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 in the community for 19 years. In 1989 Dorothy returned to Lafayette and became active in the Lafayette Historical Society, as her mother, Angela Broadhead, had been. She became its president and successfully led an effort to include a permanent home for the history association in the greatly expanded new Lafayette Library and Learning Center, which had been designed to have a broader mission of service to the City. Dorothy feels this new permanent home will ensure that the LHS continues to be an important part of Lafayette’s cultural life for many years.
Oral History:
Brenda Hepler: Dorothy Walker. The date is October 13th, 2009. The interviewer is Brenda Hepler. All right, Dorothy. Just the first question for everybody is what are your best childhood memories of libraries?
Dorothy Walker: I was very lucky to have libraries in my life all from as early I can remember and I guess the earliest one is in San Rafael where we grew up and they had a special library room that was just for children and we would go sit for hours and the librarian helped pick out books.
BH: And so were there any favorite books you liked growing up?
DW: Oh, I don’t suppose that I could remember exactly, but I know I went through the entire Nancy Drew series and a whole series on women biographies and a lot of historical novels, very romantic.
BH: And you grew up then in San Rafael?
DW: For the most part. I didn’t get to Lafayette until eighth grade. And that was barely eighth grade, only three weeks left. And so high school is really where my roots are.
BH: At Acalanes?
DW: At Acalanes, indeed.
BH: And what awareness of community did you have growing up here at that time?
DW: I don’t think I had a lot. We, you know, were involved in the school activities and my brother had, you know, his Cub Scouts or something and I just was involved in high school activities. My mother and father would participate as needed. Yeah.
BH: And your education after Acalanes?
DW: I went on to the University of California, Berkeley.
BH: And then your work experience after that?
DW: Well, after that, I left Lafayette and went on to do a little traveling with my husband and then had a child. And so my interest became early childhood education and I got an extra degree in early childhood administration and was a school teacher, a preschool teacher, I should say.
BH: In Lafayette?
DW: No, in Berkeley.
BH: Oh, in Berkeley.
DW: So that was kind of a fun experience.
BH: Yeah.
DW: And of course, took all the children to the library for the children’s reading there for special occasions.
BH: And what awareness of community or what did you participate in community activities at that early time of your marriage in Berkeley? Were you involved in Berkeley community?
DW: No, but again, it was all to do with my daughter’s activities and so forth.
BH: And teaching.
DW: And yes, and eventually I ended up teaching.
BH: Yeah, yeah. And what attracted you to Lafayette?
DW: Well, I had an opportunity to return to my family’s home when my mother moved on to Rossmoor. So it was the right time at the right place. And so forth.
BH: And when did that happen?
DW: That was in 1989.
BH: Oh, so you have been here almost 20 years.
DW: Yes, indeed. 20 years it is. Yeah. In fact, it has been 20 years. But of course since my parents were still here I knew what was going on, kind of, in the general sense, because…
BH: Oh.and, and the house is what attracted you back to Lafayette.
DW: Yes. Well, it was the, again, the right time and place and dollars.
BH: Defining the goals of community as a place of mutual support, shared values, and the acceptance of difference, how do you see Lafayette meeting these goals?
DW: Well, um, I would say that the community is rooted in asking for participation. I worked for a time, volunteered on the trail and sidewalks commission for six or seven years. And the whole purpose of that was to get public input. And we held monthly meetings. And then I went on to be on the circulation commission. And again, more public meetings and input. And got involved in the overall general plan for the city. And I participated in that. And again, process, the inclusion of anyone and everyone who is interested is just in the very fabric of the city. And, uh, I don’t know how to express it otherwise. I mean there are multiple ways to get involved and multiple forums to express your interests and opportunities.
BH: Okay. What about acceptance of difference?
DW: Well, I think this openness, they just take all sides, ask for all kinds of opinions and whatever. And they take them with equanimity and accept, and they bring in a lot of outside consultants too, to have, uh, kind of a, a perspective that then can you can hang your hat on, so to speak, to acknowledge what other places have done, and to see if that can be incorporated as well.
BH: This whole concept of participation, this is very interesting to me. Did you feel that value in the city when you were in high school, or did you hear your mother express anything along those lines back at the time?
DW: No, I don’t, again, I don’t.
BH: Because that was in the 50s, 60s, early 60s?
DW: Yeah, we came in 1956.
BH: Yeah. Yeah. Okay.
DW: So I don’t think that there was that much happening then because of course, we weren’t incorporated. So, it wasn’t until 1968 that the city became incorporated. So, a couple of years before that would have been the time when there was a lot, and I know my mother did participate in some of those early meetings around whether we should incorporate or not.
BH: And perhaps then, and I hear you that the incorporation perhaps spurred people.
