Santa Barbara Public Library Reopen Main Level

Santa Barbara Public Library reached a construction milestone last week after several days of closure in January, February, and March for construction activities. Central Library’s main level now includes access to fiction, DVDs, and audiobooks on CDs for browsing. Nine computer workstations are now available for patron use on the main level, in addition to several on the upper level. Copying and printing are now also available on the main level.

“Most libraries would have closed indefinitely during a construction project of this scope and scale, but we are committed to remaining open to the fullest extent possible. Library staff have worked through the challenges presented by operating a library in an active construction zone with creativity and hard work. It has required a lot of flexibility and relocating critical operations multiple times. Still, we’re glad to serve the community and thankful that Public Works supported that goal,” said Library Director Jessica Cadiente.

During the disruption of services at Central Library for the last several months, SBPL has increased the amount of programming at Eastside Library and outreach initiatives in the community. Though Central Library is almost back to normal operations, SBPL has no plans to scale back on these additions to the schedule.

“We’ve found that while construction has been inconvenient, focusing on programming at Eastside Library and getting the Library on the Go van out to more locations has allowed us to bring library services to many people in our community for the first time,” said Cadiente.

Eastside Library’s early literacy classes are full to capacity most weeks.  Hours for Community Connections assisting with social service navigation, SBPL Works! Appointments with jobseekers, English Conversation groups, and adult programs have all expanded. The Library on the Go can be seen around town at parks, schools, and senior housing an average of 10-12 times a week, in addition to special pop-up events. Central Library will always be the largest library facility most community members use. Still, the opportunity to expand services and target those who live in neighborhoods without a library facility or those who face barriers to accessing library services has been a welcome upside to the long-term construction project.

Central Library’s slate of programs has increased along with access to the building, as has traffic in the building. Central Library is bustling with activities, including weekly early literacy classes, activities for school-age kids, special events for teens, and lectures and learning opportunities for adults.

The Santa Barbara Public Library is a department of the City of Santa Barbara and is dedicated to supporting education for all ages through classes and events, building a community of readers, empowering individuals with free access to information, and connecting people to community resources. Find the full calendar of events and hours and locations on the Library’s website at SBPLibrary.org.