Things are Looking Up

What a difference a year can make! Branch libraries’ hours are being restored, the Library is filling its vacancies and the new Central Library’s construction continues to be on time and on budget! And, the iconic dome topping off the new library building is being constructed!

Mayor Sanders recently announced the end of the City’s fiscal crisis. With that announcement he also revealed that his Mid-Year Budget proposal included restoration of hours for branch libraries. Council approved the budget proposal. Library staff and community members are thankful and anxious for the branch libraries to be open more hours ASAP.

This increase in hours applies to the base schedule for all branch libraries, increasing from 36 hours per week to 41 hours per week. Branch libraries currently open on Sundays – City Heights/Weingart, La Jolla/Riford, Point Loma/Hervey and Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa, thanks to available private funding, all will retain their Sunday hours for a total of 45 hours open per week.

The Library started slowly filling vacancies earlier this fiscal year. We are pleased to accelerate hiring efforts in order to expand hours. The hiring process has procedures that must be followed so it may take a little time. We expect to complete the process of restoring hours by the end of May.

Have you been watching the webcam on our website? If so, you’ve seen the amazing “Beacon of Knowledge.” That’s what some of us are calling the dome, the iconic structure being constructed atop the library building. Traveling along I-5 recently, I spotted the dome in its beginning formation. It was a sight to behold – beautiful! I was surprised by the emotions it invoked in me. I can only imagine how it will look when completed.


Dome being erected on New Central Library

Having visited the top of the 9th floor with City and Turner engineers, I had an opportunity to see the range of views that will be seen from the building. I am so excited about the experience that will be shared with San Diegans and visitors who will come to our spectacular new library.

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Doug Wenck, Turner’s “Dome Engineer”

View from the 9th Floor of the New Central Library

The new Central Library will be a symbol and a tangible example of our city’s commitment to knowledge, literacy, learning and community engagement. The dome will call us to it.

Nitty-Gritty Details

I was so excited yesterday to find frontline library staff members working directly with the new Central Library consultant and library managers on some of the details for the new Central Library. This is how we will find good answers to design and its relationship to services – through the nitty-gritty details for this project which, for some, has been conceptual until very recently.

And, there’s a wealth of details to review – from the height, size and capacity of shelving to design of furniture, end panels and carpeting. All of these considerations require a balance of form, function and budget - not necessarily in that order.

Ultimately, the budget has the potential to drive many of our decisions, and we had some great news recently regarding the budget. Funding has been guaranteed to ensure that the new Central Library project continues into the 2nd phase and to completion. We are very thankful to the very generous folks who have provided the guarantee! The project is moving along very well and we still anticipate opening in Summer 2013.

Another item of good news relates to the City’s budget, as announced by Mayor Sanders at the State of the City Address. The deficit that will need to be addressed in the FY 2013 budget of just over $31 million is likely to be much less, possibly in the range of $12 million. As a General Fund department, this is great news! While the deficit clearly needs to be addressed, I am hopeful that the lower amount will result in lower impact to the Library system.

This is starting out to be a great year already!

Happy Holidays and Thank You!

Thank you for reading this blog. My intention was to keep you informed about what's going on at SDPL but the pace is fast and the blogging not so fast. I am posting this last entry of the year 2011 from Uruguay on a computer that knows Spanish, so please forgive any of my errors :-)

It's been another eventful year! The City still has challenges with our budget but with considerable skill and effort, it´s improving each year. There were no cuts to the Library this fiscal year, for which we are ever thankful. Our programs have blossomed and attracted national recognition. Staff has won scholarships, fellowships and some have given presentations at national and regional conferences. Things are going well.

Please take a look at the webcam for the new Central Library. The 9 story shell is nearly completed. I am so thrilled with what this new library will do for our system and community. The year has gone quickly and much progress has been made. I am betting this next year will zoom by and we will be ready to move into the new library within months of its completion in 2013. Then we all will see how awesome it´s going to be to have a new major library in our town. The architecture, the services, the technology, the community gathering capabilities and special features are going to be great. You just wait and see :-)

Thank you for your interest and support of the San Diego Public Library system. Happy Holidays and see you next year!

Happy Holidays

Busy with Programs, Costumes and Safety on the Job

I dropped by some of our branch libraries yesterday and the atmosphere at each one was fun, vibrant and busy. Library staff members were dressed in their finest costumes, from Tinker Bell with oversized wings, to the Orange Lady with fancy and very large, orange and black butterfly lashes. Children and adults, as well, expressed admiration and approval.

I heard reports of record attendance at the programs yesterday. I also observed the bustling activity of people registering for library cards, getting assistance with their inquiries, frantically finishing projects using the library computers at closing time, and checking out books and DVDs for the weekend.

The programs and costumes were all in fun, the other activities all about library business – just the way we at SDPL connect to our communities. Thanks to our library staff for their on-going work, especially Youth Services for the fabulous programs yesterday!

And speaking of records, a visit to the new Central Library job site on Friday confirmed that Turner Construction and our subcontractors on site have maintained their excellent safety record. Construction began over a year ago and there has been no work stoppage due to accidents. That’s a great record to uphold. Thanks to all of the crews working on the new Central Library! Keep up the good work.

Please take a look at the webcam to see progress on the project -http://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/about-the-library/newcentral.shtml. The sixth floor is being constructed now and walls are going up on lower floors.


This is going to be an amazing library!

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.

A Source of Inspiration - LAPL and Others

“Paying my dues” to the profession recently, I spoke at an event for library trustees and commissioners in the Los Angeles area. In return, I received so much inspiration! The participants were genuinely interested in the San Diego Public Library story and they expressed their appreciation for our community’s perseverance in moving forward with the new library construction project. Others who spoke reminded me of how dedicated supporters and volunteers are making a difference in keeping library services available throughout California for all to enjoy.

And speaking of inspiration, on Tuesday, March 8, 2011 voters in the City of Los Angeles approved a ballot measure dedicated to funding their library system! Since I was in the area, I decided to go visit the Los Angeles Central Library. Was I ever impressed?!? The place was abuzz with activity. There were groups of people rushing around trying to identify locations as part of a scavenger hunt. The participants seemed to be having so much fun, I wanted to join them. People were everywhere in that vast library, studying, borrowing books, using computers. It was such a validation of our own plan in San Diego seeing this large municipal library that was built many years ago offering so much benefit to the community.

I visited the teen area to get ideas for that section of our new Central Library. I had two teen relatives with me and they were excited. They reminded me that months ago they had offered a suggestion that a true teen area would have large bean bags for students. So they took me to see exactly what they meant - in LAPL’s teen room there, indeed, were the giant bean bags! And, intriguingly, each was occupied by a male student engrossed in reading. It was such a site to behold!

There were other fun features at LAPL too - the round booths for shared computer study, and the relaxed seating where snacks were allowed (occupied by the girls). The Library Foundation's bookstore was pure fun shopping. The restaurant area is called the "Book Ends Cafe." We had a lovely lunch there. Others were there enjoying a meal and conversation, too. I was thrilled to see a family come in to set up a birthday party in a reserved room in the cafe.

There were so many things that we are planning to include in our new library that are happening now at LAPL’s Central Library. While it will be different for us, no doubt, it is so much fun to see a real life example of many of the features and services that will be ours at the new Central Library for the City of San Diego, very soon...