DW: I’m sure it did, because, you know, that was the time when you talked about taxes, how that would impact people. And of course, that was also the time when the freeway was going through. So, I think a lot of people were hyper aware of impacts. They were hoping because Mount Diablo Blvd. was busy, and they were hoping that the freeway was going to alleviate it. And then, of course, it didn’t quite.
BH: Well, maybe for a while.
DW: Yeah, maybe for a while.
BH: Yes. Okay, so that is great. And now.
DW: Yeah, just to finish up on my mother’s involvement then, she was working in the library, and she, with a number of other people, formed the group that later became the Historical Society.
BH: I see. So she was the founder of the Historical Society?
DW: I don’t know that she was a founder, but she was on the committee.
BH: That developed.
DW: Right. She’s not, her name isn’t on the, the document that incorporates, but she participated for years in doing all of the work.
BH: Yeah. So I’m sure you must have heard some things.
DW: Oh, it, it, it filtered out, but of course, I was with a young child in my own career, and so it, I don’t know that it was.
BH: So do you have any memories of using the Lafayette Library when you were going to high school?
DW: Well, it was still the little, tiny one when we got here. I mean, I think very shortly thereafter, it was so I think the library that I really used was the Acalanes library.
BH: And, um, have you had use of the library that much now that you’re an adult?
DW: Oh, I use it all the time. It is my recreation and joy to find new things.
BH: And how do you feel a library serves a community?
DW: It’s just integral to how people get information. And it’s a meeting place. I see, I go in at least once, if not twice a week, and you just see how the students are using the facilities. How so many adults use the library and the age range is phenomenal in terms of people using now the computers, access to information. The library staff is phenomenal in helping and responding. And I just think people know how to find stuff, and that’s where they go.
BH: Um, and have you been involved in the library over the years, or do you remember the Historical Society?
DW: Oh, always with the Historical Society. I am aware of the the different programs that are put on there, and I have attended those from time to time, but I’m pretty much focused on the Historical Society.
BH: I know in the new library there’s going to be a place for the Historical Society. Is there a place in the library now for the Historical Society?
DW: There was at one point but then it’s an area where the teen room is. The librarians were very gracious and offered us a place to keep our photographs and so forth. And then about maybe five years ago, we were offered other space when we just grew. And, and needed more space.
BH: Okay, that’s great. Have you been involved with any other community organizations in Lafayette besides the Historical Society?
DW: Not really.
BH: But now you’re participating in the beginning, though, with some other things like groups?
DW: Oh, well, that was a city commission.
BH: Oh, what?
DW: That was the only one I’ve dealt with. I was on the Sesquicentennial Commission, Committee, but that was related to the Historical Society as well.
BH: Okay. Do you remember about the new library in 1962? You had left for college at that point.
DW: Yeah, I was gone, so I don’t really have any sense.
BH: Okay. Okay. So let’s go on to this new, when we wrote this out, it was the 2008 library. Now, it’s the 2009. I better change that. So, 2009.
DW: Yes. Okay. We’ve been disappointed, but in some ways we’re very glad that it’s taken a little more time. We need to organize.
BH: Right. Were you involved at all in the early developments of the library?
DW: No, I was not.
BH: Okay.
DW: Members of the Historical Society, of course, were very prominent in insisting that there be a space in the new library, and that was Marechal Duncan in particular, Ruth Dyer, and I think a couple of other people. George Wasson is on our board.
BH: They got, they could not get the-
DW: Were consistently at City Council meetings when things were discussed and requesting that that……
BH: So why is this new library important to you?
DW: Well, uh, in my capacity as the President of the Historical Society, it’s a home. Finally, after 40 years of going from place to place, we finally have a spot that we can call our own, which we hope to organize and be a real asset to the community. We’ve been documenting all this time, you know, how the city has grown, mostly through photographs, but we also will be having some artifacts, and I think we’ll just be another source of information as the library is. We’re going to hopefully have a speaker about our community growth and the kinds of things that happened here. And I think it’ll just give people a more sense of place.
BH: This is just a question that came to mind. How do you see the average person in Lafayette participating in any way or interfacing with the Historical Society in the library? I mean, you’ve talked about speakers and photographs. Any other-
DW: Well, we’re going to provide walking tours which we have done in the past. And, of course, it’s always done for the third graders. But we have walking tours of the cemetery and of downtown. There are a number of historic sites that have been plaqued, so to speak, that document the history of the Pony Express that stopped here a couple of times. The grist mill was originally very important for all of this part of the county. People- farmers would bring their things to Lafayette, and it was kind of a crossroads in some ways.
BH: Was Lafayette in the early days more of a community of sorts, you know, a farming community, up over Orinda or Walnut Creek, or-
DW: I- I don’t know whether I can make that a determination, but I know that the Town Hall was a central, community social hall, and people came from the Oakland side of the hills once the train was here, and they came out for dances that lasted all night, and so forth. So you know, it was a community space that drew people from all over.
