The paper describes the history of the public library in Santa Barbara from 1870 to 1926 while taking into account two of the thematic underpinnings of the American library tradition: women in the profession and the importance of books and libraries in the community. It is divided into three sections including, the importance of books and libraries, women librarianship, and the history of the Santa Barbara Public Library. The library’s ideology and history espouses the themes inherent in American library history. At the same time, some of the qualities of Santa Barbara’s library contradict prevalent ideas of the times—especially in regards to female librarians. The details of Santa Barbara Public Library’s workings are fascinating and provide a great deal of insight into the city life and, by extension, its role in the greater United States as an institution of cultural and intellectual headquarters.