1880
One out of 5 U.S. voters can't read
June 3, 1909
Nokomis Club holds its first meeting with six ladies in attendance at the home of Mrs. J.B. Williams as a social and book club
March 25, 1927
Nokomis Club votes to create a community library, advertises in "Kirkland newspaper" for book donations & receives 400+ books
October 29, 1927
Club leases "the little building next to the post office" on the west side of Leary Postmaster & Landlord H.S. Reed donate the 1st month's rent of $10
October 29, 1927
1st Redmond Community Library opens its door
Nokomis Club ladies volunteer as librarians
1930-1933
Redmond City Council meetings are held in the library at the Grand Central Hotel
February 12, 1933
New library building is dedicated at 3rd site
(land presented to Nokomis club by Mr. & Mrs. A.N. Brown for this purpose)
March 1, 1933
Library opens its doors at the 3rd site, today’s Chamber of Commerce Building.
1941
ALA determines that 35,000,000 citizens are without good library service
1942
King County Rural Library District established
June, 1942
ALA formulates the wartime policies of libraries and librarians
1943
ALA joins 2nd Victory Book Campaign in which 17,000,000 books were distributed to US Armed Forces
January 2, 1947
Redmond Public Library, which until now, has been entirely funded and staffed by Nokomis Club volunteers, becomes a partnered responsibility between the City and Club. In future, Nokomis will furnish the building & the City will pay utilities, county fee & librarian's salary. Mrs. Mamie Orr becomes Redmond's first paid librarian
June, 1963
First annual KCLS "vacation reading" program for youngsters
One recommended book: Bed-Knobs and Broomsticks
1963
KCLS slogan: "Books are the lamps that never go out."
May 9, 1964
Open House at Redmond library's new (Site #5) storefront location
May 9, 1964
At new Redmond Library Site #5:
1st patron to register for a KCLS card: Mrs. Ray Smith
1st adult borrower of books: Mrs. C. Ward Baldwin
1st young borrower of books: Scotty Clapp
July, 1964
Redmond Kiwanis Club sell fireworks to benefit the Redmond Library
May 3, 1965
KCLS patrons borrowing period is increased from two to three weeks, and a due week was assigned, rather than a due date. Overdue fines increased from 2 cents to 5 cents per day.
July, 1965
KCLS places a "basic long-play record collection" for patron check-out in the Redmond Library with 60 titles ranging from "Westside Story" to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
1970
City of Redmond establishes a Library Board of Trustees consisting of 5 members appointed by the mayor & confirmed by a City Council majority (Ord 541)
September 6, 1972
Friends of the Redmond Library becomes official at a joint meeting of the City council and the Redmond Library Board. The first FORL officers are elected: Richard & Helen Johnston, co-chairmen; Laurel Idso, secretary; Richard Luce, treasurer.
November 7, 1972
Redmond voters approve a $300,000 bond issue build a new library (Site #6)
September, 1973
Ground is broken for the new library the square footage of which has been reduced from 15,000 to 13,500 due to inflation.
January 15, 1974
The City rejects all construction bids on the new building as too high. The library project is subsequently redesigned and rebid.
August 13, 1975
The new Redmond library opens its doors to patrons.
Ann Roush is Redmond's first Children's Librarian (initially, part-time).
September 14, 1975
The new Redmond library is dedicated in a formal ceremony.
1988
King County voters approves a KCLS bond issue to fund construction of new libraries.
1989
The city of Redmond annexes to the King County Library System
1990
KCLS selects Dynix to provide an online catalog
May 22, 1990
In the first test of the state's new moral nuisance law, a King County judge orders two local men to pay a $200 fine to Redmond Library and complete 120 hours of community service in the library as punishment for selling sadistic pornography in their Seattle store.
May 22, 1990
Redmond votes to annex to Library District.
May 30,1990
Redmond Librarian Jan Freeman raises concerns about court ordered community service in library as result of pornography convictions for numerous reasons, one being the issue of censorship.
1990
A daily average of 10,500 automobiles passes by the Redmond Library during the year.
1991
King County Library System Foundation is established for support beyond public funding.
1991
KCLS introduces The Answer Line
1991
The Redmond Library Service Area (including 4 adjacent areas which will eventually be served by Woodinville and Sammamish libraries) serves a population of 43,193 with a median age of 32.5 years;16,691 households with an average size of 2.9 people; 11,236 families.
October, 1991
Redmond library interior renovation completed
1993
A Gallup Poll found a majority of Americans believe tax support for public libraries should be almost double the current amount.
1994
As KCLS marks its 50th anniversary, 12 million items are circulated within the system, and Internet gateway is added to on-line service options
1994
53% of American adults use a library each year.
Public libraries receive less than 1% of all tax dollars—federal, state and local.
About 20% of public libraries are connected to the Internet.
1994
Friends of the Redmond Library cancels future book sale events in favor of an on-going daily sale with lobby bookcarts.
1994
FORL earned $10,000, primarily through donated books
January, 1995
Microsoft donated an Encarta CD-ROM encyclopedia to the Redmond Library, the first of many donations from MS
April 27, 1995
Substitute Senate bill 5095 was passed by the WA State Legislature making it legal to establish library capital facility areas as quasi-municipal corporations and independent taxing units.
October, 1995
The Job Search Center opens at Redmond Library
1995
FORL is among the 16 Friends groups KCLS selected to receive matching funds for projects. FORL was awarded 4500 for equipment & software for a Community connection multi-media workstation.
1996
Americans check out an average of 6 books a year, and there are more public libraries that McDonald's--a total of 15,872 including branches.
1995
FORL sponsored $2500+ worth of programs held at the Redmond Library
1996
KCLS is the 2nd largest circulating library in the U.S.,
With 39 branches and a Traveling Library Center serving over 1 million residents without the 2,000 square mile district.
1996
Redmond's library has 15 full-time employees
1996
Redmond library books an average of 82 groups per month in its Multipurpose Room
1996
FORL earned nearly $12,000
February, 1996
A hacker downed KCLS's computer system, for 17 days. Books were checked out by hand, and materials returned were stockpiled for later logging.
February, 1996
Last book is stamped by hand with a Due Date, and first barcodes are utilized for patrons borrowing who are given a paper receipt showing due date. Some patrons protest the change.
July 16, 1996
Redmond City Council enacted Resolution NO. 1026 supporting the new library building bond issue
September 10, 1996
Redmond voters approve bond issue to build a new library (7th site)
1997
Redmond City TV station Ch 27 first records and televises programs presented at the library
1997
Washington State has 150+ Library Friends groups
June, 1997
City of Redmond agrees to swap land with KCLS so that new library will be built on the corner of 85th Street and 160th Avenue NE
1998
FORL group decides to pay for a fireplace in the new library, and kicks off a sales campaign for engraved paving tiles, proceeds to pay for fireplace.
1998
Bellevue Community College becomes the new home of Washington state’s Puget Sound Regional Archives, a collection of public documents, maps & photographs dating back to the 1850s
April 28, 1998
Redmond Library Capital Facility Board approves the new Redmond library design, and will call for bids
September 26, 1998
7th Rdm Library site public groundbreaking ceremony
1999
New Redmond library opens its doors in its seventh location on SE corner of City Campus
October 06, 2002
The Ed Doolittle Art Garden is ceremonially dedicated. It is located on the north side of the Redmond library.
November, 2004
KCLS became the first in the nation to allow people to download audio "e-books" to home computers from its Web site.