; topography by A.M. Harrison, Sub-Assistant ; hydrography by the party under the command of Comdr. James Alden U.S.N Assist.

It includes fathoms, sailing directions, and information about the tides. Coronado is completely undeveloped at this time. But even in 1857 there was a lot of land speculation, with various land holdings of the Coronado peninsula being owned and re-sold among a group that included Bezer Simmons, Archibald Peachy, Frederick Billings, James P. Bolton, and H.W. Hallock.

This Rand-McNally map of southeastern California from 1884 shows San Diego County stretching to the Colorado River. Imperial County was not formed until 1907.

This San Diego city street map detailed San Diego City, and pinpoints 5th and F Street as the center point of the one, two, three, and four mile radius circles. Map includes Coronado and a very large "City Park" which then consisted of some 1400 acres. It was named Balboa Park in 1910.

Rand, McNally & Co.’s New Business Atlas lithographic Map of California. This map includes California railroads, 1908.

Above is a rare "skeleton map" of the San Diego & South-Eastern Railway showing the Southern Division Main Line with the Sweetwater Branch, formerly the National City and Otay Railway, the Southern Division formerly the Coronado Railroad and the Eastern Division formerly the San Diego & Cuyamaca Railway. It dates from about 1915 during the period when the Railroad was owned by John D.Spreckels. It shows the rail line through Tent City, the Hotel del Coronado Bath House, and to the old Ferry Landing.

This street map of Coronado from about 1923 shows the stability of the street layout in Coronado, drawn from the very beginning of Coronado's development in 1887-88. Of note, however, is that the Spanish Bight still divides Coronado from North Island, and a bridge crosses over it. The Bight was later in-filled with dredged sand, which also expanded a great deal of North Island, southeastern Coronado at the present Golf Course, and Coronado's beaches as well.

For the current Coronado Library exhibit "Westward Ho," the Library also has on display some wonderful large-sized maps including a rare 1853 map drawn showing the proposed railroad routes from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean, and another rare map from 1857-58 showing the wagon roads from El Paso and Fort Yuma through Indian territory to San Diego and the Pacific Ocean. This latter map was graciously purchased for the Coronado Library by the Lee Mather Company and Debbie Riddle. The "Westward Ho" exhibit will be up through June and July, 2012. Several of the other maps have been purchased with funds donated by the Friends of the Library.These maps make fascinating trips through time.

PRESERVATION TIPS FOR PRESERVATION MONTH

2012-04-24T15:33:00.002-07:00

May is Preservation Month, a topic that has become increasingly important over the years. In this blog post, we will outline some of the preservation techniques you could use to help preserve your family records, photos, and memorabilia. This subject will be offered as a program to be held at the Coronado Public Library this summer, scheduled for July 14 at 2:00pm. The information below is a highlight of the information that will be covered and is also offered by a variety of preservation-oriented organizations and institutions.

Family documents and historical memorabilia on paper are widely held but subject to the same enemies everywhere. Water and flooding can make certain inks or watercolors run or bleed. Water can also warp, stain and cause mildew to books and paper. Floods can not be avoided, but it is cautious to store paper-based items away from water-heaters, washing machines, and basements, garages, or walls that can be prone to rain or water intrusion. Mildew can also form on walls that are shaded and prone to getting wet. Mildew can form on the inside drywall in such circumstances and transfer to the spines of books or other papers and fabrics.

Wet photos at the Cornell University Library

Photographs that become wet should be dried individually. Wet photos that are stacked and left to dry naturally can stick together, causing tearing or loss of the film emulsion when separated. This situation is best left to a professional, but it you must separate photos that are stuck together this can be achieved by immersing the photos in a bath of distilled water. When the photos become saturated they can usually be separated more easily (but still carefully). Curling can also take place from either drying naturally, or if the photos are exposed to dry heat. Wet photos that are mounted on card stock or album pages should be removed gently from the pages. Drying photos can be achieved by blotting with paper towels or preferably cotton towels. They can be fan dried or hung on a clothes line (avoid direct sun)but will likely need to be pressed between two clean smooth sheets of toweling with a slight weight on them. Photographic prints began their life in a wet solution so they can take water pretty well if dried afterwards. Distilled water can also be used as a bath if there are debris or soiling from dirt or mud. Wet books should be fanned open and dried with a fan. Other paper can be cotton towel dried flat assuming there is no ink or pigment run-off or bleeding. Institutions that have been subject to flooding will usually use freeze-drying techniques when the quantities of materials is high.

