ESCONDIDO — Staff and volunteers have spent the past several weeks returning books to the shelves and putting the finishing touches on the Escondido Public Library ahead of its reopening next month.
Located at 239 S. Kalmia Street in downtown Escondido, the library has been closed for the past year while the 46-year-old building underwent extensive renovations. During construction, library operations temporarily relocated to storefronts at the south end of North County Mall.
The renovations were made possible by a $10 million grant awarded by the California State Library in 2022 to address aging infrastructure, including a deteriorating roof, leaky single-pane windows, damaged ceilings, outdated HVAC systems and accessibility issues.
While the grant funded only infrastructure improvements, the city contributed about $3 million from its library general fund to expand the project. The Friends of the Escondido Public Library, Friends of Literacy Services and the Escondido Library Foundation also provided funding for new furniture and equipment.
“It was really important to us to ensure that the public got what would appear to be a brand-new library even though it was just a full renovation,” Assistant Director of Community Services Robert Rhoades said.
The project included a new roof and HVAC system, plumbing and electrical upgrades, renovated restrooms, new book stacks and carpeting, a reconfigured first floor with additional workspaces, a café and a larger bookstore.
The renovation also replaced the library’s aging single-pane windows, which Rhoades said were fragile, leaked and allowed significant traffic noise from Second Avenue inside the building. The new dual-pane windows are insulated, sturdier and allow more natural light into the first floor.
Rhoades said the combination of larger windows and lower shelving throughout the center of the first floor creates a brighter, more open feel while improving safety by giving staff a clear line of sight across the building. The library’s new circular front desk has also been relocated from the wall to a centralized location near the entrance.
Other improvements include plastering walls and columns that had exposed concrete, which Rhoades said caused some visitors to compare the building to a parking garage.
According to Rhoades, the renovations also consolidated staff work areas, creating approximately 1,200 to 1,500 square feet of additional public space.
Before the renovation, the library had virtually no reservable meeting space for individuals or groups. It now offers two group meeting rooms equipped with tables, chairs and televisions, along with two-person and four-person study pods. Both the meeting rooms and study pods are insulated for quiet use and can be reserved free of charge.
“We like to say it’s reservable, not rentable,” Rhoades said. “You shouldn’t have to pay for the use of this space. It’s a free public library.”
The library also now features an enclosed teen space with two computers, lounge seating and a television that can be connected to gaming systems. Staff monitors the area from an adjacent room through a window.
Another addition is a reservable Activities Space for clubs and other community groups.
The main floor also includes new collaborative seating areas. To balance the increased activity, the library added several quiet spaces, including the study pods and a dedicated Quiet Space with comfortable seating.
Additional city funding and private donations also allowed officials to expand the scope of the project to include the second floor, which Rhoades said was not part of the original renovation plans.
Second-floor improvements include new restrooms outside the children’s library, new shelving, a dedicated Tween Space for children ages 10 to 12 and additional consolidation of staff work areas.
Rhoades said the added space also allowed the library’s literacy program to return to the main building on the first floor, complete with its own study pods. The program had previously operated out of a small building at the corner of Broadway and Second Avenue, which will be converted into a downtown station for the city’s park rangers.
The library also preserved its murals and the hand-painted student tiles lining the staircase throughout the renovation.
Although the city received the state grant in 2022, Rhoades said construction did not begin until 2024 because of staffing shortages.
City staffing has increased over the past two years, largely because of the passage of Measure I, the one-cent sales tax approved by voters in late 2024. Rhoades said the additional staffing has allowed projects such as the library renovation, along with other delayed city work, to move forward.
Measure I will also fund needed improvements to several other city buildings.
As the renovated library prepares to reopen, the city will close its temporary North County Mall location.
Rhoades said the mall branch proved highly successful, helping the library maintain its typical traffic while reaching a somewhat different demographic of users.
While the experience generated community interest in opening a permanent satellite branch, Rhoades said those discussions will have to wait until the city determines the future of library services. Escondido has two years remaining on its contract with Library Systems & Services, or LS&S, the third-party company that operates the library.
“We need to come up with a long-term plan or solution. Maybe that’s bringing library services back in-house, continuing that contract with LS&S, or adding this site to the county library system,” he said. “Before we can make any moves, we have to settle that conversation first, but this needs to come to us from the community.”
Rhoades said the city plans to engage residents in a broad community discussion before making any long-term decisions.
The city will host a grand opening ceremony Aug. 1, and the library will officially resume seven-day service Aug. 3.
