Mission Statement
The Covina Public Library’s mission is to provide an institution where informational, educational and recreational materials will be easily accessible to the entire community; to meet the library's ever changing needs via the latest technology; to develop a staff that is responsive to the needs of the residents of Covina – a staff that is well able to select, organize and maintain the library's collection and who can interpret the library's contents and relate them to individual needs – and; to encourage use of the library as a community information and activities center.
History
The Covina Reading Room and Library Association, started by private subscription, opened its doors on May 10, 1897.
In 1903, the President of the Library Association, E.H. Lahee, began corresponding with the office of Andrew Carnegie in New York. Carnegie replied in a letter dated April 11, 1905: “Responding to your communication on behalf of Covina – if the city agree by resolution of Councils to maintain a free public library, at a cost of not less than $800 a year, and provide a suitable site for the building, Mr. Carnegie will be pleased to furnish $8,000 to erect a free public library building for Covina.”
On April 22, 1905, the city's local paper, The Covina Argus, stressed the importance of soon determining the location of the new library site. "An opportunity now presents itself for some of our public spirited citizens to assist in this good work," urged this writer. "We have such amongst us, as has already been shown by the generous offer made by Mrs. B.F. Cook to present to the library trustees a lot with 50 feet frontage on the east side of Second Street, just north of the Baptist Church. This lot fronts on the broadest street in our city and is only 850 feet from the First National Bank. There are other suitable sites and it is hoped that before a selection has to be made [that] other citizens will be heard from."
Nearly eight months later, the new Carnegie library opened on December 4, 1905. A large crowd assembled for the opening and a total of 1,100 people signed a register.
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