Still, officials said they were happy with the building’s process.
“We’re pleased,” Keledjian said. “We’re not that far off from our target.”
On Thursday, crews worked on finishing touches to the building in anticipation of the library’s furniture and shelving units, which are to be installed starting next week.
County Supervisor Mike Antonovich and Rep. David Dreier secured the funding for the new library, which will be more than triple the size of its predecessor.
“It will be a dream come true,” said Crescenta Valley Town Councilwoman Danette Erickson. “It’s been a long time in the making. A lot of effort has gone in on the parts of lots of different groups.”
Community members long fought for an expansion of the old library, which they said was too small to meet the area’s needs.
The library was very popular among residents, thanks to former librarian Vicky Guagliardo’s work to increase its circulation, yet it was one of the smallest in the county, Erickson said.
“The kids used to have to sit on the floor after school,” she said. “When there was a children’s program, there was noise in the whole library.”
After years of discussion, the library closed in September 2007 to make way for the 15,000-square-foot, two-story replacement, which will feature separate adult and children’s sections, a community meeting room, study rooms and wireless Internet access.
Whereas residents complained the old library had a cramped feel, the new library boasts high ceilings, large windows and skylights. Native rock work on the exterior, while several murals line the library’s interior. The adult section’s mural is a muted depiction of hillside views, while the children’s section got a more colorful depiction of a children’s toy chest.