BH: Oh, that’s great. Okay, so you’ve basically been with- connected with the library through the Historical Society.
DW: Exactly. I think that’s how it is. Yes.
BH: And in connection with your role within the Historical Society, what have you enjoyed most in participating in the Historical Society relative to the new library?
DW: Well, it’s just the excitement. I am just thrilled, and I- I know my board is as well. The- the idea that we can really do something for the community now, that we’ve got a space, and we can show what-who we are as a community, who we are as an organization, and be open to what the community needs are in the future by continuing to document what’s going on.
BH: And I would just like to reiterate one point you made, also, just the concept of a sense of place.
DW: I hope so. I mean, I think, uh, it- it’s a really unique place. We’ve made some conscious decisions to- to stay a small community, by not having high rises and that sort of thing. And so I think those are choices that the community has made, and I think that’s reflected in how we’ve collected items and choose to portray ourselves, and hopefully the Historical Society will do the same.
BH: Um, were there any obstacles along the way that- or challenges?
DW: Well, again I’m not a long-time member of the Historical Society, but certainly challenges abound. You have to keep your enthusiasm up, and especially without having a place to show your thing. But I think technology has helped us a little bit, too. So we will have a better record now. And, of course, we’ve had oral histories in the past, and I think it’s just going to come together. And I don’t know, really.
BH: Yes, yes, yes.
DW: Pleased.
BH: What has been maybe your most rewarding experiences of being part of the Historical Society? Or just yourself and this new library?
DW: Well, the reward will be when we open the door for the first time. I think just looking for, anticipating what we can do and provide and really show us how much work the group has been doing all these years, I think, will be a real thrill.
BH: And which of your values are touched in this whole process? What values of yours are hit the hardest in this library development?
DW: I’m kind of at a loss. I just take pride in the community. I think it’s a wonderful place. I really grew up here, so to speak. And I think the City continues to make an effort. And so pride is not quite considered a value, but the community has meanings. I feel like I have roots. And I think the History Room will provide that anchor for others as well, to know that they’ve come to a place that has lasted. We’re over 160 years old now, I think. And so, it’s important to know where you come from.
BH: What transformation have you seen in Lafayette relative to the new library? In other words, how- have you seen any changes in- in people you’ve met, or how they- people have- how people think about the town of Lafayette since this new library campaign and the realization of the library actually being there?
DW: I have spread the word because I am thrilled, and the people that I’ve talked to are surprised about the effort, that the Friends of the Library have put in, you know, their own million dollars has just been amazing. And so I think that speaks volumes to those people that I’ve talked to, that a community would come together and do as much as they have. And I think they are very impressed.
BH: Have you seen any increase in community involvement relative to this new library?
DW: Well, I think we’ve shown a small increase in our own membership, and I don’t know that that necessarily is a one-to-one thing, but we are definitely out and recruiting, and I would say that everybody that I’ve ever come across is ready for it to open up.
BH: What is the most exciting, outside the new site, the historical site? I mean, let’s- we’ll get off that for a moment.
DW: Oh, darn. Yeah.
BH: What is the most exciting to you about the new Lafayette Library?
DW: I think the space. How they are trying to be inclusive of so many interests. The science lab, the consortium, the whole idea of just bringing people to the community from outside to expand our interests and just to have information available. I love the idea of the computers in the room. I like the children’s idea to grow a small garden. I mean, my goodness, that’s unheard of as far as I can imagine. It’s just phenomenal, I guess, that there’s so much available in one place, and a place that everybody can access.
BH: Why do you think the citizens of Lafayette have responded so enthusiastically to this impression?
DW: Because one, the old library is just not with it, and two, because it’s a community building, and it’s going to be more than just a library, and it’s a matter of pride, because we really don’t have a city hall, and that sort of thing, any real space that Lafayette can call its own until now.
BH: And what outcome do you hope for most with the new library?
DW: Just that it’s used to its potential. I mean I don’t see how it can fail. There’s just, uh, a pent up interest, momentum. I think all things will come to those who, even remotely, are interested. There’ll be something there for everyone, I’m just quite sure.
BH: How do you think it will affect and enhance our sensory community?
DW: I don’t see how cannot. Again, it’s downtown. It’s right where everybody, it’s at a crossroad, and, you know, one of the main exits to and from the city. It already is a striking building, and I think it will just show people what Lafayette can do. And then, of course, whatever programs are involved will just bring people there. Parking wonderfully will add a lot to bring people in, too. I think that’s another wonderful thing I have to say.
BH: I agree. Is there anything else you would like to add, or any stories?
DW: I don’t know. You know I was at a loss when I saw that question. We’re very pleased that the City fathers think that history is really important to the community, and we’ll hope to fulfill that trust that they have in us.
BH: Oh, that’s great. Okay. Thank you. There we go. Thank you.
DW: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
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