A New Branch Library Opens in San Francisco
The new Bayview Branch Library opened last Saturday. Along with the article below you can learn more here and here.
From the San Francisco Chronicle:
The new 9,000-square-foot space has windows that go from the floor to the 15-foot-high ceiling and is one of only two branches to have a living roof, which can be partially seen from inside. It will have twice as many books as the old branch, a space for teenagers already stocked with manga and 25 computers for public use, up from only six before. The history of the Bayview is also a focus, with Afrocentric tiles on the walls and panels outside that show landmarks like Sam Jordan’s bar and the shipyards.
“I think it’s a model of a 21st century library,” said City Librarian Luis Herrera. “I think it tries to be a blend of the past, but it speaks to what future generations in that neighborhood want.”
Bayview is the 23rd of 24 libraries that were renovated or rebuilt under a $106 million bond measure passed by voters in 2000. Its budget was originally $11.8 million but ballooned to $13.6 million when the library shifted from awarding the project to the lowest bidder to making an effort to involve more local workers following a community outcry.
About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.
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