View of the Prelinger Library
In our continuing effort to get OUT of the WNP Office ( 300 Taraval at Funston in the Parkside, if you’re wondering), Woody and I decided to take a trip down to the Prelinger ( “Pray – linger”) Library at 301-8th Street at Folsom. “That’s not in the Outside Lands!”, you might say. True, but Megan and Rick Prelinger have created a unique place that hopes:
“to foster discovery and serendipity in a browsing friendly environment; to demonstrate that unforeseen benefits arise from the synthesis between analog and digital cultures; to experiment with new forms of access to information; and to convene community around a collection”.
What it comes down to is a place chock full of books, magazines and ephemera that’s absolutely worth leaving the west side for.
They have a great material on San Francisco History and a burgeoning ephemera collection where we found some excellent stuff that’s on its way to the Western Neighborhoods Project site. That’s right, they’re sharing their collection with us, so we can share it with you.
Doelger sales brochure from The Prelinger Library
We know what you’re thinking, we get access because we’re special, but that’s not the way it is here. The library is open to the public without charge and is appropriation-friendly, which means that all visitors are encouraged to scan, copy, and photograph materials in the library. You can also download digitized books from their collection at the Internet Archive.
We had a great time talking to Rick and Megan about their collection and pouring through the San Francisco ephemera boxes. They material we’ve never seen before including this great Henry Doelger sales brochure touting “the sparkling modern homes in San Francisco’s Sunset District where sand dunes onces ruled.”
The Prelinger Library hours:
Wednesdays from 1-8pm
at least 2 Sundays a month.
More info can be found at http://www.prelingerlibrary.org