December 1, 2006

Cambrian Park residents celebrate library opening

Local patrons swarm the new building

By Carol Rosen
Editor

It took less than two years to build a new library in Cambrian, and while it seemed to take decades to library patrons, they all felt the wait was worth it when the doors finally opened on Nov. 18.

Council member Linda LeZotte and Mayor Ron Gonzales jump back as the ribbon is cut and a flow of patrons move forward. Photos by Carol Rosen

A huge crowd of nearly 1,000 people streamed back through the parking lot before the opening-day ceremonies. They waited, most patiently as the Ida Price Middle School choir sang. They become a little less patient through the speeches from Mayor Ron Gonzales, Library Director Jane Light, Library Commission Chair Vincent Tarpey and Arts Commissioner Amul Goswamy spoke, although the laughter was hearty and led by District 9 Councilwoman Judy Chirco as she did a happy dance to celebrate.

When the ribbon was cut, they flowed into the library, many of the children first, running up the curving staircase to the children’s area or looking around for the videos they love to watch.

At 27,800 square feet, the new library is more than twice the size of the old one’s 10,126 square feet. There are seats for 150 people compared with 45 at the old branch and patrons can now use 40 computers while there were only 11 before. And, the library is wired—free WiFi access is available now during library hours.

In addition, the new library offers several areas it had no room for in its previous iteration: a story telling area for 30 people, a community room that fits 100, quiet study areas for 14 people and group study areas for 24. There’s also a “living room” seating area on the second floor with periodicals and a fireplace. Personnel also are looking for a business to handle the Internet café, which currently is stocked with vending machines. Parking spaces have increased by 20 to 89.

The public artwork—designed by Andrea Myklebust and Stanton Sears—follows the curves of the stairway and second floor balcony. It is designed to refer to the area’s agricultural history as well as the library’s themes of exploration and discovery.

The library is situated on a narrow lot on the Hillsdale Avenue curve. That narrow spot has made the new branch quite unique with its two-story curved architecture. The theme of curves flows through the building from its windows—with special material to block out the sun—to its seats, which are comfortable, but follow the library’s curving design.

Andrea Myklebust and Stanton Sears designed the artwork. The work is an integrated element of the stairway and balcony railings, it uses narrative elements from the natural and social histories of Cambrian Park. “The illustration of locally cultivated fruits in grid patterns refers not only to the agricultural history of orchards near the site, but also to the gathering and categorization of information as it occurs in the library,” according to library personnel. Its pastoral images also evoke a time when life and the valley were quite different.

The artwork uses the themes of exploration and discovery, which is what one does in a library, and uses weaving to represent the complexity and organization of human knowledge. The art has 21 water-jet cut stainless steel panels with woven stainless steel wire mesh elements and about 74, three-dimensional cast glass and bronze sculptures some with gold leaf. Each panel is unique and matches the curves of the stairway and the second floor balcony.

What is where?
Entering the library the first items spotted are new fiction—mysteries, science fiction and a special section for paperbacks as well as music CDs, DVDs and videos. Children’s media is also on the first floor near the stairway. This marketplace theme and its openness as well as the light entering from the windows gives the new branch the feeling of being in a bookstore.

Library Director Jane Light, left, and council member Judy Chirco, right, smile for the camera as Cambrian Park Kiwanis Club President Ed Chirco accepts an award for the club’s donation for the library’s furnishings.

Near the entry is checkout, holds and requests and information. The Friends of the branch also have a small area for book sales and donations and a storage room. The staff workroom is large and airy.

The new community room is located opposite the entry and can be used during or after library hours.

Upstairs is the children’s area, which can be entered through a funny shaped and very short portal into a walkway containing toys at the right height for toddlers and younger elementary students. There’s also a hallway for those of us who are a little too tall for the kid’s entrance.

