Folders of paperwork were laid open on the bar in the Bedford Winery tasting room on the sunny morning of Sept. 1 as owner and Friends of the Los Alamos Public Library President Stephan Bedford poured over the reams of information-laden documents, all pertaining to the nearly ready-to-open Los Alamos Branch Library.
The library is set to begin operations on Sept. 12, with a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. that day, but there is still much to be done, Bedford explained. His excitement spilled out as he explained the history of the library building—originally built in 1966—and the process that brings the building into the 21st century.
A thick-shouldered, mustachioed gentleman walked into the tasting room past Bedford’s lazy pit bull, Hitch, and asked Bedford when he could bring a large collection of books to donate. His name is Jim McCullar, and he is just one of many Los Alamos residents ready to donate to help out the library project.
“The library’s a great thing, and we have a lot of books to pitch in,” McCullar said. “It’s a place to actually go, sit, and use the Internet or computers, that some people don’t have, and for the kids, my kids, it helps them with school because we don’t have a printer at home.”
It’s just one recent example of the grassroots support the Los Alamos Branch Library project received since it began two years ago, Bedford explained.
The Los Alamos Branch Library technically sits on Orcutt Union School District land, as it’s attached to Olga Reed Elementary School, Bedford explained. The building became part of the school in 1988 when the library closed down, but wasn’t used as a teaching space by the school. To bring the building back as a library, the Friends of the Los Alamos Public Library had to begin the lengthy process of wading through bureaucratic requirements of the school district and the county planning department.
“Anybody who does anything in this county can sort of appreciate what it takes to get something through planning and development. And we had to get a waiver from the state schools so this can be used as a library, even though it was never used as a school room,” Bedford explained. “When we dove into this, we knew it was a library at one time, but it wasn’t until we uncovered the actual architectural renderings that we discovered that the county actually built it as a library here.”
Libraries have changed quite a bit since 1966, so the building had to be torn down basically to the studs, Bedford said, in order to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards, and the electrical requirements it takes to run a T1 Internet line and all the computers in the building.
The need for funds was great, but so was support for the library. Los Alamos residents donated art, live music, food, wine, massages for a spa event, and stacks upon stacks of books to supplement the permanent collection there as well as the upcoming book sale.
Sean McGrath, who owns The Station on Los Alamos’ Bell Street, put down a $10,000 matching grant early on, which the Friends were able to match in a matter of weeks, Bedford said. A huge windfall came from Elliott & Polls Construction, Bedford explained, which donated labor and expertise in the remodeling effort, saving the Friends thousands of dollars.
“I want to say it was contagious,” he said. “Everybody wanted the library, even those that were skeptical it would happen said they would use it.”
Santa Maria City Librarian Mary Housel told the Sun that 3rd District Supervisor Doreen Farr sits on the County Library Advisory Committee for the North County sector. Farr’s support in that committee helped the bureaucratic process move smoothly for the Los Alamos Library, both Bedford and Housel testified.
“The Los Alamos contingent started coming to the meetings to bring it to their attention,” Housel said.
The Los Alamos Branch Library will be open 16 hours per week, Tuesdays through Thursdays from 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. As part of the Black Gold Cooperative Library System, the Los Alamos Branch will enjoy shared resources with other local libraries as well.
The Santa Maria Public Library will cover the labor and most of the utility costs for the branch, while the Friends cover other costs, such as the book collection and other physical assets, Housel said. The next year will provide lots of data for Housel to consider when planning out the hours and staffing moving forward, she explained, but the amount of community support the tiny town of Los Alamos has displayed so far is a good indicator of the location’s projected success.
“It’s a real validation that libraries are relevant in our world today, contrary to the people who say that Google has replaced everything we do,” she said, half joking, “but it shows that libraries are alive and well and are a place that people value in making their community complete.”
Arts Editor Joe Payne loves the library, even though he currently has outstanding fees. Contact him at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Sep 10-17, 2015.
