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The Ella McClatchy Library turns 74

By Shradha Singh, Staff Writer

Most people who hear the words “McClatchy library” may immediately visualize the library situated within our own school, complete with its newly updated technology and stained-glass lion. But hidden within the crowd of houses on Poverty Ridge is another library, similar in name, smaller in size, but just as rich in history.

The Ella K. McClatchy Library branch is located in a small residential house in midtown Sacramento. Built in the 1900’s by Northern California architect Rudolph Adam Herold, it was home to the McClatchy family, including Charles McClatchy, supervising editor of the Sacramento Bee and the namesake of C.K. McClatchy High School.   His children, Eleanor and Charlotte, donated the house to the city of Sacramento in 1940 to become a library as a memorial to their mother Ella McClatchy.   Originally, the library was focused on providing reading material for young people and was dedicated almost entirely to McClatchy high school students.  Since the 1950’s it has served the general public within the Sacramento Public Library system.

On November 15th, the Ella K. McClatchy Library hosted an open house in celebration of its 74th anniversary in the library system. Complete with food, crafts, and music, it opened its doors to all who wished to participate, whether they were Friends of the Library, or first-time patrons who wandered through the doors. Tours of the facility included a visit to the spacious second floor that was renovated in 2013.

The branch, though not that well known, is still quite active in the community. It is host to the Tolkien book club, which meets every Second Saturday in the afternoon, as well as the Neighborhood Knitters who meet every second or third Thursday of each month. The branch even has a sunroom, in which one can find books and crafts for sale, not to mention a rich collection of borrowable books ready to take any avid reader’s imagination by storm. And with a nice quiet space and comfortable couch upstairs, what’s not to love?

The Ella K. McClatchy Library is located at 2112 22nd Street. For a more complete listing and information regarding the library, its events and/or its book collection, please visit www.saclibrary.org and look for the Ella K. McClatchy Library.

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