The
Lewis Library and Technology Center (the Fontana
Library) held its opening event on Saturday, April
18, 2008 much to the delight of the thousands who
attended. At the celebration a Fontana
kindergartner, caught up in the day’s festive
spirit, decided to join the library’s long list
of financial benefactors. Moments after the mayor,
city, county, and state officials cut a big red
ribbon, the 6-year old cornered the Police Chief
who is also the president of the Fontana Library
Foundation and the two counted out $3.36 in
nickels, dimes, quarters and pennies that the
youngster had earned doing household chores. The
boy exclaimed “I love the library so much!” as
he donated his money.
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Mark
Nuami, Mayor City of Fontana served as master of ceremonies
for the opening event. He is acknowledging Randall
Lewis, Executive Vice President, Lewis Group of
Companies.
[Photo courtesy City of Fontana]
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The
state-of-the-art library located in Fontana’s
Civic Center next to the City Hall is now the
governmental, geographic, and historic center of
the city. The two-story 93,000 square foot
building cost $65 million. The City of Fontana
supplied the land and paid for much of the
construction costs, while the California State
Library provided a Bond Act Grant of $14,900,075.
The San Bernardino County Library will operate the
library. $15.3 million was raised in private
donations including a donation of $5 million from
the Lewis Group of Companies.
The
library’s special features include a literacy
center, a career center, tutoring programs, an
auditorium with seating for 330, 10 self check-out
machines, over 100,000 items including 7,850
reference, media and periodical items, 200 public
use computers, electronic databases, a book mark
coffee bar, and a teen area where computer
stations resemble race car tires as part of the
NASCAR theme. People entering the Children’s
Library pass by a projection screen, and it
appears that words or letters are falling from the
ceiling.
For
complete details about the Fontana Library
construction project, please visit their page
on the California State Library website.
Highland
Sam J. Racadio Library and Environmental Learning
Center
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An aerial
photo of the Highland Sam J. Racadio Library and
Environmental Learning Center features a rooftop garden that
includes native plants.
[Photo courtesy STK Architects]
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The
Highland Sam J. Racadio Library and Environmental
Learning Center, named for Highland’s first city
manager (1987-2006), opened Saturday, May 31, 2008
much to the delight of the local community.
Funding for the library came from several sources
including a California State Library Bond Act
grant ($5,165,070), with additional funding from
the Highland Redevelopment Agency, San Bernardino
County, and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency.
The
environmental, conservation, and educational
details throughout the new 30,000 square foot
Highland Sam J. Racadio Library and Environmental
Learning Center respond to the community’s need
for information and skills on environmental
subjects and issues. The new facility includes a
rooftop garden, amphitheatre, and flora and fauna
exhibits. It has an Environmental Learning Center
where, through interactive displays, children can
see animals and insects such as chinchillas,
iguanas and Madagascar hissing cockroaches. The
facility is built with recycled or reused
materials, provides extensive use of natural
light, and uses a rooftop landscape as natural
insulation. The building has been commissioned and
certified to meet the U.S. Green Building
Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficient
Design) Standards: they have applied for LEED
Silver.
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Opening
day crowds waiting to get their first glimpse of the new
Highland Sam J. Racadio Library & Environmental Learning
Center.
[Photo courtesy Elizabeth Hughes]
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The new library has an expanded collection of 128,000
items, 2 group study rooms, 100 computers, a quiet
room, a 100 seat meeting room, conference rooms, a
computer lab, 2 individual tutoring study rooms,
and much, much more.
For
complete details about the Highland Sam J. Racadio
Library and Environmental Learning Center
construction project, please visit their page
on the California State Library website.
North
Natomas
Breaking
ground for the new North Natomas Library, a branch
of the Sacramento Public Library, from left to
right are: Dr. Brice Harris (Chancellor, Los Rios
Community College District); Anne Marie Gold
(Library Director, Sacramento Public Library);
Heather Fargo (Mayor, City of Sacramento); Ray
Tretheway (Councilmember, City of Sacramento,
District 1); Susan Hildreth (State Librarian,
California State Library); Ron Dwyer-Voss
(President, Natomas Unified School District); Dr.
