Art Gallery
Main Library
55 W. Third Avenue, San Mateo, 94402
Art Gallery, 1st Floor
Library 20th Anniversary, Photographs
October 3, 2026 - December 27, 2026
As we continue to commemorate the library's 20th Anniversary, we present a collection of vintage photographs that provide a window to past incarnations of the San Mateo Public Library, capturing our stately days as a Carnegie library, earthquake damage sustained during the devastating 1906 earthquake, changing architectural evolution of the library building, along with nostalgic snapshots of past generations of librarians and community members using our services and gathering for programs and cultural events. This exhibition is a celebration of continuity and change, illustrating how the library can serve as a timeless haven for curiosity, connection, and community growth.
Display Case, 2nd Floor
Historical Library Memorabilia
August 28, 2026 - December 28, 2026
On August 29th, the San Mateo Public Library celebrates our 20th Anniversary in our current building. To highlight the library’s history from its beginning in 1884, when the San Mateo Library Association was incorporated, to 1907, when a new library building was constructed through a grant from Andrew Carnegie, and the decades since then, we present a collection of rare historical memorabilia. These include such treasures as the first librarian’s reports from 1907-1910, records of Library Board minutes from the early 1900’s, staff meeting minutes from 1931-1933, a circulation record book from 1944-1949, annual reports from 1960's-1970’s, and San Matopoly board game from 1989.