The Library is the Happening Place

There’s no question. It’s been a tough budget year. At this point it looks better for the library. If the final budget remains as proposed and voted on by Council, we will maintain our 36 hours at branch libraries into the next fiscal year starting on July 1, 2011; and we will not have to make staff reductions after all. If that happens, we will all breathe a sigh of relief and can move forward on addressing the evolving needs of our community with the current level of resources.

While much of our time was focused on the budget, Library staff continued to provide outstanding service and high quality programs. Recent awards they received reflect this dedication. READ/San Diego – Families for Literacy Program won $10,000 in the annual Better World Books/NCFL Libraries and Families Award. READ/San Diego was recognized for helping adult participants achieve their literacy goals, including sharing books with their children and helping them with homework.

Our History Librarian, Rick Crawford, received the History Award of Excellence from the Historical Resources Board for his Union-Tribune “The Way We Were” weekly column detailing the history of the San Diego region. Although writing the column is not directly associated with his position in the Library, it is representative of the special historical expertise that Rick brings to his work with the Library’s Special Collections, including genealogy, the California Room local treasures, and the Wangenheim Rare Book Collection.

The Logan Heights Branch Library Teens “Project Unknown,” which I referenced in a past blog, won 2nd runner up (third place) and $1,000.00 in the highly competitive American Library Association Teen Video Contest, “Why I Need My Library.” The six teens who submitted the video are 13 years old and members of the Logan Heights Branch Library Teen Council. They filmed and edited the video and also wrote and performed their original song about why their library is a special place. We’re so proud of their accomplishment and how actively they advocate for their library!

And there’s more…The San Diego Family Magazine just awarded Mission Valley Branch Library and Scripps Miramar Ranch Branch Library the Best Children’s Libraries. Hundreds of readers voted for their favorite things to do, places to go and local hotspots in San Diego. The magazine’s voters recognized what community members have known for years about the amazing resources that the San Diego Public Library provides to people of all ages.

In addition to these awards, we have so much happening at all of our libraries. In May the Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library hosted a successful job fair that allowed job seekers to meet with top employers, acquire job leads, connect with key job resources, attend seminars, get referrals, and network. Linda Vista Branch Library hosted a Technology Fair for Older Adults to learn more about using various technology devices. University Community Branch Library hosted a College Application Essay Writing Workshop to provide tips to teens for how to write college application essays that stand out.

The summer is going to be just as busy with Summer Reading Program beginning June 15. This year in addition to children and teens, we are offering adults a chance to participate and win fabulous prizes. Black Storytellers of San Diego will present captivating stories at Valencia Park/Malcolm X Branch Library in honor of Juneteeth, the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the U.S. And construction on the new Central Library is progressing on schedule. The "gravity arch," designed to carry the load of upper floors, is now being erected and is quite impressive to see on the skyline. Check out the new detailed webcam that allows you to zoom in on construction in real time.


It’s going to be an exciting summer and I’m looking forward to planning for the year ahead. We are eager to examine how we can evolve our services to meet the changing needs of our community.

The People Behind the New Central Construction Project

On day 101 of the construction project for the new Central Library, I had the pleasure of being among the very first to tour the construction site. The people behind the project at Turner Construction Company, along with city engineering and project management staff, led the tour and told us all about the processes that were occurring. In the photo below are team members shaping the new Central Library construction project, although conspicuously missing from the photo is Tony Perez, the City’s Resident Engineer for this project. He decided to be our photographer and he did a great job!

From left to right, are: Cynthia Meinhardt, City of San Diego Project Officer II
with the Engineering and Capital Projects Dept. (E&CP); Afshin Oskoui, City Engineer
and Assistant Director of E&CP; Dave Jarrell, Deputy Chief Operating Officer for
Public Works; and Kristine Wunder-Myers, Safety Manager for Turner Construction Co.
Continuing along the back, left to right, are: Tony Heinrichs, Acting Director of E&CP;
John Scheuer, General Superintendent, Turner Construction Co.; Ron Rudolph,
Vice President, Turner Construction Co.; Darren Greenhalgh, Deputy Director of E&CP;
and Nikki Lewis, Associate Engineer with E&CP. In front, left to right,
standing next to me is Carmen Vann, Senior Project Manager, Turner Construction Co.;
and to the far right is Amy Benjamin, Policy Advisor in the Office of Mayor Jerry Sanders.

We were on site with hard hats, safety vests and sturdy shoes. It was fascinating to hear about the process of constructing such a building and seeing firsthand the workflow among the various trades on site. It was impressive how well they worked together. We saw carpenters, steelworkers, and concrete workers, just to name a few, actively working step by step to complete their part and pass the work on to the next stage to keep the job going. The safety record on the job site is impressive, too. As of day 101 there were no safety incidents resulting in lost time.

From left to right, next to me are: Turner Construction Safety Manager
Kristine Wunder-Myers, City of San Diego Project Officer with the
Engineering and Capital Projects Cynthia Meinhardt, and
Senior Project Manager with Turner Construction Carmen Vann.

And, speaking of working well together, take a look at the photo above. Shown with me are the women leaders of this amazing construction project. I think that Kristine, Cynthia and Carmen are exceptional women who chose to take what has been considered (perhaps in the past) as an unconventional path to their careers. These are people with major skills and smarts who have reached high levels. I believe that these three women will serve as role models for many of us for years to come. I am so thankful to them and the many expert, dedicated, people involved in this project. I am thankful as well for the many people who support our library system in various ways.