A.K. Smiley Public Library

Even in a town incorporated only five years, the need for a public library was clear. Leading citizens created the Redlands Public Library Association in 1893, laying the foundation for the Redlands Public Library, which was established by the City Council in 1894 in a single room of the brand-new YMCA/City Hall building. At the dedication of the Library on February 22, 1894, Library Association President Alfred. H Smiley remarked, "But what is this library for? For whom is it intended? Is it a working man's club? No! It is for all the people of Redlands, rich and poor - old and young - to share alike in all of its advantages. And if there come in there a man in his shirt sleeves, who is a lover of books, and who cannot afford a coat to his back, he should be received with the same courtesy and attention as if he were dressed in purple and fine linen."1

Redlands grew very quickly during the 1890s, and it soon became obvious that a larger, purpose-built home was needed for the fledgling library. Alfred Smiley’s identical twin brother Albert took up the challenge, acquiring sixteen acres of downtown land and erecting this impressive Moorish Revival structure designed by local architect T.R. Griffith. The City Council was so grateful to Smiley that they chose to rename it in his honor – A.K. Smiley Public Library. In presenting the Library and surrounding park to the City on April 29, 1898, he said "I now have the great pleasure of delivering to you ... these two deeds, and the keys to the library building trusting that the present city government and its successors, for all time, will see to it that the building and furniture and the park grounds, are faithfully and liberally sustained."2

What many did not realize at the time was that Smiley didn’t have all of the $60,000 he needed to provide his gift, and as a result leveraged assets in New York in order to do it. His friend Andrew Carnegie visited Redlands and A.K. Smiley Public Library March 19, 1910, at which time he shared that “Before giving libraries I waited until I had this useless dross that men call money, because it is useless until it is put to some good use, and he could not wait. His love for the cause impelled him to give and he actually borrowed money – borrowed the money, I say, to build this magnificent structure."3

Indeed, Albert K. Smiley not only gave the original building, but also the first expansion for a reference wing, completed in 1907, and his younger brother Daniel Smiley contributed a new wing for children in 1920, six years after his brother’s death. Additional philanthropists in Redlands came forward in 1926 and again in 1930 for two more additions. Interestingly, no public money was used to expand the Library until the Heritage and Administration Wing project, completed in 1990.

In addition to the major additions, the building changed in interesting ways over the years. The Library’s tower was removed in 1936, a victim of seismic concerns and Great Depression-era financial challenges. In 1939, white paint was applied to the building for the first time, causing a transition in its appearance from Moorish Revival to something more akin to Mission Revival.

In honor of the centennial of the Library’s original building, a private fundraising campaign achieved the goal of recreating the Library’s tower in 1999. Three years later, a major project returned the building to the Moorish Revival look intended by the original architect when some eleven coats of white paint were stripped and a reddish-brown slurry reapplied.

1. Smiley, Alfred Homans. "Dedication Speech". February 22, 1894. Manuscript in Archives, A.K. Smiley Public Library.

2. Smiley, Albert Keith. Dedication Speech". April 29, 1898. Manuscript in Archives, A.K. Smiley Public Library.

3. Carnegie, Andrew. "Carnegie Enjoys Short Visit In City." Redlands Daily Facts (Redlands) March 19th 1910.

Irshay, Phyllis. The Pride and Glory of the Town: The Story of A.K. Smiley Public Library. Redlands, California. City of Redlands, 1987.

Burgess, Larry E. A Brief History: A.K. Smiley Public Library. Redlands, California. A.K. Smiley Public Library, 2010.

Burgess, Larry E.and Gonzales, Nathan D. Fathfully and Liberally Sustained: Philanthropy in Redlands. Redlands, California. ESRI Press, 2010.

About AKSPL: The Library, Accessed August 7th 2020. https://www.akspl.org/about/#history.

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