Tuesday was a big night for moving the Goleta Valley Library construction and interior renovation project forward.
The Goleta City Council approved a construction contract and library staff shared interior design plans.
The library first closed in April after the city of Goleta received a $4.2 million grant for a renovation project that included upgrades to the restrooms, modernizing and replacing HVAC systems, new lighting and security, new doors and windows, and new exterior paint.
Due to grant requirements, the renovations need to be completed by June 2027.
In September 2025, the City Council also approved the launch of a $750,000 capital campaign that will run until December 2026 to finish raising over $1 million for interior improvements.
Since closing about eight months ago, city staff needed to relocate almost everything out of the main library site on Fairview Avenue to the temporary library location on Hollister Avenue.
The council’s contract approval is a significant milestone to get construction started.
Now, work can begin as soon as early February, according to General Services Director Matthew Fore.
City Librarian Elizabeth Saucedo and Neighborhood Services Director JoAnne Plummer excitedly shared with the council early interior design plans.
Some of the highlights, Saucedo said, include study pods from which patrons could take work calls or even online doctor appointments.
Other highlights include an updated teen area, the rededicated Jake Boysel reading nook, updated lighting and a laptop bar, an area where people can hunker down with their own devices and have access to outlets.
“When we had the opportunity to reposition the teen area, we wanted to make sure that it felt very appropriate for teens. We didn’t want them to have the experience of having to step over building blocks that their little brother or sister are playing with to get to my area,” Saucedo said.
“Teens are a separate user group of the library, and so they deserve a space that helps them feel that we have them in mind,” she added.
Saucedo also shared that the John C. Mithun Foundation agreed to fund the library’s entire ask of $550,000 for the children’s area.
Plummer and Saucedo noted the design colors might seem bland, but the interior will be more vibrant once they actually select furniture.
“I am just so proud of all the work you are doing over there,” Councilman James Kyriaco said.
Councilwoman Luz Reyes-Martín urged library staff to select furniture that felt lived in while also ensuring durability and how easy it would be to clean.
She and Councilwoman Jennifer Smith also took issue with stools in the plans, saying they create accessibility problems.
Kyriaco also imagined a laptop vending machine where people could rent out computers to use for the day or to take home. Councilman Stuart Kasdin also envisioned a coffee cart of some kind and art murals on the library walls.
Following the interior design presentation, the council also approved a $5,394,156 contract with EJS Construction Inc., a Carpinteria-headquartered company.
That figure includes three bid alternates involving carpet replacement, entryway tile replacement, electrical and data for furniture and fixtures in the amount of $214,156.
Those components are not allowed through the Building Forward Grant but are considered complementary to the project.
“These are optional,” Fore said. “There are a variety of efficiencies with considering them now while there is a contractor on site and while the building is empty and closed.”
Some council members said they have been getting questions from the community regarding the status of construction.
Fore said there has been a lot going on behind the scenes, such as moving items to the Goleta Valley Library Express site.
“That was a massive undertaking. It was its own capital project in the midst of a capital project,” he said.
Reyes-Martín also asked whether the library is on track with its timeline.
Fore said the primary deadline city staff are aiming for is the grant deadline in 2027, which he says they are on time with.