It was everything but quiet inside the newly constructed building on Saturday: excited children wandered throughout the children's room grabbing as many of their favorite books as their arms could carry, teenagers and adults surfed the Internet at the five main computer stations, media enthusiasts browsed through the collection of CDs and visitors marveled at the architectural designs.

Various entertainment groups and activities also added to the special event. Puppeteers Anna Rainville and Nick Barone presented Mother Goose rhymes and a modified version of "Puss in Boots" inside the library while drummers from Saratoga Taiko sent thunderous beats in the air outside. The Saratoga Drama Group presented "No No Nanette" and the Saratoga Woodwind Quintet played harmonious tunes.

The event attracted more than Saratoga residents—residents of other cities joined in on the celebration as well, including Los Gatos Mayor Sandy Decker and council members from Monte Sereno, Campbell and Morgan Hill.

Even before the opening at 11 a.m., visitors were lined up to get a foot in the door. Brooke Renken, a local resident, said she arrived at the library before 10 a.m. because she knew that parking would be almost impossible to find. She said she was also excited to see the interior of the new building.

"It looks great from the outside. I could only imagine what it looks like on the inside," she said.

Another visitor, Ankur Chandra, said he will definitely be using the facility often.

"The ambience and selection of books is definitely nicer than what the former library offered," he said. "The facility and its amenities fits the needs of everybody from young children to older adults."

At noon, many gathered in the parking lot to watch the dedication ceremony, which kicked off with a flag ceremony headed by the Girl and Boy Scouts. Following were speeches made by those involved in the building process.

"Over a decade ago, a quest began by the Saratoga Library Commission to build a new library for the people in Saratoga and Monte Sereno," said Mayor Nick Streit. "It was a quest that became a passion for hundreds of volunteers. It was a quest that started with a vision for a better learning center where the young and old can explore new ideas. Today, that quest ends in triumph."

Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn reminisced the first time she received her library card when she was a child and said it was one of her most "prized possessions." She related her experiences to children who will use the library in the future.

"It's fabulous to see the faces of young adults light up when they are engrossed in a story," she said. "Let us all rediscover our joy of reading in this newly recreated facility."

The structure includes 500 cubic yards of concrete, 7,500 lineal feet of reinforced steel, and 660 gallons of paint, and it houses approximately 180,000 library materials such as books, DVDs, audio tapes and magazines. It has over six different rooms to accommodate various groups of all ages: a 16,000-square-foot children's area with a separate storytelling room, a technology training room with over 20 laptop computers, a community room with a seating capacity of approximately 120, a group study room where larger parties can meet and discuss projects and a cafe patio where visitors can snack.

The project came approximately $250,000 under the $15 million budget, according to Saratoga's assistant city manager, Lori Tinfow, who received a standing ovation and a bouquet of flowers from the city for her dedication to the project from start to finish. The remaining dollars will be spent on capital improvement projects to the library.

"It's been a great experience working on the library project," said Tinfow. "The journey was tumultuous yet very satisfying."

The library was originally scheduled to open on June 9, but construction crews encountered a number of problems that required rechecking the fire alarm system and reordering parts.

Good news came on June 19 at 4:45 p.m. when Tinfow received notification from the fire department granting a certificate of occupancy.

"I did a dance when I received the call," said Tinfow.