Santa Fe Springs City Library Renovation

Besides simply making the library larger, several features were added to make the library environment more pleasing and welcoming to members of the community.

Inside, a reading lounge with a fireplace was added to create an inviting, cozy feeling. The lighting was changed in order to allow more sunlight into the building. This has the effect of creating a cheerful space. A new seating area was added around Cafe Libro, a cafe serving coffee, pastries, candy, and other foods approved by the Santa Fe Springs City Council. The cafe meets user needs for refreshments without them having to leave the building. These changes might seem small, but I believe they have a pronounced effect on how likely someone is to visit the library. People tend to avoid cold, unfriendly places, but these additions add a feeling of being comfortably at home. The food and drink options are an added convenience, and likely to keep visitors at the library, sine they won't need to leave for refreshments.

In the expansion, a new adult reading lounge was added, and teen and children areas were expanded. This was done to give each group an environment more suited to its needs. The adults can have needed peace and quiet. The children and teens now have more space and materials available to them. I think this is useful, because many adults who do not have children come to the library expecting to read and work distraction-free. More materials for young readers is always a bonus.

Another addition to the library is the outdoor Cesar Chavez Literacy Garden. Seating in this area was made from recycled tires and batteries. The garden provides an outdoor reading option for patrons, but can also be used for youth activities, such as storytime and crafts. The reading garden may add value for many users. The weather in Santa Fe Springs is nice most of the year, and this is just another incentive for community members to use the library. While it may not have added value or usefulness, I believe many people will appreciate the "green" approach used in furnishing the area.

Finally, technology updates were made. The library now uses Encore as a search tool. Self-checkout kiosks were also added. I believe that these are two of the most important changes that add the most value. Encore will help users find what they need more quickly and kiosks will eliminate waiting in long lines to check out materials. The last technology feature added was a TV screen, which displays CNN during library hours. People today like to be connected to the world and up-to-date on current events, so many users will appreciate the TV.

After a summer focused mostly on academic libraries, at first glance some of these changes seemed trivial and not too useful. I thought maybe the renovation was unnecessary. However, upon consideration, I realized that the library and city council were aware of what community members needed and wanted from their library. $5 million is a lot to spend, and the renovation wouldn't have happened if it was not widely supported.

So far, user responses to the new library have been very positive. It was excellent planning in the sense that the building was made to handle growth that may occur for many years in the future.

Santa Fe Springs is a community of about 17,000 located just southwest of Los Angeles. In Spring 2009, the Santa Fe Springs City Council approved a $5 million renovation project for the Santa Fe Springs City Library. The library serves 176,000 people a year. The goal of the renovation was to provide more of a community environment. The library wanted to become a more functional place for people in the community to gather. The expansion was necessary in order to support growth in print collections. The library also planned for a growth in digital resources. The new building was designed to support sustained growth for twenty years or longer. The renovation of the 51 year old, 15,000 square-foot library involved gutting the building and completely remodeling. The library closed June 22, 2009 and reopened in July 2010. An outdoor garden and library architecture to allow more sunlight inside the library were part of the renovation. New areas and rooms were created, and many features were added to support user needs. This will be discussed more in the next post.