Summary: Mary McCosker, a Lafayette native, was interviewed by Georgi McLain on June 24, 2009. She had been involved with the project to build the new Lafayette Library and Learning Center–which was on track to open 5 months later–for many years at that point. She recalls in this interview that Lafayette’s out-dated current library had […]

Summary: Robin Holt was interviewed by Pat Riegg on May 19, 2008. She and her husband, a Navy officer based in Alameda, moved to Lafayette from Hawaii in 1975. Long a member of the Friends of the Lafayette Library, she became involved with the project to develop a new library after attending a presentation by […]

Summary: Susan Weaver was interviewed on November 25, 2008, by Mary McCosker. As a professional librarian working for the country, she was the last manager of the “old library,” which opened in 1962, and the first at the new (2009) library. Having lost her hearing at age 2, Susan showed an interest throughout her career […]

Summary: Rick and Janet Cronk were interviewed by Nancie Sherman on March 27, 2009. Rick grew up in Montclair and Janet in Palo Alto. They met when they were both students at Berkeley. Later they moved to Lafayette and raised their family here, and Rick spent thirty years growing Dreyers into the largest ice cream […]

Summary: Robi Duncan, Senior Clerk at the old Lafayette Library, was interviewed by Mary McCosker on April 3, 2009. Robi grew up in Concord, but she had spent three months living with her grandmother in Lafayette, and going to school here, while her family was building a new home. She returned to serve the Lafayette […]

Summary: Dorothy Walker was interviewed by Brenda Hepler on October 13, 2009. She had grown up in San Rafael, where libraries played an important role in her childhood. After her family moved to Lafayette in 1956 Dorothy went to Acalanes High School and then to UC Berkeley, where she became a teacher and stayed on […]

Summary: Sally Bellenger was interviewed by Nancy Sherman on January 22, 2008, during the time that construction of the Lafayette Library and Learning Center was under way. She arrived in Lafayette in 1971, choosing the community for its good schools and its values. In this interview Sally describes how a group of dedicated and hard […]

Summary: Ann was interviewed by Brenda Hepler on November 5, 2008. As the City of Lafayette’s Community Development Director, she was closely involved with the Library Project from 2001 onward. She played a major role in the selection and acquisition of the building site, the selection of the architect, creation of the consortium, development of […]

Summary: Diane Kisner was interviewed by Pat Riegg on May 14, 2008. As the co-founder and head of the Merriewood Children’s Center, which offered a variety of pre-school and after school programs, Diane was an important figure in the field of early childhood education in Lafayette. From the start she was an enthusiastic supporter of […]