Fragile or important documents should be stored in a container or folder that is acid-free or archival quality. This will keep the documents away from light, which fades pigments and inks and which will also degrade paper itself. Paper items should be unfolded if possible, and paper clips and staples removed to prevent rust staining. Good quality mylar or polyurethane sleeves can be used for many documents as well as photographs. Storing flat is best, but upright is okay if the items are supported so as not to fold over. Photos that are in old photo albums that used card stock pages or self-sticking pages are not in a good environment. Today there are better quality, archival stock albums available. Rare books and important bound documents are best preserved in a wrapper container such as picture below or in an appropriately sized clamshell box.

Folding wrapper for fragile books or documents

Clamshell box for rare books

Very old photographic prints are very fragile. They are best stored separately in an archival folder or plastic sleeve. You should not use adhesive tape on tears as this causes staining and later removal problems. This applies to photos as well as to any paper item. Newspaper or newsprint paper is very fragile and is high in acid content so this type of paper should not be stored touching other paper items as the acid will migrate and stain the other items as well as causing accelerated deterioration. Even in the proper container, family documents, paper, photos, or books should not be stored in damp conditions like in a basement or in the dry hot environment of a typical attic.

Many cherished documents and old photos are framed and mounted on walls for display. Unless light, either natural or electrical, is limited, the items will be prone to fading. Over time, inks or colors will fade until the document is hard to read or the image is faint. It is best to remove the original, digitize or scan it, and display the copy while preserving the original. Old frames and their backing are themselves not archivally safe containers. Paper-based items are also subject to being eaten by silverfish or other bugs. These can get especially bad in garages. Silverfish packets or tablets obtainable at hardware stores can help reduce these pests.

Color photographs are especially prone to fading under light. And the mid-century Kodak color prints have often faded under any storage circumstance. These too can be scanned and displayed if desired. Older black and white photographic prints can also show "silvering" or have clouded area on the print. This is a natural reaction over time coming from the film emulsion that was used. Sepia toning can result from light exposure, but can also take place naturally to older photos. Negatives should be handled and stored under the same conditions as prints - with minimal (or no) touching of the face of the negative. They are best stored individually. Slides can also be stored in plastic sheets with individual pockets. Small photographic prints can be stored in smaller-sized archival envelopes and then in archival boxes made available for the purpose. Photographs, slides, and negatives can be digitized and stored on electronic file devices.

Paper cleaning products are commercially available

Soiled paper documents (and prints) can often be cleaned by using special erasers or gums. This works best on dirt stains. Oil stains or tape stains are best left to professionals to clean. Rust staining or "foxing" is often a by-product of the particular paper-making process used and is often permanent. The same goes for mildew stains.

These book pages show "foxing" stains, usually caused by excessive iron in the water used in the paper-making process.

Textiles are subject to the same enemies as paper: light; water; bugs; and mildew, mold, or framed display. Often they are improperly stored as well. Archival boxes and acid-free tissue or good cotton sheeting is best, with the item stored flat. For very old and historic clothing, normal clothes hangers are not recommended as the weight of the garment will eventually weaken or tear the fabric at the shoulders. Also clothing is prone to damage from food or oil stains, make-up, or cleaning product residue. Moth balls are actually damaging to wool and cedar is almost as bad.

Costume storage at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising Museum

Flat storage for antique costumes or clothing with interior padding in drawers, or in flat archival boxes is ideal. Folding of textiles will cause the fabric to weaken at the crease. Similar storage techniques can be used for antique samplers, embroideries, and flags.

Padded hangers are commercially available that can be used for hanging clothing that is not fragile.

Various suppliers can provide specialty products for storing documents, papers, photos, and other memorabilia. Some of the ones that supply libraries and archives (and individual customers) are:

Hollinger Metal Edge

University Products

Archival Products

The Library of Congress also has a Frequently Asked Questions" about preservation on their
website, along with other useful information, see: LOC FAQs

Your heritage and legacy is important. Protect it while you can or seek professional advice or referrals from libraries and museums.

