A Very Special Night Indeed

THE GRAND opening of Special Collections on Nov. 19, 2008, was a well-attended, elegant affair. A cellist playing classical selections greeted my ears the moment I entered. Representative displays of the amazingly diverse collections (local historical photographs and postcards, Japanese internment camp newsletters, comic books, citrus labels, and much more) circled the main area and spilled over into the adjoining conference room. But as hungry as my eyes were to take it all in, my nose insisted that I sample the delicious refreshments first.

The Pfau Library’s dean and university librarian, Cesar Caballero, opened the show with a hearty welcome to all. President Albert Karnig followed remarking how pleased he was to attend this “…exceptional occurrence…” at the library, the “centerpiece of the entire university.” He praised university librarians past and present as well as the current staff for all their efforts to continually improve and maintain the library. “The library is the avenue for young scholars,” he noted. Then, joining forces with Dean Caballero, the duo expertly wielded a pair of giant scissors and cut the ceremonial ribbon.

San Bernardino County congratulated the university and the library on the grand opening. 5th District Supervisor, Ms. Josie Gonzales, sent an aide who presented a lovely, framed certificate of recognition to President Karnig and Dean Caballero.

Dr. William Aguilar, a former university librarian, quipped that since the university has had four university librarians (he was the second) but only three presidents, it must be harder to be a university librarian. He went on to note that libraries represent the collective memory of mankind. He observed that libraries bring together in one convenient location the best thinking of the finest minds throughout history for future generations. They also preserve unique materials such as the Japanese internment camp newsletters available nowhere else.

Ms. Johnnie Ann Ralph, the third university librarian, described for the audience the first library director, Art Nelson, hired in 1963, and his crucial role in amassing many of the special collections materials we have today. A chance meeting between a young Ms. Ralph and a 70-ish citrus label collector ("Want to see my citrus label collection?") was the genesis of the local history collection. For the 75th anniversary of the Orange Show, Ms. Ralph created a historical display with items selected from the Pfau Library's collection. Perhaps the library will do a similar display for the City of San Bernardino's 200th anniversary.

Ms. Jill Vassilakos-Long, coordinator of special collections, introduced the keynote speaker, Mr. John Weeks. Weeks is the features editor for the San Bernardino Sun and the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin as well as the author of Inland Empire: Postcard History Series, a grand tour of the region via historical postcards from his personal collection. "Antique stores are a cheap form of time travel," said Weeks, "unless you buy lots of stuff and then it's an expensive one!" Weeks discovered that he was particularly fascinated by the old shoe boxes full of postcards commonly found in antique stores. In one such box he found the postcard that started his collection, a depiction of Lake Arrowhead frozen solid. Given the physical properties of the lake, that should not be possible, but in 1949 it did indeed happen. Other favorites among his thousand or more postcards are one from the first Orange Show in 1911 and one from the 1959 Ramona pageant, where Raquel Welch played Ramona.

In preparation for writing his book, Weeks spread his extensive postcard collection out on the floor of his living room and grouped them by geographic area. It suddenly struck him that the Inland Empire began as a wonderful, highly desirable area for citrus groves, vineyards and luxury resorts. Messages to family and friends on the backs of the postcards further support this view. A 1908 note exclaimed, "You would go wild here!" A 1919 message proclaimed San Bernardino "the cleanest town you could imagine."

"If an area used to be idyllic," said Weeks, "why can't it be so again?"

Caballero closed the program with a few remarks about the future of the Special Collections department. Projects will include an inventory of the current holdings, preservation needs assessment, identification of new areas of collection, and a database of digitized images beginning with the postcards.

Caballero and Vasilaakos-Long presented symbolic peacock feathers of honor to all the speakers. Certainly, Special Collections will be one of the most brilliant feathers in the cap of the library and the university.