There's not much in San Diego County's easternmost town of Jacumba Hot Springs. That's why the town's library, which turned 100 this past weekend, is so vital.
Jacumba doesn't have "a lot of high-income people," said Catherine Burnett, the former president of the Friends of the Jacumba Library. So when residents need something, they often turn to the library.
"It's just a big source of all kinds of information," Burnett said.
Here's it's history: The library began as a shelf in the town's convenience store. Later it moved into the Women's Club, before getting its own home in a small cottage.
The library is now in a larger building constructed in 1997.
“Our library is very important, especially to the schoolchildren," said Jo Murphy, treasurer of the Friends of the Jacumba Library.
"The library furnishes many things like computers, all the books that you need, even movies. ... It’s just an all-around wonderful thing for Jacumba because there is not a lot up there," Murphy said.
Through the library's free internet access, patrons also are able to connect to health and human service benefits, and employment and housing resources, said Sarah Misquez, the library's branch manager.
According to the latest Census, Jacumba has 561 residents, but the library — which also serves the tiny towns of Boulevard and Ocotillo — has 1,900 cardholders who check out 47,000 items a year. Misquez said 200 to 400 people visit the library each day.
She said the library also offers 700 programs each year, including bingo, line dancing, crafts, story times, knitting, crocheting and computer classes.
Last year, the library also served as the location for free summer lunches and served 600 of them. The library is doing that again this year.
