Atascadero library celebrates one year
Library volunteers and staff who have made the Atascadero Library possible are at the library’s one-year anniversary Saturday. Photo by Paula McCambridge.
Hundreds attend anniversary event
Everyone from donors to dancers made the Atascadero Library possible, and hundreds of them were on site Saturday for the one-year anniversary of the modern phenomenon.
It took several years for the Friends of the Library to earn about half of the $5.7 million cost to finish construction and relocate the library from its former home on Highway 41 to Capistrano Avenue in the heart of the city’s downtown district. Of its fundraisers, the popular “Dancing with our Stars” was one of the most successful, and several of its volunteer dancers were at the party Saturday, including Atascadero Mayor Pro Tem Heather Moreno.
Grenda Ernst, former president of the Atascadero Friends of the Library, and current president Bob Alberti were pleased to join hundreds in celebrating Atascadero Library’s first anniversary Saturday. Photo by Paula McCambridge.
“This is just another example of how Atascadero pulls together to get things done,” Moreno said. “This is for kids, for the community — it’s heartwarming.”
The space was filled with well wishers, including a number of children’s authors and illustrators. Sharon Lovejoy, author of children’s gardening books, Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots and many others. Children’s book illustrator Helen K. Davie took the crowd through the book-illustration process. Recently retired children’s librarian Joan Bloomfield was there as well.
Author Sharon Lovejoy talks to visitors about one of her books at the Atascadero Library’s anniversary party Saturday. Photo by Paula McCambridge.
When San Luis Obispo Regional Librarian Joe Laurenzi came to Atascadero from Los Osos, he said it was his fondest wish for everyone in town to have a library card and to think of the library as the heart of the community. His ideas are modern and fluid, keeping up with the times, but mixed with a healthy respect for library tradition, which is that its services are free, giving everyone equal access to books and other materials.
Children’s book illustrator Helen K. Davie shared the process of creating children’s books. Photo by Paula McCambridge.
“So much has happened in this library that it’s hard to put it into words,” Laurenzi said. “We’re getting between 500 and 600 visitors daily; circulation is up 15 percent and keeps growing every month; just since yesterday, we’ve processed 15 new library cards. Over 6,000 people came to the library over the past year for its free programs.”
Among those events are children’s reading programs; book discussion groups, a gift store and study areas. Laurenzi is excited, he said, to see so many teens coming into the library to gather and study too.
“This space is dynamic, and it helps all of our programs come to life,” he said. “I can’t be happier. Everyone needs to come to the library at least once and ask the question, ‘How can this be beneficial to me?’”
Ragbone Saints played their toe-tapping music outside the Atascadero Library Saturday then marched through the anniversary celebration inside. Photo by Paula McCambridge.
The Friends of the Library has been instrumental in raising funds and continues in that work. During the library move, Grenda Ernst was the FOL president and since then, Bob Alberti has taken over that leadership position.
“It’s been a superb first year,” Ernst said. “It’s exceeded all of our expectations. People are proud of our new library.”
Alberti added, “This community stepped up to make this library happen. Atascadero steps up — that’s who we are.”
During the anniversary party, a life-size, interactive work of art was presented by artist Lauren Birkhahn.
Artist Lauren Birkhahn unveils a special piece of art she created for the Atascadero Library’s children’s section. Photo by Paula McCambridge.
Birkhahn is a painter and felt artist who used industrial-grade felt to create the trunk of a tree that sprouts from a small stage constructed by volunteers. The soft tree reaches to the ceiling, and its felted leaves were created by residents from 1-year-olds to senior citizens, Birkhahn said.
“There are between 240 and 270 oak leaves on the tree, which honors the local valley oak,: she said. “I thought a tree is sort of an idyllic place to read.”
Children immediately ran to the thick, soft, felt tree created by artist Lauren Birkhahn. Photo by Paula McCambridge.
The art is called, Radiant Oak Tree and will be a reading corner, which will include Captain, the beloved reading dog, who is a regular in the children’s library.
The anniversary party was organized by volunteer Leigh Livick and many other volunteers.
The library is located at 6555 Capistrano Ave. in Atascadero. For more information, call (805) 461-6161.