Steve M. Farrar (Superintendent, Natomas Unified
School District).
[Photo courtesy Sacramento
Public Library]
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Anne
Marie Gold, Library Director, Sacramento Public Library,
welcomes attendees to the ground breaking event for the
future North Natomas Library.
[Photo courtesy Sacramento Public Library]
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The
Sacramento Public Library sponsored a ground
breaking event for the new North Natomas Library
on Thursday, April 3, 2008. The new library,
a recipient of a Bond Act of 2000 grant, will be
located near the Inderkum High School and the
American River College Natomas Center. It will
serve the community’s needs as well as those of
the neighboring schools’ faculty, staff and
students. The 23,011 square foot library will open
in fall of 2009.
For
complete details about the North Natomas Library
construction project, please visit their page
on the California State Library website.
Oakland
Public Library groundbreaking on 81st Avenue
Oakland
Public Library Director Carmen Martinez speaks to
an audience of nearly 250 students and community
members at ground breaking ceremony for the
81st Avenue Library in East Oakland.
[Photo
courtesy Moyafotografx]
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The
Oakland Jazz Workshop led by Khalil Shaheed performed at the
ground breaking ceremony for the 81st. Avenue Library in
Oakland.
[Photo courtesy Moyafotografx].
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The
Oakland Public Library held a ground breaking
ceremony event for the new East Oakland Community
Library at 81st Avenue on Friday, May 30. The new
library, to be located on the campus of Acorn
Woodland School & EnCompass Academy, received
a Bond Act of 2000 grant and will be 28,112 square
feet.
For
complete details about the new library go to the
81st Avenue Branch Library construction project,
please visit their page
on the California State Library website.
Fresno
County Library breaks ground for
Orange Cove
Library
Karen
Bosch Cobb (Fresno County Librarian), Judith Case
(Fresno County Supervisor), Victor Lopez (Mayor,
City of Orange Cove), along with several community
members, participated in the ground breaking
celebration.
[Photo courtesy Dennis Rickard, Fresno County
Library]
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Over
100 community members attended the ground breaking event for
the new Orange Cove Library.
[Photo courtesy Dennis Rickard, Fresno County Library]
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Fresno
County Library held a ground breaking event for
the new Orange Cove Library on Saturday, June 7,
2008. Early arrivals were greeted by
mariachi music provided by the City of Orange
Cove. It was a real community event that
included the county supervisor, mayor,
superintendent of schools, and 3 city council
members along with the Orange Cove Blossom Queen
and the Orange Cove Cinco De Mayo Queen.
Local youth distributed programs and book marks.
The new library, a recipient of a Bond Act of 2000
grant, will be 9,735 square feet and received a
state grant of $2,807,698.
For
complete details about the Orange Cove Library,
please visit their page
on the California State Library website.
Locally
Funded Library Openings
Some
California libraries have locally raised all funds
for constructing or renovating library facilities
in their communities. If you know of a new library
construction or renovation project in your area,
please email
CSL Connection Editor Sarah Dalton and we
will include a profile of your library in an
upcoming issue of CSL Connection.
Watsonville
opens new main library
Civic
Center Plaza Building houses the new Watsonville
Public Library on the first two levels. [Photo
courtesy LPA Associates]
Watsonville
Public Library opened its new main library on
April 14, 2008. The library is located on the
first two floors of the 42,000 square foot 4 floor
Civic Center Plaza building which also houses the
Superior Courts of Santa Cruz County, city
administrative offices, City Council Chamber, a
community meeting room, and available lease space.
The $9 million building, which has complex
security details necessary for the courts, is
located one block from the original Carnegie
Library built in 1911 and the replacement library
that was built in 1976.
Though
most of the library’s funding came from a ¼
cent sales tax originally passed in 1996 to fund
all of the libraries in Santa Cruz County, funding
also included several grants, including a $214,000
technology enhancement grant under Library
Services and Construction Act Title II (LSCA) [the
last LSCA Title II grant in California], and some
redevelopment monies. On June 3, 2008, county
voters passed a new ¼ cent sales tax, so funding
will continue for libraries.
