Library

Today I tried to go to the library. Unfortunately for me, I was doing this in the morning - trying to grocery-shop, fill prescriptions, gas the car and pick up a few books, all in one trip. Why are our two local libraries in the Montrose-La Crescenta area not open until 11 a.m. or 1 p.m.? We old codgers like to get all our business completed before the mass of high schoolers get out on the road, which starts at noon. We pay our fair share in property taxes, which support the library system.

The Casa Verdugo branch library will be closed until early March for renovations and upgrades to improve facilities and access the disabled. The project includes upgrades to the adjacent fire station's restroom and shower facilities, as well as adding handicap accommodations to a unisex restroom at the library, including motorized doors and a concrete ramp. New carpeting and paint, improved electrical access for computer users, and more user-friendly spaces will also be installed, according to an announcement from the city this week.

The Brand Library celebrated its upcoming renovation with a book, music and art sale that was held through Dec. 14. Members of the library were admitted to the sale at no cost while others donated $5. The event was sponsored by the Glendale Historical Society and the Associates of Brand Library. The renovation to the library includes plans for improved mechanical, plumbing and electrical systems as well as improved space utilization.

Since the city began levying new fees on developers aimed to curb impacts on libraries and parks in 2007, $2.6 million has been generated, according to a recent report. More than half of the earnings - or $1.5 million - were generated in fiscal year 2010-11, according to the report. The pace of new development had been slow in past years due to the recession and the inability to secure financing. But the city's development scene is beginning to stir once again as the finance market begins to thaw.

Libraries Director Cindy Cleary remembers sitting in on the first meeting to discuss renovations at Brand Library and Art Center in 1984. More than two decades later, the renovations are inching closer to reality after the City Council on Tuesday approved plans and specifications for the nearly $7-million project. “We're really thrilled this is moving along,” Cleary said. “It's long overdue.” The art and music library - which is listed in the Glendale Register of Historic Places - is set to get a revamp that includes structural, plumbing, electrical and landscaping improvements, as well as new furniture and handicap accessibility upgrades.

As she gathered with friends in the new library at Glenoaks Elementary School on Monday, 11-year-old Meghan Imperio eagerly volunteered her endorsement. “I love how it is organized, especially from fiction to nonfiction,” the sixth-grade student said. “It is more roomy and colorful, and more kid-friendly.” That was exactly what parent volunteers had in mind when they began fundraising in fall 2010 to revamp the facility. “Our goal was not just to have a new library space, but really to reinvent the culture of the library here at the school,” said Karen Veloz, president of the Glenoaks Elementary School Foundation.

The Glendale City Council shot down a potential tax that could generate nearly $1 million for the city's library system after questions arose whether it was too burdensome for residents still grappling with the ongoing recession. The issue divided leaders at Tuesday's meeting, some saying they opposed the tax because of the extra burden it would place on residents already struggling from a tough economy, while others described it as a necessary means to boost an underfunded system.

One day, a young girl named Kaylie Becerra went to the Glendale Public Library to get a library card. When she saw one of their commemorative cards (a series of photo cards issued when the library turned 100 in 2007) she told her mother, "That's the one I want. " The photo on the card she selected was of a group of people standing in front of the last Pacific Electric car to make the trip from Los Angeles to Glendale. As it turns out, one of the men in the picture was young Kaylie's great-great-grandfather, Ernest Abbott.

Is the Glendale Central Library really so blighted that it qualifies for millions of dollars in proposed redevelopment funds for a renovation that could, among other things, include the construction of up to two new entrances and other upgrades? First of all, in no way is that lovely library in any way truly blighted (“With redevelopment money frozen, cities forced to tap into general fund,” Oct. 23). At a time when there's not sufficient operational funds to increase library hours, isn't it a little unseemly for the city to be planning such an extravagantly expensive project?

Glendale plans to spend $1.2 million through next year on new sidewalks in the northwest part of the city. The project also includes addition of handicap access ramps at Brand Library in an ongoing effort to comply with federal disability laws. The City Council approved the project on Tuesday. Each year, the city installs new handicap access equipment to comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act. This year, new curb ramps will be placed at the main entrance to Brand Library.