It was dedicated to the memory of their husband and father, General Edward Fitzgerald Beale.

[5] The Kern County Library System (originally called the Kern County Free Library) was organized on July 11, 1911.

[5] The existing building served the needs of the system until 1952, when it was destroyed by the Kern County earthquake.

By the mid 1980s, that building became too small to hold the growing collection.

In 1988, the library was moved to its current location at 701 Truxtun Ave.[5] In addition to the Beale Memorial Library in Downtown Bakersfield, there are 23 additional branches throughout Kern County.