A.K. Smiley Public Library

Serving the City of Redlands, California since 1894

Established in 1894, A.K. Smiley Public Library has served generations of patrons in the City of Redlands and beyond. The only “admission fee” is curiosity. Lifelong learning is at the center of activity in the beautiful, historic building and attractive grounds!

News + Events

Free Movie on January 18th!

A.K. Smiley Public Library’s “Southern California in Film” series continues on Saturday, January 18th at 2pm with a screening of The Winning of Barbara Worth at the Contemporary Club.

Adapted from Harold Bell Wright’s novel of the same name, The Winning of Barbara Worth is a fictionalized depiction of the fight to bring water for irrigation to California’s Imperial Valley at the turn of the 20th century. Filming took place in the Imperial Valley and the Black Rock Desert of Nevada and included a dramatic flood scene depicting the formation of the Salton Sea. The Winning of Barbara Worth featured Gary Cooper in his first film.

This screening is free and open to the public. Registration is requested, but not required. The Contemporary Club is located at 173 S. Eureka Street in Redlands, just south of A.K. Smiley Public Library. For more information on future film screenings, please contact the Heritage Room at (909)798-7632 or heritage@akspl.org.

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Civil War Christmas Carols on Dec. 21st

The Lincoln Memorial Shrine invites you to celebrate the holiday season with Civil War Christmas Carols by the Camp Carleton Band on Saturday, December 21st at 11am in the Assembly Room of A.K. Smiley Public Library. From timeless classics like “Deck the Halls” and “Silent Night”, to songs that have dropped out of popular use, come, sing, and learn about the holiday music of the Civil War.

The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are not required. This event draws a large crowd each year, so early arrival is strongly recommended. For more information, please contact the Heritage Room at (909)798-7632 or heritage@akspl.org.

Free Movie on December 21st!

 
  A.K. Smiley Public Library’s “Southern California in Film” series continues on Saturday, December 21st at 2pm in the Contemporary Club with a screening of the long-lost 1928 version of Ramona starring Dolores de Rio.
     Based on Helen Hunt Jackson’s eponymous novel about racial discrimination in mid-19th century California, Ramona is the story of an Irish-Native American orphan and her relationships with Alessandro, a Native American sheep shearer, and Felipe, a wealthy Californio. Published in 1884, the novel became an instant success and has been adapted into five feature films, a television series, a musical, and an outdoor play. The Ramona Pageant has been performed annually since 1923. The 1928 film version of this story was lost for decades before being rediscovered in 2010 and restored by the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division of the Library of Congress. This screening is made possible by a loan from the Library of Congress’s Moving Image Section.
     Registration is requested, but not required. No admission is charged for film screenings, thanks to the generous contributions of donors to the Library. The Contemporary Club, 173 S. Eureka Street. For more information or to see schedule updates, visit www.akspl.org or call (909) 798-7632.
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Visit the Friends of the Library

The Friends of A.K. Smiley Public Library raise funds to augment the collections and youth services of the library, as well as support library programming. Please call 909-798-7685 for more information.

Gently used books donated by generous patrons enable fundraising through bookstore and silent auction sales. You can show your support of the library by donating books, patronizing our bookstore on the lower level of the library, and participating in the silent auction of books in the main hall of the library.

Volunteers are needed to work in the bookstore, to assist with the auctions, and to help shelve books. Volunteers also help with publicity, mailings, and with hospitality at meetings. Also, volunteers publish a newsletter for members four times a year to keep them up to date. Call the Bookstore at 798-7685 for more information on volunteering.