The Goleta Valley Library, located at 500 N. Fairview Avenue in Goleta, is scheduled to temporarily close in April 2025 to undergo much-needed infrastructure improvements to make the 53-year-old facility safer and more accessible. The $5.3M upgrades are funded by a $4.2 million dollar grant from the California State Library, a generous donation of $250,000 from the Friends of the Goleta Valley Library, and City matching funds. The project must be completed by June 2027, per grant requirements. The anticipated two-year closure is needed to accommodate construction activities and to relocate collection materials and equipment pre- and post- construction.
The Goleta City Council is determining the best temporary home to continue providing library services to the community during the closure, including continued access to the collection and some programming. Several options are currently being considered and were presented to the Goleta City Council at its October 1, 2024 meeting.
The top recommended options include:
- Provide Library services by using classrooms at the City-owned Goleta Community Center (which would ensure continuity of Library services, but would postpone the GCC’s own Americans with Disabilities Act Project.) Several temporary ADA improvements would be made to the GCC parking lot, restrooms, and classrooms until the ADA Project was completed following Library construction.
- Provide Library services from a new modular classroom(s) at the Goleta Community Center campus (the City would purchase the modular classrooms and after project is complete, use them to replace existing outdated modular classrooms leased by Rainbow School.)
- Rent or lease local commercial or institutional space (no site has been identified and the extent and cost of improvements needed to make the site ready for use are unknown at this time.)
The Council will continue discussing the options and determine the best path forward at its upcoming November 19, 2024 City Council meeting.
The City understands the value that the Goleta Valley Library brings to the community and the disappointment and inconvenience that its closure will have on patrons who use the facility each day. The City is committed to establishing high-quality temporary service while the improvements are completed to ensure continued enjoyment of this beloved community hub for many years to come.
The improvements to the Goleta Valley Library will include:
- Americans with Disabilities Act Path of Travel and Restroom Upgrades
- HVAC Modernization
- Life Safety and Security Upgrades
- LED Lighting Retrofits
- Door/Window Replacements and Upgrades
- Fascia Repair and Exterior Paint
For more information on the project and the temporary offsite library services being considered, view the staff report here https://tinyurl.com/5n83xv49 and video of the October 1st City Council meeting here https://tinyurl.com/y2vfu4hu. For questions, email General Services Director Matt Fore at MFore@CityofGoleta.org or Neighborhood Services Director JoAnne Plummer at JPlummer@CityofGoleta.org.
