The library’s fate has been decided.
While the Goleta Valley Public Library undergoes two years of construction, the city plans to lease a temporary space for services at 6500 Hollister Ave.
The library will be closing in April and the temporary space will open in June, giving staff two months to pack everything up and make the move.
The construction to improve accessibility, which is being funded by a $4.2-million state grant, will start in June and finish by June 2027.
The site at Hollister Avenue is essentially move-in ready with a few minor improvements needed.
Councilmember James Kyriaco said this is a great solution for a tough problem and a chance to finally provide library services near Old Town.
“This is a great example of turning lemons into lemonade, this is a win-win-win situation for Goleta,” Kyriaco said. “While we are trading short-term discomfort and inconvenience for people, there’s long term gain for our community and at the same time we’re pushing ourselves to do things that we haven’t done before.”
The location includes 2,560 square feet and would cost the city a total of $440,000 which includes $220,000 for a two-year lease, moving costs, and IT infrastructure for the Black Gold system.
Since it has air conditioning, the space lets the library continue serving as a warming and cooling center during severe weather.
Most materials will be housed at the temporary location with some stored on the second floor of Goleta City Hall. Library employees plan to host events at the Goleta Valley Community Center and the City Council Chambers during the branch closure.
The tentative floor plan of the temporary space shows plenty of shelving, public computers, and seating areas.
Mayor Paula Perotte acknowledged that the temporary site is smaller than the current library but that she believes it will work.
“I feel excited about it,” Perotte said. “It’s going to be different but I feel that there’s excitement from the library staff, they’ve come up with some good ideas and we’re all going to work together on this.”
Councilmember Kyle Richards said while the closure is inconvenient, it will benefit the city in the long run.
“It would be great if we could do the work that needs to be done without the disruption that we’re facing but we have a 50-year-old building that houses our library and it’s in need of some repair and it’s hard to turn away a $4.2-million grant from the state to make these needed repairs,” Richards said. “We can agree that even though it is an inconvenience, it’s going to be better in the long run and it’ll be better when we come out of it.”
City Librarian Elizabeth Saucedo said they will be working on way to expand services outside the confines of the library walls, focusing on connecting with local elementary schools and senior communities.
“We want to ensure that we continue our current path of creative problem solving to make sure that access remains high,” Saucedo said.
The city is now entering negotiations to secure a short term lease at 6500 Hollister Ave. If all goes well, the site will be open and ready for the Summer Reading Program in June.
Church Offers Program Space During Closure
One local community member stepped up on Tuesday to help out with programming space. Harold Hill, former president of the Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Goleta, offered their space at 820 North Fairview Avenue to host library activities such as story time hour, book clubs, and senior happy hours.
“We are offering this to try to do our part to keep as much service in Distinct One as we can for the convenience of the people that are used to using the library there,” Hill said.
The council thanked Hill for the offer and staff will be visiting the site to assess the space as a possible place for events.
“You are such a perfect example of this community, to come here and offer that and offer another option for a solution, I just deeply appreciate that and it’s such a perfect example of Goleta for you to have done that,” said Councilmember Luz Reyes-Martín.
Alternative Spots Considered
Reyes-Martín asked if city staff had considered the old Bed Bath and Beyond location at 189 N. Fairview Ave. as a temporary library location. This would allow the library to stay in the same neighborhood.
Assistant City Manager Jaime Valdez said they did talk to the owners of the Fairview Shopping Center but the building would need a significant amount of work to be turned into a library. The owners wanted a five-10 year lease, when the city only needs the space for two years, Valdez said. Owners also said they are currently in negotiations with a national tenant, though they wouldn’t tell the city who, Valdez noted.
The city also considered hosting library services at the Goleta Valley Community Center. However, that building doesn’t have air conditioning, which made the City Council encourage staff to look at leasing a space. This option would also have forced the city to delay accessibility improvements planned at the community center.
The council also considered purchasing a portable modular classroom to sit at the Community Center west parking lot; however this would be a more expensive option and would be too close to the planned construction at the building.
