Editing Hemet, California (section)

==Library==
[[File:Hemet Public Library.jpg|thumb|Hemet Public Library, located in downtown]]
The City of Hemet public library was created in 1906. Members of the Women's Club opened a reading room at the corner of Harvard Street and Florida Avenue.

In 1910, citizens of the newly formed city voted for its own library, and the city took over the operation of the facility built in 1906. Shortly after, the reading room became too small for the growing community, and groups and citizens lobbied for a newer, larger facility to house the growing collection of books. A woman of the community named Mrs. E.A. Davis was the one who wrote to [[Andrew Carnegie]] seeking funds to help build a new library. The city received $7,500 to fund part of the construction, and Mr. and Mrs. St. John donated land to the city to build the new [[Carnegie Library]]. The new library was finished in 1913, and served the city for 52 years. The building was declared unsafe by the [[Fire Marshall]] and razed in 1969, and the new C.B. Covell Memorial Library was built. This building however, also became too small for the city.

The library moved again in 2003, to its current facility, relocated for the first time since 1913. The new facility is now located at 300 E. Latham Avenue, just blocks from its former location. The new building is two stories tall, and contains {{convert|52000|sqft|m2|sigfig=2}}. It was designed by John Loomis of 30th Street Architects at a cost of over $15 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Library History |url=http://www.cityofhemet.org/library/library_history.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081203181132/http://www.cityofhemet.org/library/library_history.htm |archive-date=December 3, 2008 |access-date=September 18, 2010 |website=City of Hemet}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=August 17, 2009 |title=Performance Audit |url=http://www.cityofhemet.org/library/pdfs/Final%20report%20rev.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100925033427/http://cityofhemet.org/library/pdfs/Final%20report%20rev.pdf |archive-date=September 25, 2010 |access-date=September 18, 2010 |website=City of Hemet}}</ref>

<gallery>
File:Downtown Hemet - Bank of Hemet Building.jpg|NE Corner of Harvard Street and Florida Avenue
File:Harvard District - Downtown Hemet.jpg|Harvard District - Downtown Hemet in 2014

File:Hemet Theater - panoramio.jpg|Hemet Theater in downtown, built in 1921
File:Looking North on Harvard, Downtown.jpg|Harvard Street, looking north in 2008
File:Downtown Hemet - Harvard St at Florida Ave.jpg|Downtown Hemet, looking north down Harvard Street
</gallery>