The Inverness branch of the Marin County Free Library opened on Sept. 11, 1942 at a time when gasoline shortages stemming from the war made it difficult for residents to drive even to Point Reyes Station for books. Volunteers were active from the beginning in staffing and maintaining the library, which was located in the Civil Defense Office in Brock Schreiber’s store, at the corner of Sir Francis Drake and Inverness Way North. Books were kept in locked cases opened only when the librarian—or a volunteer—was on duty and books could be checked out. The library proved so popular that it continued after the war and in April 1948 it moved to the tiny real estate office adjoining the garage. The rent then was $5 per month.
In 1966 the building was separated from the garage and relocated on one corner of the property. A decade later, in 1975, a small park was developed outside the library, with flowers and a place to read. But in 1978 the county threatened to close the branch; librarian Nancy Hemmingway and hundreds of concerned residents organized a telephone and petition campaign and confronted the Board of Supervisors with the support they had garnered. That concern, plus an offer of one year’s free rent by the landlord, Lee Richardson, gave the library a much-needed new lease on life. At that time, the library was open 12 hours a week. The 270-square-foot building appeared on the cover of American Libraries in February 1981 as the smallest freestanding branch library in the United States.
Then, in the mid-1980s, two factors converged: concern over the potential hazard of being so close to the garage and creek, and the lack of space in the tiny library. In response, Jack Mason offered his home, the oldest in Inverness, for the library and a museum after his death. The Gables Project, which transformed his home into the library and museum, is another story of intense community involvement. In addition to grants from the Buck Fund and the county, the community donated $57,000 and countless volunteer hours to the project. On Dec. 2, 1986 the library’s contents moved up the street.
In the beautifully converted home, the library is now open 28 hours a week. The Inverness Garden Club maintains the lovely garden surrounding the building. The original parlor, where Jack himself had his collection, contains the Jack Mason Museum of West Marin History’s display space. This Sunday, Dec. 4, from 1 to 4 p.m., the Inverness Foundation, the Jack Mason Museum and the Tomales Bay Library Association will host an open house and community party to celebrate 30 years at The Gables. Guest speakers will talk briefly at 2 p.m. Everyone is welcome and refreshments will be served.
Meg Linden is a retired librarian and member of the Jack Mason Museum of West Marin History committee. She lives in Inverness Park.