A YEAR OF ANNIVERSARIES - 2012

2012-03-08T15:29:00.001-08:00

This year is a big year for commemorating historic anniversaries. While every year has its share of special anniversary dates, 2012 has several historically significant ones. The Coronado Public Library has many resources for you to view images or films and read interesting books about these special anniversaries. We had already mentioned in our last blog the 50 year anniversary of the Navy Seals and the Coronado Library's special collection of books on special operations. Here are some of the anniversaries:

The War of 1812 - 200 Years Ago:

The War of 1812, a war between the United States and England, occurred 200 years ago. The war saw many see-saw battles and events, including the burning of the White House, but it was famous for the sea battles involving the U.S.S Constitution, nicknamed "Old Ironsides." The ship was involved in several successful battles with British ships during the blockade. It was victorious in the battle with HMS Guerriere depicted above. The Battle of New Orleans was another famous U.S. victory. The war lasted two and a half years.

Map of the War of 1812.

The Birth of Charles Dickens - 200 Years Ago:

Charles Dickens was born February 7, 1812, at Landport in Portsea, England. He was the second of eight children born to John and Elizabeth Dickens. Charles had a happy childhood until he was 12, which changed when his father was sent to Debtor's Prison, soon followed by the rest of the family except Charles. He became a journalist as an adult and soon began writing stories and novels. Hi books are classics of English literature and are still read avidly today. Among the best known are: The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, Sketches by Boz, Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, A Christmas Carol, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, A Tale of Two Cities, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood.

1912 - 100 Years Ago:
Two significant events occurred in 1912, one tragic one wonderful. The Girl Scouts USA was founded in March 12, 1912 in Savannah, Georgia. The other event was the sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912.

Tutankhamen's Tomb - 90 Years Ago:
Englishman Howard Carter found Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt on November 5, 1922. This was by far the best preserved and most intact Pharaoh's tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings. Carter and his group found Tutankhamen's nearly intact tomb. News was spread around the world, which subsequently sparked a classical Egyptian influence in jewelry, fashion, art and decorative objects. Exhibitions of artifacts from his tomb have toured the world including the U.S.

Tutankhamen's burial mask at the Egyptian Museum, Cairo.

The Battle of Midway - 70 Years Ago:
This naval battle is considered the most important naval battle of the Pacific Campaign of World War II. It had been only six months since Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. Between June 4 -7,1942, one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea, the United States Navy defeated the Imperial Japanese Navy and their attack against the Midway Atoll. Military historian John Keegan called it "the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare."

Navy Douglas SBD Dauntless airplanes at the battle of Midway.

The Battle of Midway was also the first naval battle in which opposing ships were beyond sight of each other. The airplanes from the opposing aircraft carriers carried the battle, fighting each other and with the enemy ships.

Chart of the Battle of Midway

Space Flight of the Mercury Friendship 7 - 50 Years Ago:
John Glenn made America's first orbital flight on February 20,1962, piloting the Mercury-Atlas 6 Friendship 7 spacecraft on the first manned orbital mission of the United States. He circled the Earth three times.

Astronaut John Glenn exits the Mercury spacecraft.

Cuban Missile Crisis - 50 Years Ago:
In August 1962, Cuban and Soviet governments began building bases in Cuba for a number of medium-range and intermediate-range ballistic nuclear missiles capable of striking the United States. President Kennedy and the U.S Armed Forces responded by deploying U.S. Naval forces to form a blockade of Cuba in October 1962. U.S destroyers and frigates intercepted not only merchant shipping en route to Cuba, but also Soviet submarines, while Navy aerial photographic and patrol aircraft monitored and enforced the blockade. These actions led to
a negotiated agreement with the U.S.S.R. and thus averted a possible nuclear war.

On a more cheerful note, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released 75 years ago.

Walt Disney's Snow White was the first animated feature film, which premiered in Hollywood on December 21, 1937. Before its release it was often considered "Walt Disney's Folly." The rest is history.

Find out more about these events at the Coronado Public Library.

FIFTY YEARS OF NAVY SEALS and ACT OF VALOR

2012-02-09T15:06:00.003-08:00

In January of this year, 2012, the U.S. Navy SEALs (SEa, Air, Land) had their 50th anniversary. While the commemorations were mostly low-key, a variety of recent events have made for much news coverage and a plethora of books and movies being produced about the legendary SEAL Teams.

