Photograph by Kathy De La Torre
Humberto Ortiz, left, and Elias Amaya dig up a tree behind the Saratoga Community Library, which is slated to expand into the surrounding orchard this summer. The workers said their company had been contracted to remove 52 trees, half of which will be relocated to the front of the library.
Temporary library planned to keep locals in the books
By Oakley Brooks
Bookish Saratogans will have to cope with a smaller library for a year and a half, beginning in August, but they'll still have a public space to use.
The city has ordered 6,800 square feet of modular units to house the Saratoga Community Library, which is part of the Santa Clara County Library system, during the 18-month expansion of its facility.
The library is scheduled to close in late July. The temporary building should open around the time construction on the new library begins in late August. City officials are planning to place the temporary library on land leased from Sacred Heart Church, just south of the current library.
"It's going to be an exciting time," said librarian Dolly Barnes. "We're going to get a lot smaller and then a lot bigger."
Santa Clara County Library staff had considered stopping library service altogether in Saratoga during the interim period. But in striking down that option, county staff cited the strong community support for the $15 million bond to renovate and expand the library that was passed by voters in March 2000.
Also, four other area libraries in the county system will be closed at various times during Saratoga's reconstruction period. This would have potentially overburdened existing branches in the system if Saratoga's library were entirely shut down.
"Saratogans really use their library heavily," said Barnes. The county also rejected a plan to use portions of the existing Saratoga library during renovation. Instead Saratoga will have roughly 50 percent of its usual stacks available in the temporary structure. Seating in the building will also be about half that of the existing library.
Several library programs will be moved to other venues. Some book discussions and the armchair travel adventures will be held at the Saratoga Community Center. Librarians are also considering moving the afternoon study hall at Redwood Middle School.
The renovation will add 31,000 square feet to the existing 18,000-square-foot library. Under the city's current timeline, construction will be finished in November 2002 and the library will open in January of 2003. In anticipation of construction beginning this summer the city has started moving apricot trees in the Heritage Orchard.
Saratoga, California Since 1955
