Goleta Valley Library to Close for Two Years, Operate on Temporary Site During Construction

City Considering Sites for Library Services During Closure, Including Goleta Community Center

By Ryan P. Cruz Tue Oct 08, 2024 | 12:24pm

The Goleta Valley Library lined up funding for $5.3 million in upgrades that will modernize the 53-year-old building and make it more accessible, though these upgrades will require the Fairview Avenue location to be closed for up to two years during construction, forcing the city to decide where to host library services in the interim.

General Services Director Matt Fore dropped by Goleta City Council last week to break down the timeline on the project, which was funded in large part by a California State Library grant the city received in December 2023. Along with the $4.2 million grant, the Friends of the Library donated a quarter-million dollars and the city pitched in the remainder toward the upgrades, which include ADA improvements, HVAC modernization, safety upgrades, a modern-day fire system, window and door replacements, and repairs to the exterior.

But the grant funding, Fore explained, came with a condition that the project must be done by June 30, 2027. He said that it was a “tight timeline,” since the construction would require moving load-bearing walls and abating hazardous materials that could bring up unknown issues.

“We can do it. I’m confident we can accomplish this, but it really doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room,” Fore said. “Fifty-year-old buildings are gonna have some surprises. We know some things about this building, but we don’t know everything about it.”

With the construction forcing a closure of the building, the city started looking into options for locations that could host essential library services during the construction period expected to last from summer 2025 through summer 2027. However, the city expects the library to close in April 2025 to allow time for removing library materials and equipment ahead of construction.

The staff’s top recommendation, presented as the most viable option, would be to house library services in three classrooms at the Goleta Community Center on Hollister Avenue. This plan would force the city to delay its current plans for improvements to the community center.

If approved by the City Council, the library would take up three rooms at the Goleta Community Center, while staff operations would take place in another building on the campus, and materials would be stored on the second floor of City Hall.

The temporary services would have a smaller collection of materials for all ages, holds and pickups, and a few public workstations for internet use or printing.

Other options the city is considering include housing library services in a modular classroom behind the Goleta Community Center, finding and renting out a commercial space, or operating in a limited capacity through the book van.

While city staff and councilmembers showed support for the plan to use the Goleta Community Center, there were questions over the logistics, the range of services to be offered, and the impacts of taking up space at the community center. Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín also expressed that she was “a little hesitant to move forward” until the city had formal conversations with the county on the plan.

“I think that’s very essential that they’re on board with this plan,” she said.

The council will have a second chance to discuss the options during its November 19 meeting, when councilmembers are expected to determine the best option going forward.

For more information on the project and the temporary sites being considered, view the city report here.