Civic Center Library closes for interior renovations

OCEANSIDE — The downtown Civic Center Library will close in November and will not fully reopen until January. The temporary closure will allow for new carpeting to be laid throughout the library, and approximately 9,000 linear feet of bookshelves to be installed.

The library last saw interior upgrades in 2011, when major renovation, remodeling and new carpeting was added.

After work was completed the new carpeting began to fray and was not secured to the floor in some spots.

Once premature wear was observed, the installation company immediately replaced carpet in the children’s room. The city waited until the end of the warranty period, this November, to replace the rest of the carpeting.

Brad Penner, library division manager, said the wait allowed the library to get extra wear out of the carpet.

When work dates were finalized for building-wide carpet replacement, the library also went ahead with its plans to replace worn wood bookshelves with shorter, open frame metal shelves. The new shelves do not have the bulky middle braces or backing of current shelves. They let in more light and give book aisles an airy, open feel.

“They will open up the line of sight and light flow, so you’re not feeling walled in,” Penner said.

New carpet will be an exact match to present carpeting, with the exception of the blue borders. Since the previously installed solid blue carpet did not wear well, the new borders will be a blue version of the patterned carpet used throughout the rest of the library.

The carpet will be installed at no charge. Replacement of bookshelves will cost $280,000, and has been approved by the City Council.

During the work library books will be stored on rented carts. Once work is completed in one section, books will be put on the new shelves and the next section of books will be placed in storage.

A cartful of popular titles will be transferred to the Mission Branch Library to allow patrons access.

Extra staff and additional programing will also be added to the Mission Branch Library to accommodate library users.

Penner said the Civic Center Library would reopen as soon as it is safe for patrons to enter. Plans are to finish first floor work and open the floor for library story times and other uses, while work is being completed on the second floor.

“We’re trying to help everyone understand improvements, and be back in operation as quickly as possible,” Penner said.

Library staff will be available by phone and online during the library’s closure, and books can be returned at the curbside drop boxes outside the library.

The Civic Center Library is about three times the size of the Mission Branch site, and serves about 5,000 more patrons a month than the smaller site. Both have computers, Wi-Fi access, a teen zone and kids area.

The Civic Center Library closure begins Oct. 30. The Oceanside READS Literacy Center will not be affected.

The Mission Branch Library is located at 3861 Mission Ave. Its hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

For updates on library access visit oceansidepubliclibrary.org or call (760) 435-5600.