Image from Act of Valor

Before the establishment of the SEALs, the Navy developed UDT (Underwater Demolition Teams) as a means of special warfare. As explained in an article by Lieutenant James J. Ritter:

"Early in 1943, the U. S. Navy not only lacked hydrographic information on enemy beaches from the three-fathom curve inshore, but it also had no knowledge of heavy fortifications which had been built by both the Germans and Japanese in and near the beaches suitable for amphibious operations. The necessity of breaching these fortifications resulted in the formation of Naval Combat Demolition Units—NCDUs. Their primary mission was to demolish any obstacle that would hazard landing craft. It was initially envisioned that this job could be done almost completely by working on the beach during low tide with covering naval gunfire support overhead. In practice, however, there was not sufficient time to complete the assigned tasks. Worse, the personnel were often exposed to devastating small arms fire from the beach defenses. After D-Day at Normandy, the NCDUs were reformed into larger Underwater Demolition Teams and transferred to the Pacific to assist in the island invasions against Japan."

Members of the Navy's Underwater Demolition Teams are shown above
off the coast of Borneo during the WWII Battle of Balikpapan in 1945

UDT in Korea, 1950.

The establishment of the SEALs came later, as explained by the Naval Special Warfare Command Public Affairs Office:

"In response to the demand for a maritime special operator, Chief of Naval Operations, Adm. Arleigh A. Burke authorized the creation of the first two SEAL teams Jan, 1, 1962. SEAL Team 1 was established in San Diego, Calif. to support the Pacific Fleet. The team was established under the command of Lt. David Del Giudice. SEAL Team 2 was established in Little Creek, Va., to support the Atlantic Fleet. SEAL 2 was under the command of Lt. John Callahan. These first two SEAL teams were commissioned with a complement of 10 officers and 50 enlisted men taken from the ranks of the Navy's Underwater Demolition teams who made their mark in World War II and Korea investigating and removing all obstacles, both natural and manmade from beach landing locations."

Shortly after establishment of the teams, the inaugural class of Navy SEALs took to the jungles of Vietnam for reconnaissance, ambush, captures, raids, POW recovery, and other innovative and offensive efforts to disrupt Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army operations and infrastructure. The teams were among the most decorated units in the Vietnam War."

The modern world has seen ever-increasing uses for the techniques of special operations, and the SEALs in particular, from hostage rescues to the elimination of terrorist leaders. Many books have been written over the last few decades about special warfare. The Coronado Public Library has been working jointly with retired Navy SEAL and Special Warfare historian Roger Clapp to develop a special collection of books about special operations and the Navy UDT and SEAL teams in particular. Because of the SEAL training facilities in Coronado, this has been deemed to be of particular relevance. New acquisitions for this collection have been funded by the Friends of the Coronado Public Library. Currently the Coronado Library has some 145 books on special operations covering various branches and time-periods. See the book list here.

Author and retired Navy Captain George Galdorisi.

Co-author of the book novelization of Act of Valor, George Galdorisi, spoke at the Coronado Library on Friday evening, February 17, 2012. Capt. Galdorisi, USN ret'd, talked about the book and his involvement along with Dick Couch, author and former SEAL in this project. He has previously spoken at the Coronado Library on combat search and rescue and his book, Leave No Man Behind. This will be a very special occasion and should be a very popular event.

A Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewman (SWCC) assigned to Special Boat Team (SBT) 20 navigates a rigid-hull inflatable boat while SEALs from a West Coast based SEAL team board a yacht for a scene in the upcoming film Act of Valor. U.S. Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Kathryn Whittenberger

The movie Act of Valor has been four years in the making, which included documentary style film-making with Navy SEAL training operations. The film was produced and directed by the "Bandito Brothers," Mike “Mouse” McCoy and Scott Waugh, and distributed by Relativity Media. Several scenes were filmed in Coronado and North Island. as well as in many other locales. Nine active duty SEALs were used along with actors. Written publicity about the movie, states: "An unprecedented blend of real-life heroism and original filmmaking, “Act of Valor” stars a group of active-duty Navy SEALs in a powerful story of contemporary global anti-terrorism. Inspired by true events, the film combines stunning combat sequences, up-to-the minute battlefield technology and heart-pumping emotion for the ultimate action adventure."

Having seen the movie, I can attest that it is a very emotional and heart-pumping experience. It also is rare in a "Hollywood" movie to frame the action based on how the SEALs involved would actually have conducted themselves in a real operation. And the scenes are filmed on location rather than in front of a blue screen with backgrounds filled in by computer graphics. It's a unique movie and one that truly conveys acts of valor.

