www.plaintiffmagazine.com NOVEMBER 2008 The San Francisco Law Library: A noble retrospective As a result of increased demand, earthquake retrofitting and lack of space, the historic law library may soon be “homeless.” MARJORIE DORFMAN The year 1865 was a time of great tragedy and jubilation for Americans. It “The medicine chest of the soul” marked the death of Abraham Lincoln – Library at Thebes and the culmination of the bloody devas- (inscription over the door ) tation wrought by the War Between the States. It was also the year of the estab- The origins of the San Francisco lishment, via the auspices of a group of Law Library are deeply entwined in the leading attorneys, of the San Francisco history of that city’s bar association. Law Library Association and the subse- From the rugged years following the quent creation of a law library for use by Gold Rush to the present day, the build- its members. By 1869, the law library ing stands as a well-respected repository boasted 2,000 volumes. Beset with lack of Pre-1906 City Hall and Law Library, from private of accumulated research and knowledge. support and financial problems, it too collection of Suzanne Smith Read on and learn more about its formi- met the same fate as its predecessor. dable history and enduring legacy, and However, the founders of the law ing, you will certainly recognize his remember the immortal words of Grou- library had learned an invaluable lesson: brother, James H. Deering, who was the cho Marx who once said, “Outside of a a law library supported by private funds editor of Deering’s California Codes and the dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside could not possibly serve the entire bar, first editor of the Annotated Digest of Cali- of a dog it’s too dark to read.” courts and various government depart- fornia. James H. Deering succeeded his brother Frank as the director of the law The early years (1853-1870) ments. Members of the San Francisco Bar Association petitioned the state legis- library in 1888. James served as the direc- During the colorful days of the post- lature to establish a public law library. tor and as the law librarian for more than Gold Rush California, San Francisco was In 1870, the San Francisco Law Li- 40 years. He worked tirelessly to gain na- a pioneer town with a population of brary became the first public law library tional status for the San Francisco Law 119,000. Only 376 of its less wild and in the state of California and was dedi- Library, which occurred following the San woolly citizens practiced law. The city’s cated to serving members of the bar, the Francisco earthquake in April 1906. very first attempts at establishing a law li- judiciary and the public. Prior to the 1906 earthquake and brary occurred in 1853 when William B. fire, the San Francisco Law Library had The 1906 quake and beyond: Olds, an enterprising attorney (who is in been located in the old City Hall at the 1870-1916 no way connected to the creator of the corner of Larkin and Grove Streets, Oldsmobile), opened up a law library in There have only been 11 law library where the main branch of the San Fran- San Francisco’s City Hall. Creating a law directors from 1870 to the present day. cisco Public Library now stands. The un- library was a good idea, but like many Frank P. Deering, who was a prominent forgiving earthquake and subsequent such ideas, it was ahead of its time. The member of the San Francisco Bar, was blaze destroyed the old City Hall build- law library met with little support from one of the earliest librarians. Although ing and nearly all of the law library’s the legal community and soon folded. you may not have heard of Frank Deer- 46,000-volume collection. Copyright © 2008 by the author. For reprint permission, contact the publisher: www.plaintiffmagazine.com 1 www.plaintiffmagazine.com NOVEMBER 2008 They say that guardian angels pro- http://www.hotelwhitcomb.com/html/ In 1995, City Hall was closed for liferate in times of tragedy, and for the historic-hotel-northern-california.asp. earthquake retrofitting and seismic re- San Francisco Law Library, this guardian pairs. By this time, the law library was angel arrived in the guise of a syna- crammed into 14,000 square feet, even gogue located on the corner of Califor- though it needed more than twice that nia and Webster Streets. It was here that much (36,000 square feet) in order to the legal books salvaged from the ruins function properly. Since there was no were taken and placed in the balcony room to expand out, the law library ex- pews. The Temple Sherith Israel gener- panded up. People frequenting the read- ously allowed the