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A story time amphitheatre is part of the
children's services area in the new Watsonville
Public Library.
[Photo courtesy Jim Heitzig]
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The
community became involved in the building process
over 12 years ago. Over the years, local focus
groups have shared their input with the library
board, the Friends of the Library, and the staff
to create a new library that offers a place for
the community to “gather, learn and
celebrate.”
The
library includes: a computer lab with 28
computers; four study rooms; two conference rooms;
large community meeting room; a craft room; a
story time amphitheatre; a literacy center; a teen
space; 16 online public access computers; early
literacy stations in the children’s room; and a
book nook where Friends of the Library sell books.
In order to work in a space that’s twice the
size of the old library with no increase in staff,
5 self-check out machines have been installed.
Staff who historically worked behind the scenes in
support services, have now been trained as
“roamers” to work with the public on the
service desks.
A
special feature of the Watsonville Public Library
is the California Agricultural Workers History
Center (CAWHC) which was funded by a 2007
California Cultural and Historic Endowment (CCHE)
round one grant for $130, 970 and private
donations. With its stories of the workers who
came to Watsonville and the surrounding areas in
the Pajaro Valley, the CAWHC offers rich source
materials for researchers and local historians.
With the help of an advisory committee, the
library board and other historical and
agricultural-based groups, the library will
continue to develop this unique and valuable
collection.
Library
Director Carol Heitzig says,” It is a joy to be
able to offer the community of Watsonville a new
library. The people of Watsonville deserve this
library and what it offers—the chance to gather
in a beautiful setting and find the information
they need helped by professional staff who are
eager to help them.”
For
more information about the Watsonville Public
Library, please contact Watsonville Public Library
Director Carol Heitzig at (831)768-3409 or email
at cheitzig@ci.watsonville.ca.us.
Beaumont
Library District restoration
The
grand opening of the Beaumont Library District's
Early Learning Family Place was a real community
celebration.
[Photo courtesy Nancy Fritzal]
Over
1000 people attended the recent grand opening of
the Beaumont Library District’s Early Learning
Family Place. The new 1800 square foot space was
created during a full restoration of the 1914
Carnegie Library that was originally founded with
a $10,000 grant from philanthropist and steel
magnate, Andrew Carnegie. The second fastest
growing city in California this year with much of
its housing marketed to families, Beaumont
received funding for the $650,000 library
restoration from a variety of sources including
the City of Beaumont’s Redevelopment Agency and
the Riverside County Economic Development Agency.
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The Beaumont Library District's Early Learning
Family Place is ready for business.
[Photo
courtesy Nancy Fritzal]
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The
entire restoration project, of which the Early
Learning Family Place is part, involved removing
three roofs to get back to the original roofline
and contractors used the 1913 plans to restore the
original roof with a 21st century energy-efficient
roof and drainage system. A skylight that had been
covered over in the 1940’s was replaced along
with the addition of a new HVAC system, wiring,
computer cables, and an elevator. In addition, the
Library District took advantage of this capital
project to replace flooring, add shelving, and
upgrade water lines, electric panels, gas lines,
air handlers, water heaters and transformer.
In
keeping with the library’s design roots,
designers chose the paint colors for the newly
developed Early Learning Family Place from the
library’s 1936 WPA Commission Henri de Kruif
murals. The building exterior was painted the same
cream color it had in 1914.
The
second floor Early Learning Family Place builds on
the knowledge that early learning, parental
involvement and supportive communities play a
critical role in childhood growth and development.
Library Director Clara DiFelice states “The
re-designed library environment is appropriate for
children beginning at birth. Parenting workshops
and non-traditional story time programs are
offered four days each week and our goal is to
provide families with support to nurture their
children’s development during the critical first
years of life and ensure that all children enter
school ready and able to learn.”
For
more information about the Beaumont Library
District’s Early Learning Family Place, please
contact Library Director Clara DiFelice at (951)
845-1357.