Scenes from Act of Valor above and below.

THE CENTENNIAL OF NAVAL AVIATION COMES TO A CLOSE

2011-12-29T09:45:00.000-08:00

The Coronado Public Library concluded 2011 commemorating the Centennial of Naval Aviation (CONA), an anniversary that it had observed throughout the year with special exhibits, lectures, programs, film-showings, and other special activities. Such a year-long series of events had not seen its like at the Coronado Library since its own centennial in 1990. The commemoration was especially significant for us due to the number of groups and institutions that were drawn together to plan the San Diego and Coronado-based observances. And the planning meetings were hosted by the Coronado Public Library. Planning began in late 2009, with the U.S. Navy eager to enlist local institutions and organizations to help expand the promotion of CONA throughout the region.

The Library Exhibit Gallery with the model of the Curtiss A-1 Pusher on loan from
the San Diego Air & Space Museum.

The Navy had already established a CONA Task Force when the Coronado Library began planning an exhibit to commemorate the Centennial of Naval Aviation. We established contact in 2009 with LT. Kevin Ferguson of the Task Force, and subsequently with Capt. Rich Dann, the Naval Aviation history expert on the Centennial Task Force. Since the Coronado Public Library had only a very small collection of artifacts and photographs covering Naval Aviation, we also made contact with the San Diego Air & Space Museum and the U.S.S. Midway to inquire about possible loans of artifacts. Learning that the Coronado Historical Association was also planning a special exhibit, a local "CONA Committee" was formed consisting of the Navy Task force representatives, the CHA with Susan Keith and Susan Enowitz, Karl Zingheim the Historian for the Midway, and representatives of the S.D. Air & Space Museum. We were very fortunate to have Doug Siegfried, archivist for the Tailhook Association, to not only join the committee, but to volunteer his time to the Library to provide his expertise on Naval Aviation history. He also offered to loan material from the Tailhook Association and from his own collection for our exhibit.

It is customary for the Library's exhibits to run for two months at a time, each with a completely different theme. Karl Zingheim suggested at one of our early meetings that we run the exhibit all year long in 2011, this because the Centennial observance was lasting all year. Since unlike a museum we have frequent repeat users and visitors, we felt we needed to change the exhibits periodically in order to hold interest. The story of Naval Aviation over 100 years is very complex, and we could see how six exhibits, each lasting two months and covering a different chronological time period in the 100 year span, would be needed to do justice to the achievements of Naval Aviation. But this now made it even more challenging for us to plan for and to borrow artifacts and to find images and to place them in context, while at the same time presenting a narrative history of Naval Aviation. We would also need to describe the importance of each individual object, document, or photo.

As planning continued in 2010, vital new players joined in the Library-based meetings. Library Trustee and retired VADM. Ed Martin, who had headed the national commemoration of the 75th Anniversary of Naval Aviation, joined in. Lloyd Parthemer and the Naval Helicopter Historical Society came aboard, eager to tell the story of helicopters in Naval Aviation and with exhibit materials to loan. Ret'd Capt. Jim DiMatteo of the 100th Anniversary of the Naval Aviation Foundation also joined, an important player in planning major CONA celebratory events here and across the country. City Council Member Mike Woiwode, a retired Naval aviator, served as liaison to the City Council. Major Kendro, USMC, joined in , and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary was represented by Angie Ginn.

Candice Hooper at the Library began methodical plans to lay-out six time periods and to borrow the items and images necessary to do justice to the compelling story of Naval Aviation. She formed several important relationships with private donors to borrow precious family artifacts and documents, and likewise with the curators at the San Diego Air & Space Museum for the loan of significant artifacts. Another vital group was enlisted, the San Diego Chapter of the International Plastic Modeler's Society. Candice attended their meetings and recruited members to loan or make scale-models of significant historical aircraft. The members became enthusiastic supporters and provided the volunteers for a Make-and-Take model event at the Library. And to complement the exhibits, programs were planned such as documentary and movie showings, author talks and lectures, and other events. The Library also made arrangements to bring in a travelling exhibit of WW II era original paintings depicting scenes of Naval Aviation from the Naval Heritage and History Command in Washington D.C. With support of the many parties, and especially with the help of Doug Siegfried, the six Library exhibits were planned: The Birth of Naval Aviation and its Early Development, 1910-1922; Naval Aircraft Go Around the World, 1923-1941; Naval Aviation in World War II, 1942-1945; The Navy and Aircraft Manufacturing in San Diego; New Challenges for Naval Aviation, 1950-1975; and Naval Aviation in the Modern World. Each exhibit had its own timeline of historical events told in text and pictures. The Naval Helicopter Historical Society also contributed a video screen with an on-going slide-show of historical helicopter images.