use of its quarters as ing room during this time would have both a law library and a makeshift court- faced high, steep bookshelves crammed house during the post-1906 reconstruc- with books. If anyone needed anything tion period. from one of the top shelves, they would Within a year of the Great Earth- have to summon help – the law library View of the “new” City Hall quake and Fire, and under the tireless couldn’t risk lawsuits from attorneys in- leadership of James H. Deering and the jured by falling off ladders while getting San Francisco Law Library’s board of books. As a result, the library staff be- The Modern Age: 1914-1995 trustees, the law library’s collection grew came quite skilled in climbing the tall, from nearly nothing to 7,580 volumes. At The “new” City Hall housed the San spindly ladder to retrieve books from the the time, resources were extremely lim- Francisco Law Library for almost 75 uppermost shelves. ited. James H. Deering’s staff consisted years. According to Legal Reference Li- of three assistants and Deering’s annual brarian Richard Schulke, the law library The Rare Book Collection salary was $2,400, which was a pittance at City Hall was so antiquated that there According to Richard Schulke, one even by the standards of the day. were no electrical outlets in the reading of the most interesting portions of the Many of the books were generous room. To accommodate the needs of the law library’s collec- donations from private collections and modern patrons, the law library staff tion is the Rare law libraries all over the country. By the snaked a tangle of electrical extension Book Collection, time the law library moved into the cords from an office, pinned them to the which contains an newly constructed City Hall in 1914, the high ceiling, and dropped them down estimated 11,000 collection had grown to an amazing into the reading room just to provide volumes of signifi- 37,720 volumes! power for the photocopiers and a few cant international During the post-earthquake recon- lights. Many attorneys recall with fond- and scholarly im- struction period of 1910, San Francisco ness the historical feel of the room and portance dating architects Rushforth and Cahill were the simplified technology options, such back to the 15th drawing plans for a new hotel. The pro- as the antique typewriter used by lawyers Statham’s Abridge- century. A large and pro per litigants to fill out Judicial posed site at Eighth and Market Streets ment, portion of the col- faced the Civic Center and attracted the Council forms. www.columbia.edu/cu/ lection consists of attention of city leaders who needed a Still, it was home from 1914 until lweb/eresources/ ex- medieval English temporary City Hall while the original October 17, 1989, when the Loma Prieta hibitions/treasures/ law practice materi- was being rebuilt. Inspired by a sense of earthquake shook the Bay Area. Yet html/long_topic10.html als. The oldest vol- civic pride, the Whitcomb Estate agreed again, San Francisco’s City Hall was the ume, Statham’s to have their hotel serve as City Hall. Be- victim of an earthquake, wreaking havoc Abridgement, was published in 1490 and tween 1912 and 1915, Hotel Whitcomb on the building’s elevators, damaging contains the first compilation of English served as the seat of government for San the plaster, and cracking the marble on law. Francisco. According to Gladys Hansen, the walls. Along with the crumbling Since nearly all of the law library’s the curator of the Virtual San Francisco walls, many bookshelves collapsed, top- rare books were destroyed after the 1906 History Museum site, the Hotel Whit- pling and destroying many of the law earthquake and fire, James H. Deering comb housed the Mayor’s office, the library’s materials. In order to walk was determined to rebuild the rare book courts and the San Francisco Law Li- through the aisles, you had to climb over collection. The rebuilding included the brary. In fact, even today, curious hotel piles of books, waist-high in some places. acquisition of an extensive collection of guests can arrange a private tour of the In spite of the damage, the law library rare legal works, which were mostly from jail cells in the basement. See reopened in less than a week. England and other parts of Europe, Copyright © 2008 by the author. For reprint permission, contact the publisher: www.plaintiffmagazine.com 2 www.plaintiffmagazine.com NOVEMBER 2008 something highly unusual for a public Ali, Sirhan Sirhan, Lana Turner, Tony When City Hall reopened, there was law library to have. By the late 1940s, the Curtis and Mae West, was both a fre- no room for the law library.