Library Commission Meeting Canceled

Wednesday’s Library Commission meeting was canceled earlier in the day due to the lack of a quorum.

The commission was scheduled to provide a branch librarian update on the Hill Avenue Library and a director’s report on the Central Library.

In May 2021, the City was forced to close the City’s main library when a structural assessment revealed that unreinforced masonry construction left the building vulnerable to seismic activity.

In a memo last week, acting Library Director Tim McDonald said while the architectural work is being completed on the building, a community driven review is being conducted to see how the library can better serve local residents.

According to McDonald libraries have evolved to include digitalization, audio books, and streaming services which offer avid readers the ability to access library services without crossing the building’s threshold.

McDonald said the evolution is an opportunity and not a threat to libraries.

In response, the City wants to make Central Library the model of how library spaces and services evolve in the 21st Century.

In order to facilitate the reexamination, a Community Programming Committee was appointed by Interim City Manager Cynthia Kurtz.

The Committee’s mission was to recommend how Central Library spaces, programs, and services can be reimagined to draw more people in the building and continue to serve as a primary gathering space.

Over four months and six meetings, the committee discussed the library’s positive role in the community, potential programs and services, and space planning.

Eight high-level themes were identified:
• Maintain the historic character of the building
• Design spaces that better meet the needs of a twenty-first-century library and create positive user experiences
• Make improvements to accessibility
• Remain true to the mission of the Pasadena Library
• Respond to community needs
• Reach out to the community to further identify needs
• Consider new and innovate ways of offering service
• Promote all the library has to offer.

Next steps for the Central Library Retrofit and Renovations Project will include the development and implementation of a robust public outreach plan as recommended by the committee, according to the memo.

The commission is scheduled to next meet in April.