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

Tie Dye Day: March 30

Teens, is your wardrobe pitifully lacking color? Then register for this free Teen Tie Dye event immediately!

We’ll supply the tie dye stuff and one cotton t-shirt per registration, and you supply the creativity. You may also bring any other 100% cotton items from home (no more than two extra items) that you’d like to make more colorful (socks, a pillowcase, hair tie, etc). Make sure any items you bring are 100% cotton so they will accept the dye (and that you have permission to dye them, of course)!

Teen Tie Dye Day

Wednesday, March 30, 2022
2-4pm
Smiley Park (located just to the south of Smiley Public Library between the library and the Lincoln Shrine)

125 W. Vine St., Redlands

Space is limited and registration is required so don’t delay…register through the link below! Registration will close Wednesday, March 23rd or when the event is full, whichever comes first!

Citrus Heritage Program on March 12th

Join us on Saturday, March 12th at 11am as Dr. Benjamin Jenkins presents a look at his recently published book California’s Citrus Heritage in the Assembly Room of A.K. Smiley Public Library.

An Archivist and Associate Professor of History at the University of La Verne, Dr. Jenkins will examine the impact of orange and lemon agriculture in California. Since its introduction to the Golden State in the 19th century, citrus has been an indelible part of California’s landscape. Its arrival in the Inland Empire in the 1870s gave rise to the citrus industry which placed Redlands at the center of what became an orange empire. Featuring beautiful historic photographs (including from our very own Special Collections!) and interesting stories, you will not want to miss Dr. Jenkins program.

Copies of California’s Citrus Heritage will be available for purchase at the conclusion of the presentation. This program is free and open to the public and will be live streamed on Facebook Live. All in-person attendees are required to wear a face covering for the duration of their time in the Library.

This program was originally scheduled for January 15. For further information, contact the Heritage Room at (909)798-7632 or heritage@akspl.org.

About the Author:

Dr. Benjamin Jenkins teaches United States and California history, directs the Public History Program, and manages the University Archives at University of La Verne. He received his Ph.D. in Public History at the University of California, Riverside, in 2016. His current research focuses on the interactions between citrus agriculture and railroad transportation in southern California. He has worked at Public History institutions such as the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and the Huntington Library. In addition to California’s Citrus Heritage, one of his most recent publications is The Digital Frontier: Archival Digitization and Modern Usage of the Human Record. He is currently completing a book manuscript titled Octopus’s Garden: Railroads, Citrus Agriculture, and the Emergence of Southern California.

Craftsy

 

Craftsy is an online resource for all creative makers, where you can find everything you need – from basic instruction to advanced techniques. It’s a community of enthusiastic makers, from quilters and sewers, to cake decorators and painters, wanting to create beautiful things and express their creativity.  Find it in Libby

March 10: The Holocaust: The Indescribable Described

Join Dr. Hans Davidson for a fascinating and moving discussion of the story of the Holocaust, how it was developed, how it was executed, and the after-effects with his own family history.

Dr. Hans Davidson is a long time citizen of Redlands and practiced gynecology and infertility treatment in the area. He was born in the Netherlands, his Jewish family suffered greatly under the Nazi occupation. As a “child of the Holocaust” he has published extensively about the topic, lectures and speaks at schools.

Thursday, March 10, 6:30 pm
Contemporary Club
FREE to the public, no registration required

Lincoln Program on March 5th

Join us on Saturday, March 5th as we welcome bestselling author Walter Stahr who will present “Chase and Lincoln: Rivals and Colleagues” at 3pm in the Assembly Room of A.K. Smiley Public Library.

President Abraham Lincoln famously selected his Cabinet from among his political opponents. Despite differences over ideology, ethics and personality, this “team of rivals” brought diverse skills and perspectives to the Lincoln administration. Stahr’s program will focus on Lincoln’s relationship with Treasury Secretary Salmon P. Chase, an anti-slavery activist and later Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, which was fraught with disagreements over the issues of slavery and civil rights for African Americans.

Chase is the subject of Stahr’s recently published work, Salmon P. Chase: Lincoln’s Vital Rival, which included substantial research in the Lincoln Memorial Shrine’s collections. After more than two decades as an attorney, Stahr shifted to a career as a biographer of American leaders. His works on John Jay, William Henry Seward, and Edwin Stanton have earned many accolades.

Copies of Salmon P. Chase: Lincoln’s Vital Rival will be available for purchase at the conclusion of the presentation. This program is free and open to the public and will be available on Zoom and livestreamed on Facebook Live. Registration is not required.

If you have any questions, call (909)798-7632 or email heritage@akspl.org. Please visit www.lincolnshrine.org for up-to-date information.