History of the Lindsay Branch Library

A free reading room was established in Lindsay in Dec. 1909.  The reading room was open from  7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Edward Treutlein was the first custodian. The room rented for 10 dollars and was financed by “entertainments, dues and subscriptions”.  A Tulare County Library deposit station (a place where patrons could pick up and deposit County library books) was placed in the reading room in July, 1910. On Sept. 16, 1910 the Lindsay Branch Library was established as the third Branch Library in Tulare County.

In 1911, the Lindsay Branch moved to the Owl Stationary Store on Honolulu Street.  It moved again in 1912 to the Toothaker-Seegmiller Building.  And then in 1913, it found a more permanent home in a room which was added on for it, in the Women’s Club Building .  A weekly story hour was started in 1926.

Then, in 1934, Lindsay applied for a new library building to become a CWA (Civil Works Administration) project, sponsored by the Lindsay School District. The school district provided funds, the city donated the site, and the CWA contributed labor and material. The library was built for $10,000 and opened in 1934.

Lindsay’s new Branch opened in 2008.