Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, 9th District Councilmember Rex Richardson, 8th District Councilmember Al Austin and the Department of Library Services will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the North Neighborhood Library at 10am on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 5870 Atlantic Ave.
“The new North Library is extremely important because Long Beach Public Library services are both more popular and more necessary than ever,” Garcia said. “Investing in our libraries is an investment in education and lifelong learning, and supporting education is the best investment we can make in our community’s future.”
The new library will be a state-of-the-art 24,655-square-foot single-story facility and will feature many amenities, including three separate community meeting rooms, a community patio, a storytime theater space, displays for artwork, an expanded children’s library and separate library areas for teens and adults, according to the City. The new building will feature artistic glass walls and green foliage to face residences on Lime Avenue and incorporate a reproduction of the former Atlantic Theatre’s iconic tower into a glass roof accenting the children’s section.
“The Uptown Renaissance continues with the new North Library,” Richardson said. “The new North Library will increase the quality of life for community members and increase civic engagement by giving residents of north Long Beach more space to gather, share new ideas, and meet and interact with one another.”
The current North Library, located nearby at 5571 Orange Ave., was built in 1951 and is 6,800 square feet. One of the City’s smaller libraries, it serves the largest population of all the neighborhood libraries in Long Beach, according to the City. The new library will be four times the size of the current branch, and its collection will double in size, offering four times more computer workstations and an enhanced Family Learning Center, according to the City.
“The new North Library will enable more people to access the information they need and desire,” Austin said. “The larger facility will also facilitate increased programs and services to the entire community, including children, families, teens, adults and seniors.”
The new library will also feature a makerspace, self-checkout kiosks, an automated book return and sorting system, and 3D printing, along with enhanced technology services for disabled residents, currently available only at the Main Library.
“As more information is delivered via computers, smart phones and other electronic devices, our community needs the ability to discover, comprehend and present content across various media,” said Glenda Williams, director of Library Services. “Enhancing technology at the new North Library will provide more opportunities to patrons of North Library to develop these skills for the 21st century.”
The project has been designed to incorporate many energy-efficiency and water-conservation measures in order to achieve LEED Silver Certification. The design will improve indoor air quality for inhabitants and reduce consumption of resources, according to the City.
The library will be located on former redevelopment agency (RDA)-owned property, and is scheduled to open mid 2016.
The $17-million project is funded through a variety of sources, including American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (ARRA) bonds issued by the former RDA, upland oil funds and one-time funds approved by the City Council.
Source: City of LB
