Peninsula Friends of the Library

REMINDER TO PLEASE JOIN US: With the Peninsula Friends of the Library as publisher and benefactor, the first book ever written under the auspices of the Palos Verdes Library District will debut Thursday, Dec. 8, at 5 p.m. in the Peninsula Center Library’s Community Room during the Friends biennial membership meeting, followed by a reception marking the Friends’ 50th anniversary.

Peninsula Past: The Complicated Birth of Paradise contains 31 essays focusing on the early life of Palos Verdes Estates and other Peninsula developments. The essays, written by PVLD’s Local History Room docent Betty Lukas, first appeared in the Palos Verdes Peninsula News over a five-year period to familiarize residents with the extensive collection of photographic and written resources available to the public in the Local History Room. Marjeanne Blinn, Adult Services and Local History Room librarian, served as editor.

“I’m so proud that the Peninsula Friends of the Library have been able to support the publication,” said Kathy Gould, PVLD Director. “Public libraries,” she continued, “play an important role in preserving and making people aware of the community’s history, and it is exciting that people will have the opportunity to learn more about Palos Verdes history through the words and photographs in this book.”

In addition to the original newspaper columns and historic photos, its 68 pages end with a Postscript including the last paragraph of a hand-written anonymous poster Blinn found rolled up in a closet when the Local History Room was moved back from its former home at Malaga Cove Library in 2003.

The synopsis says, “We believe that it is the responsibility of a community to live up to its destiny, and that people care about what they know about.”

“That’s what this book is all about,” Lukas said. “I am extremely grateful to the Friends for their financial support because they immediately realized what a unique publication this is. The book is a chronological history of the original Palos Verdes Project and its evolution. “And,” she added, “when readers have completed their easy-chair introduction to the Peninsula’s past, they may want to explore the local landmarks in person. After all, they are only minutes away.”

Blinn explained how the book came about. “Betty began as a docent in the Local History Room in 2005 and her first column for the PV News appeared in 2006. We come from two different academic disciplines, so collaborating on the columns and ultimately the book resulted in a unique distillation of ideas,” she added. “Betty did extensive research in the collection to write the columns, a lot of it from the early Palos Verdes Bulletins. For longtime residents as well as newcomers who are interested in local history, these chapters offer a glimpse into how the Peninsula we know today has evolved.”

Lukas, a graduate of the University of Michigan with an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Southern California, was a copy editor, feature writer and book reviewer for The Los Angeles Times for 18 years. When she retired in 1991, she was the news editor of The Times editorial pages. During that period, she also helped launch the Communications Department at Cal State Dominguez Hills and taught a variety of courses there for 12 years. Her bylines can still be seen regularly in Peninsula People and the Palos Verdes Peninsula News. She has lived in Palos Verdes Estates for 45 years.

Blinn, who received her M.L.S. from the UCLA School of Library Science, has worked for the Palos Verdes Library District as a librarian for 29 years. Her specialties are genealogy and Palos Verdes local history.

Jane Jones, president of the Peninsula Friends of the Library, said, “We are so pleased to support this publication based on the holdings of the PVLD Local History Room. The book is presented to our entire community to enhance its knowledge of and interest in our historical Peninsula. The book will also stimulate research and use of the numerous documents and pictures of local homes and points of interest in the Local History Room. We are deeply indebted to Betty and Marjeanne for their tireless efforts, enthusiasm and knowledge in the creation of this marvelous historical book.”

Peninsula Past will be available for purchase at $10 per copy beginning with its debut at the Friends 50th Anniversary Reception on Dec. 8. Copies will also be available for purchase in the Friends Library Shop at Peninsula Center Library and at the circulation desks of all three branches of the Palos Verdes Library District.

The Peninsula Center Library is located at 701 Silver Spur Road Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274. If you would like further information about Peninsula Past or the free reception and book launch on Dec. 8, call (310) 377-9584, ext. 213.