Improvements proposed for South San Francisco library: Patio slated to be added onto Grand Avenue branch

Residents expressed interest in the outdoor space being built during a public outreach campaign city officials have hosted while considering how to improve library services.

Library Director Valerie Sommer said the additional patio space will allow the Grand Avenue library to improve the variety of services offered to residents, including after-school programs for students and free meals served to under-privileged families.

The patio, which would also feature a retractable awning, would be a tremendous improvement for the building which was constructed in 1917, said Sommer.

“I think it is a lovely amenity,” she said.

The Grand Avenue branch is a smaller subsidiary of the city’s main library at 840 W. Orange Ave.

Since some residents are not aware library services are offered on Grand Avenue, near City Hall, Sommer said the commission will weigh a proposal to add another sign near the entrance on Walnut Avenue declaring the library’s presence.

Restrooms are also slated to be renovated during the proposed project, which Sommer said, among other benefits, will offer those who rely on the free meal program additional outlets to sanitize prior to eating.

“This is just going to refresh the whole building,” she said. “It is a great, exciting upgrade.”

Should the renovations be approved, the library would close in September and reopen in February, said Sommer.

Much of the construction cost will be paid for through $900,000 in grant funding the city has attained.

Improvements to the library system expand beyond renovations to the Grand Avenue branch, as officials are considering how to improve the variety of community benefits offered through a community outreach campaign.

Sommer said a strategic plan for the system has not been updated in roughly 20 years, and feedback from residents is valuable in aiding officials to draft a service strategy which will accommodate the current demands of library users.

“We are always going to have books,” said Sommer. “But we want to make sure we provide them in a format people want.”

Going forward, the library will emphasize offering more electronic books, per the request of users, which patrons will be able to access on tablets and other forms of portable technology, said Sommer.

The library is looking to ramp up educational programs offered as well, such as computer literacy classes for seniors and helping students develop skills in visual arts, she said.

Programs and services at the library may undergo further shifts, as city officials weigh whether to move forward in pursuit of a bond measure, which would help pay for the construction of a new civic center.

Should the City Council approve putting a bond measure on a future ballot, and voters approve the public financing, the money may be used to pay for the construction of a new police and fire department, as well as a library and community center.

Library staff has been working closely with the city’s Park and Recreation Department to see how the two agencies might be able to collaborate on streamlining services, said Sommer.

Sommer said she takes great pride in offering the variety of services at the library which are so greatly valued by South San Francisco residents.

“It is wonderful to be able to provide programs that are embraced by the community, which will help the next generation,” she said.

But as times change, Sommer noted the value of renovating existing facilities and keeping up to date with the needs of residents and patrons.

“As they say in the library field, these changes are overdue,” she said.

The South San Francisco Planning Commission meets Thursday, July 16, in the Municipal Services Building, 33 Arroyo Drive. The meeting begins at 7 p.m.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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