The meetings held at the Library served as a vital conduit of information to the various entities planning events. The meetings also served at a crucial time to emphasize the importance of having a public celebration of the centennial at North Island itself, where Naval Aviation began one hundred years previously. Thus the Navy planned an Open House for February 12, 2011 at Naval Air Station, North Island. As planning for this major event became a reality, other entities joined, including Naval Region Southwest MWR, Coronado Mainstreet, the Coronado Chamber of Commerce, the Coronado Tourism Improvement District, and the Coronado Police Department. Meanwhile, LT. Kevin Ferguson was replaced by LT. Harriet Johnson on the Task Force and as liaison to the committee.

The Open House held at North Island with its spectacular aerial review and static aircraft display was attended by tens of thousands. Thousands more viewed it from aboard the Midway and around the bay. The Library's exhibits were among the best it has ever had and were seen by hundreds of visitors. The Library programs too brought an added dimension with their diversity and range of presentation types and subject specialties. As the centennial year progressed, the U.S. Navy was very pleased with the support it garnered from all of these organizations in celebrating the anniversary. The year is reviewed in the slide-show below. It was a great year, and Coronado and the San Diego region can be proud.

ART IN THE CORONADO LIBRARY

2011-11-30T14:10:00.000-08:00

Art graces a public library, where all may come to enjoy the artworks freely as they use the library for a host of purposes. Being surrounded by art brings these pieces into close contact with our everyday world. This not only adds culture to our endeavors as adults, but puts youth in regular contact with art as well. While some people may come to the Coronado Library just to tour the building, the art does not need a dedicated visit to be seen - it is part of the Library's host of services. Over the decades the Coronado Library has been given, or has acquired several notable pieces of art. These include the Donal Hord sculpture of The Mourning Woman, the Donal Hord-designed tapestry The Fruits of the Earth, the "Village Church" pastel by Alfredo Ramos Martinez, the War Hounds watercolor by Arthur Beaumont, the "Hotel del Coronado Boathouse" by Monty Lewis, the "Wizard of Oz" glass portal, and several others. None of these is more famous or more artistically significant, however, than the murals painted by Alfredo Ramos Martinez for the La Avenida Cafe.

The 48 feet long El Dia del Mercado mural by Alfredo Ramos Martinez

The fresco mural El Dia del Mercado (Market Day) is a major work of art by one of the preeminent Mexican artists of the 20th century. Ramos Martinez spent many years studying art in Paris at the turn of the last century, in the company of artists such as Picasso, Matisse, and Braque. He then became director of the National Academy of Fine Arts in Mexico City, where he launched a national "open air" art education program that counted Diego Rivera, David Siqueiros and Rufino Tamayo among its students. He was proficient in several styles of painting but ultimately rejected these in favor of an indigenous style that reflected the rural scenes of his native Mexico.

Alfredo Ramos Martinez was commissioned to paint the fresco murals for the La Avenida Cafe in 1938. He was already 74 years old, having come to the United States seeking intensive medical care for his young daughter. Ramos Martinez painted five murals at the La Avenida Cafe in different rooms. Three of the murals survived, and the story of how two of them were saved, moved, acquired, restored, and installed at the Coronado Library is more fully told in The Story of the Ramos Martinez Murals

The Canasta de Flores mural

In brief, the murals were painted on plaster that were part of several walls in the restaurant. After the restaurant closed the walls were slated to be torn down. At the 11th hour the three surviving murals were removed in sections from the restaurant and ultimately separated for various reasons. The largest mural, the 48ft. long El Dia del Mercado was first offered to the Coronado Library, but due to a lack of space to mount it, was donated to the City for future use. One large mural was sold. Years previously, the smaller mural had been wallpapered over, and was only found by accident by new La Avenida owner Gus Theberge. This mural, the still life Canasta de Flores, was also put up for sale after significant restoration by Nathan Zakheim. After securing the El Dia del Mercado mural, the Coronado Library used a bequest from June Muller to fund its extensive restoration.

