New Logan Height Branch Library Grand Opening
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| Artist rendering of new branch. | ||
The San Diego Public Library opens a sparkling new two-story, 25,000-square-foot branch library for the Logan Heights Community. The new facility replaces a 3,967 square foot facility built in 1927. In a unique arrangement, the library is on the Logan Elementary School grounds and adjacent to Memorial Charter Middle School. Students from those two schools will help open the new library.
Students from Logan Elementary School and Memorial Middle School have drawn pictures depicting their favorite books. These students will parade their book art from the old Logan Heights Branch Library (at 811 S.28th Street) beginning at 10:45 a.m. to the site of the new branch library (at 567 S. 28th Street) prior to the branch’s opening to the public.
Featured speakers at the event will include Mayor Jerry Sanders, Council President Ben Hueso, Library Director Deborah Barrow, Interim Superintendent of the San Diego Unified School District Bill Kowba, California State Library Facilities Consultant Bessie Condos, Library Commission Chair Katie Sullivan and Logan Heights Friends of the Library President Pedro Moreno.
The funding for this $12.2 million project was made possible by a state grant of $5.25 million with the remainder being paid for by the First 5 Commission of San Diego County, developer fees and federal funding. Private donors including Ann and Phil White and CP Kelco provided funds for collections and technology. Other private donors include Las Patronas, The La Jolla Debutante Ball, the Logan Heights Friends of the Library and the Samuel & Katherine Weaver French Fund.
The new library is a major improvement over the existing facility and features:
- 25,000 square feet of space.
- The new library ismore than six times larger than the old 3,967-square-foot library built in 1927.
- A book collection that has expanded from about 40,700 to approximately 73,000.
- More computers. Compared to the ten computers available in the old library, the new library has 66 public computers and two early literacy computers for toddlers.
- 186 dedicated parking spaces, versus none for the old facility.
- A large collection of bilingual books and library materials in a variety of formats.
The new library is a joint use project between the City of San Diego Public Library and the San Diego Unified School District. The Joint Agreement provides the City with a renewable property lease with the school district of $1.00 per year for a minimum of 50 years. Students from Logan Elementary and Memorial Charter schools will receive special accommodations, services and materials at the library including: Access to the library by school faculty and students before open hours.School priority for all meeting rooms, labs and seminar rooms. A Teacher Resource Collection of books and materials on teaching and curriculum ideas. A 300-seat community room."Centro Cultural," that will showcase student arts and bring cultural programming to the community. Establishment of a "teen board" for children to help plan the programs and activities that relate to them.
The new Logan Heights Branch is also home to one of four Preschooler's Door to Learning Centers at San Diego Public Library locations. Centers are designed to promote school readiness from infancy, providing services for self-enrichment and allow children to discover the pleasures of reading and learning. The centers are a designated portion of a library designed exclusively for children younger than five years, their parents and caregivers. This area also includes space and equipment for the Families for Literacy Program.
For more information on supporting this branch, contact Susan Howe by email or by calling 619-238-6643.
