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Lafayette's new library opens November 14, 2009
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"I think the health of our civilization, the depth of our awareness about the underpinnings of our culture and our concern for the future can all be tested by how well we support our libraries." Carl Sagan
Learning tree station. Photo by Lainie Johnson
As libraries and schools face increasing budget cuts, it’s encouraging to see evidence of investment in public education. Looking for signs of progress? Check out Lafayette’s new library when it opens on November 14, 2009.
Located at the corner of Mt. Diablo Boulevard and First Street, this whopping three-story, 30,000+ square foot facility is stocked with four multimedia screens, 43 public computer workstations, a technology lab, an art and science discovery center, a community meeting room, a performance hall complete with a Steinway Grand Model B piano, a Zen garden, a solar chimney, the city’s emergency control center with dedicated generator power, roughly $500,000 in public art works, and (oh yeah) over 75,000 books and audiovisual materials with shelving to spare.
Perhaps the most visionary aspect of this new library is the organization of the Glenn Seaborg Learning Consortium. Named after the Nobel Prize-winning physicist and long-time Lafayette resident Glenn Seaborg, this organization brings together 12 distinguished Bay Area cultural and educational institutions to enhance the library’s already robust offerings. The consortium includes UC Lawrence Hall of Science, Oakland Museum of California, Chabot Space and Science Center, Commonwealth Club of California, Oakland Zoo, John Muir/Mt. Diablo Health System, Lindsay Wildlife Museum, California Shakespeare Theater, Greenbelt Alliance, John F. Kennedy University, St. Mary’s College, and the UC Institute of Governmental Studies. Patrons of the library will benefit from the wealth of materials, workshops, lectures and films the consortium brings. Librarian Susan Weaver beams with pride as she details the potential for new programs.
Art on the Children's Activity Deck. Photo L. Johnson
“It is our mission to provide life-long learning opportunities,” says Weaver. That mission is echoed in the programs they plan to offer, including: technology tutoring for senior citizens taught by local tech-savvy youth; senior citizens reading at preschool story hours; book clubs geared for every age and certain demographics including mother/daughter book clubs; literacy programs; peer-to-peer homework clubs with school textbooks on site, and; lectures on autism to foster community groups for parents of autistic children.
While the programs provide the content and context for learning, the facility provides spaces to sit down and digest that knowledge. Teens can hang at the expansive (and surprisingly quiet) teen center. Adults can lounge on the reading deck or in the periodicals nook. Children will have fun discovering the architectural details in their section that inspire wonder, imagination and curiosity. Look for the big dipper windows, learning tree workstations and an artistic representation of Lafayette’s local creeks on the activity deck. Hungry for more? You’re in luck. In deference to retail bookstores, the library also has plans for a new café with outdoor seating. You can also visit the Lafayette Historical Society or the Friends of the Lafayette Library book shop on-site.
Compressed wood supports. Photo Lainie Johnson
Despite everything there is to marvel at here, one of the most fascinating things is how this library came to be. The dream started over 25 years ago, when the Friends of the Library book shop began saving proceeds from their book sales knowing that a new library would be needed in the future. Those nickels, dimes and quarters added up to the first angel donor donation of $1 million. Since then there has been an outpouring of support from the Lafayette community; twenty-five percent of Lafayette households have donated funds for the project.
One can only hope this library will serve as a national model for future structures. Green building features including recycled teak from railroad trestles and ties, permeable pavers surrounded by drought-tolerant plantings and solar cells over the car port. Bicyclists are welcomed with parking for 20 bicycles; busy moms will marvel at the drive-through book drop where books are later stacked and sorted by genre using the latest RFID technology.
Opening day festivities start at 9:00am with a parade from the site of the old library to the new library led by Betsy, Lafayette’s first fire truck. Once there you can listen to musical performances, meet animals, make a rocket or a bridge with members of the consortium, look through solar telescopes, watch theater performances, hear educational lectures, get your picture taken with Old Betsy, get your blood pressure tested - even check out some books. As librarian Susan Weaver remarked, “We are only limited by our imagination.”
For more info:
Lafayette Library Learning Center and Foundation
Building information
Donations
Library website
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