As part of the Coronado Library building expansion and renovation planning, the installation of the El Dia del Mercado was given primary consideration. Separately, the Canasta de Flores mural was up for sale in Los Angeles and was on the verge of being lost to Coronado. The Friends of the Coronado Library came to the rescue and made a significant investment by buying the mural for installation in the remodelled library. The story of these combined projects can be told in the following pictures:

The Alfredo Ramos Martinez murals at the Coronado Public Library are a rich legacy of Coronado's past. They have found a permanent home thanks to the dedicated support of many people who made the current Library building possible, where they anchor many other fine works of art.

The City of Coronado has launched a new Cultural Arts Commission. That Commission will liaison with the Coronado Library as it establishes its mission and develops its programs and activities. We look forward to more opportunities for art to flourish in Coronado, and to enrich the surroundings and programs of the Coronado Public Library.

CORONADO LIBRARY IS ONE OF THE BEST

2011-11-14T11:30:00.000-08:00

The recent National Citizen Survey conducted of Coronado residents was very positive about how highly Coronadans view their city and its services. These results have already been reported in the media. Nonetheless, we would like to brag a bit about how the Coronado Library fared, since this information could be overlooked amidst the many other statistics. The public's opinions about the Coronado Public Library rank it among the very top city libraries surveyed across the nation. Consider these opinions and findings provided by Coronado survey respondents:

* 98% of respondents considered public library services good or excellent, and of those, 74% considered library services excellent.

* The 98% "excellent or good" rating for the Coronado Library placed it the second highest (Number 2) of the 245 cities included in the National Benchmark.

* The Coronado Library ranked the highest (Number 1) of the 31 cities in the "resort city" National Benchmark.

* The Coronado Library has been used "much more" than the national comparison benchmark, ranking Number 27 among the 177 benchmark cities.

We are very fortunate to have many positive factors working for us at the Coronado Public Library. We have tremendous community support, a dedicated staff and volunteers, vital financial support from the Friends of the Library and private donors, the dedication of the Library Board of Trustees, and the support of the Mayor and City Council. Thank you all.

WHY DOES A PUBLIC LIBRARY MATTER IN TODAY'S WORLD?

This question pops up in the media and in conversations. Sometimes the assumption is that they don't matter - that libraries have been replaced by the vastness of the Internet and the immediacy of social media. From our point of view, and in seeing how libraries are used, we see things differently. Yesterday or today, public libraries are a public good. They are one of the anchors of a viable community. This debate has actually been around for the last 15 years - but still people come, and they still find something very special and very unique about their public libraries. One reason is that the people who work in libraries are committed to them, and are committed to helping the people that come through the library's doors. Today, the personal service found here is far more endangered than libraries. Where else will you find someone to help you navigate not only the library's collection, but the world wide web itself? The library is a portal. It is not just a library goal that we hold the best thinking of the best minds from centuries of knowledge on our shelves. Today we extend the reach and the grasp of that knowledge through our electronic connectedness to vast resources scattered around the world. Such knowledge and information may be in print or it may be in electrons. The point is that we are here to help you navigate the path to find it. And digitization not only takes us far and wide - it helps us explore, preserve, and disseminate our own local and community heritage. Libraries will become more and more relevant because of these factors.

So a public library is used for its friendly staff and its organized collection and and for providing access to knowledge and library materials freely. At the Coronado Public Library, we also offer a range of special cultural programs such as lectures, concerts, film showings and exhibitions. We offer story times for toddlers and pre-schoolers, crafts and reading programs for teens and tweens, Summer Reading Programs for youth, unique events like the Mother-Daughter Tea, Harry Potter Day, and Winnie-the-Pooh Birthday Party. We hold a Summer Festival of programs, and host the Holiday Store Front Animated Window. We celebrate the centennial of Naval Aviation. We are graced with a beautiful building that generations have helped to develop. We have art - some of it like the Ramos Martinez murals - is world-class. We believe that the Coronado Library building and its interior furnishings and fixtures should attract people, and it does. Here you can have free wireless access, you can read or study at a well-lit table in a quiet area, you can study alone or in groups after-school, you can come with your family for a program, or you can come by yourself and enrich your mind. As long as today matters, as well as yesterday and tomorrow, the public library should be here to help make things better.

Christian Esquevin, Director

The Coronado Library: a path to your potential.

The Alfredo Ramos Martinez mural at the Coronado Public Library