History of the Library

Monterey Park Library Timeline

The following are important dates in library history:

• February 1929: The Monterey Park City Council established the Bruggemeyer Memorial Library to provide public library service for the people of Monterey Park. Previously, there was a small collection of books in the Ramona Women's Club, which was on the corner of Baltimore and Garvey.
• March 28, 1929: The first library building opened its doors at 256 W. Garvey, where St. Stephen's School is now located. It was a gift from Judge Mancha Bruggemeyer in memory of his first wife Roberta Pauline Bruggemeyer. Her portrait can be viewed in the library's Special Collections Room. The first librarian was Mrs. Helen (Nell) Thomas, who later became the second Mrs. Bruggemeyer.
• January 27, 1947: A telephone was installed in the library.
• May 2, 1948: The library celebrated its redecoration and expansion and honored Judge Bruggemeyer, who had recently moved back to Monterey Park from Redlands.
• 1958: The City of Monterey Park passed a bond measure to build a new library.
• July 7, 1960: The new library at 318 S. Ramona (present site) was dedicated. At that time there were 47,000 volumes in the building.
• 1980: The new addition was added to the library.
• January 1984: January, 1984: Literacy for All of Monterey Park (LAMP) program begins. The free literacy program helps people of all ages learn to read and write English in small classes and one-to-one sessions with tutors. As of 2021, the program has trained 4261 tutors to work with 19,473 adult learners. Tutors have donated 295,276 instructional hours to this effort. If you translate that into dollars at minimum wage, the volunteer tutors have contributed $4,133,864 to the community.
• 1987: The library's circulation system was automated.
• April 1993: 1993: LAMP begins citizenship classes for the American citizenship test and interview. As of 2021, about 2,150 people received their citizenship.
• Fall 1995: The library's catalog was automated. The Bruggemeyer Memorial Library became the first public library in the U.S. with a CJK catalog. It allows people to look up Chinese, Japanese, and Korean in the vernacular in the catalog. The library also has menus to allow direct searching in English, Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish.
• January 2, 1998: The library has Internet access for the public via an LSTA InFoPeople grant administered by the California State Library.
• February 4, 1998: The library conducts internet classes for the public.
• March 1998: The library staff officially receives the Leonard Wertheimer Award from the Public Library Association in recognition for "outstanding work that enhances and promotes multilingual and/or multicultural public library service."
• April 14, 1998: Monterey Park residents votes to pass Library Tax Measure C. This tax measure will fund a 13,000-plus addition to the library, Sunday afternoon hours, a new roof for the 1959 addition, and increase the library materials budget by 83%.
• September 13, 1998: The library starts Sunday afternoon hours from 1 to 5 p.m.
• 2002: The California State Library awards the library close to $8.9 million to expand and renovate the library. the Library Foundation starts a successful campaign to raise more than $480,000 to use as part of the required 35% match. They end up raising more than $600,000 for the expansion. The rest of the match comes from Measure C, library trust funds, and the City of Monterey Park.
• 2004: Construction starts on the renovation and expansion. The library moves offsite to a warehouse on Monterey Pass Road and the Service Clubhouse.
• 2005: Library Board and City Council vote to change the library's name to the Monterey Park Bruggemeyer Library.
• September 9, 2006: The library reopens at double its former size complete with 65 computers for public Internet access, four group study rooms, and three meeting rooms.
• 2007: Artist Kent Twitchell completes the four murals in the Children's Room depicting characters from children's literature.
• 2011: Artist Ricardo Mendoza completes mural over the west entrance to the library.
• 2016: LAMP begins offering passport services.
• 2016: The library upgrades to 1gbps high-speed internet.
• 2017: The library offers Chromebooks for in-library checkout. The Chromebook bridges the digital divide by providing access to quick and easy-to-use laptops for homework, research, and learning.
• January, 2020: The Library launches free 3D printing services including one free print a month and monthly workshops on how to use free computer-aided design programs (CAD) to create 3D designs.
• 2020: The library partners with the Recreation and Community Services Department to offer home delivery service to residents ages 60 years and older and disabled residents who are not able to physically visit the library.
• 2020: Construction of solar panels in the parking lot begins. This renewable energy project provides a projected cost savings of $2.4 million over the next 25 years, offers shaded parking, and reduces the city’s carbon footprint.
• 2021: The library eliminates overdue fines. This removes financial barriers and expands access to the community.
• 2021: The library begins offering Wi-Fi hotspots to check out. These devices bridge the gap in the digital divide by providing access to a free and reliable internet connection for students, parents, teachers, and anyone working or studying remotely.