The children’s area is large and spacious. It offers a wide variety of children’s books from picture books to easy readers to non-fiction and paperbacks. There’s also a section for parenting and educational resources. Toddler and children’s computers finish out the area. The seats are ideal for kids from little benches, chairs and tables, to bigger easy chairs that easily can accommodate parent and child, two children or one child and lots of books. The story telling area also contains a skylight.

One unique area appeared to be a piece of wasted space until Branch Manager Hannah Slocum explained it’s a stroller parking area. It’s just off the children’s area and near the elevator.

New children’s books decorate the walls housing the portal into the children’s section. Inside the doorway are toys built into the wall for toddlers. Unique seats express the curves of the architecture, and are very comfortable.

At the opposite end of the building on the second floor is the living room, with its fireplace, cozy chairs and magazines and newspapers. A window offers a picture of the mountains. Also on the second floor is a large area of adult non-fiction including books in five languages—Vietnamese, Spanish, Russian, Farsi and Chinese.

Study rooms and the teen room are on this side of the library. The teen room will easily hold around 20 to 25 young people. Its walls are soundproof glass and it’s filled with study tables and also a plasma TV screen for videos and DVDs only.

Green construction
The building was constructed using low-E glazing as well as wall and roof insulation and an Energy Star-rated cool roof to reduce energy use. The fins at the curved glass, louvered shading devices and awnings help reduce air conditioning in the summer.

The site itself is designed to reduce storm water and pollutants entering the Bay Area water system. Infiltration basins in the parking lot and at the entry treat site water runoff while mechanical separators treat runoff from the roof.

Some local youngsters pose with Conroy the Cougar. Pictured from left are fifth grader Sarah Kennedy, third grader Rachel Kennedy, Conroy, the San Jose Library’s Mascot, fifth grader Marisa Chirico and her fourth grade sister Gina Chirico. All four girls attend Valley Christian Elementary School.

Many of the construction materials also are green. Some contain recycled material such as the aluminum panels, the steel structure and the carpeting. Other materials reduce volatile organic compounds including sealants, interior and exterior paints, carpeting and cabinetry substrates. More than 90 percent of the construction and demolition waste was recycled.

The building’s architects are Pamela Anderson Brule, Pierre Brule and Brad Cox, whose team consisted of Christa Neilson and Patty Phan and Ann Sherwood did the interior design.

The Brules live in the neighborhood, said Pamela Anderson Brule, and “the library means a lot to us. We designed it with the concept of movement and change. The curves let the building express the site creating a public presence because of the library and the breadth of the curve. It’s a very special and unique building,” she said.

The building was completed on time and under budget. Total project cost, including the public art, was $13.4 million. Contributions from the community, which by the opening were $96,600, were used to furnish the building’s interior including furniture and equipment, such as check out machines and computers.

Laureate donors, those contributing more than $5,000 include District 9 Councilmember Judy Chirco whose $15,000 contribution furnished the children’s story time area. A gift from the Ballentyne family furnished the living room. Nancy and Bob Weeks provided the first large gift of $10,000, which paid for the circulation/self-check out area.

The Friends of Cambrian Library donated the money to produce the marketplace area.

Shari Clare and her family donated $5,000 in memory of her father Bob Levin for the marketplace seating area. She told those at the donor reception that “my dad was a big fan of the library and I would meet him here often. Whenever I come, I will think of my dad,” she said.

The Cambrian library is the eighth library to be completed from local bond measure funds approved by San Jose voters in 2000. That bond measure provides $212 million over 10 years for six new and 14 expanded libraries in the city.

“Cambrian is the fourth new library we’ve opened this year, yet each celebration is as exciting as the first, knowing that residents in each neighborhood are gaining a wonderful facility that will serve their needs for many years to come,” said Jane Light, library director. The Cambrian branch is located at 1780 Hillsdale Ave. Library hours are 2 to 7 p.m. Monday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. It is closed on Sunday. Library services are available online seven days a week at www.sjlibrary.org.