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<\/a>With its gleaming silver dome as a backdrop, librarian Deborah Barrow described the towering structure as \u201cluminous, inspiring and iconic,\u201d while characterizing the new flagship of the municipal library system with its 35 neighborhood branches as \u201ca beacon of knowledge,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThirty years in the making, it is a dream come true,\u201d Barrow said, adding that the new facility, which is more than double the size of its predecessor, is centrally located, with easy access by freeway, trolley and public transportation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe San Diego Central Library is poised to nourish hungry minds, connect people to one another and provide a wealth of knowledge,\u201d she said. \u201cThis new library is exactly what San Diego needs.\u201d<\/p>\n
San Diego Public Library Foundation chair Mel Katz and Foundation members Katie Sullivan, Judith Harris and Jim Dawe were honored for the role they played in making the dream a reality.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe represent so many people who have worked, talked and dreamed about a Central Library for the people of San Diego for more than 30 years,\u201d Katz said. \u201cThis truly is a public-private partnership. \u2026 Thirty-eight percent of the dollars are here because of 3,000 San Diegans.\u201d<\/p>\n
Katz also credited Qualcomm co-founder and philanthropist Irwin Jacobs for his multi-million dollar contributions to the new library, which is now \u201c100 percent paid for,\u201d Katz said, something that will allow it to operate at the same cost as the previous facility, though double its size.<\/p>\n
In May, Library Commissioner Susan Atkins spearheaded a fundraising campaign through the Foundation with the goal to raise $150,000 from the LGBT and ally community, in part to help expand the LGBT collection and provide financial support to the Teen Center.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want the San Diego Community to know now and for generations to come that LGBT people are supporters of institutions that serve the best interests of the city,\u201d she said at the time.<\/p>\n
While final numbers were still be tallied the week of the opening, Foundation Marketing Director Charlie Goldberg said they were appreciative of Atkins\u2019 involvement in the specialized fundraising campaign, and excited with the LGBT community\u2019s involvement.<\/p>\n
Librarian Jennifer Geran, who oversees the History and World Affairs collection, said the LGBT collection is interspersed throughout the entire Central Library, numbering near 9,000 titles in that location alone.<\/p>\n
For the Foundation\u2019s campaign, Geran said she and her staff helped summarize some of the branch holdings on LGBT titles to help promote what was available, and what the collection could be with added interest from the community.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Central Library has about 8,800 volumes on material that\u2019s LGBT related, and it\u2019s in every section of the library,\u201d Geran said. \u201cThe Literature and Language section has LGBT-related novels, over 500 volumes.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Geran\u2019s focus during the hectic week was on the Central Library \u2013 she said opening day Sept. 30 went \u201cwonderfully\u201d \u2013 she was quick to point out the University Branch Library at 4193 Park Blvd. has the \u201clargest distinct collection of LGBT material\u201d in the entire San Diego Public Library system.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey have more than 1,500 titles, and they do have it shelved separately,\u201d she said. \u201cMost of the branch libraries in the past have had subject specialties, and LGBT material was a subject specialty for that library, so it\u2019s been maintained and added to over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Geran said staff and administration were all helping side by side in the Central Library opening day, with over 8,000 visitors, several thousand more than they normally had at the previous location.<\/p>\n
The new library replaces the former facility at 820 E St., which was built 57 years ago to serve about 15,000 patrons when the city\u2019s population was less than 500,000. Today, the city\u2019s population is 1.25 million and more than 480,000 people use the Central Library alone.<\/p>\n
Gloria, who emceed the dedication event, characterized the library as \u201cnot only a community unifier but a great equalizer.\u201d He implored citizens to enjoy the new library\u2019s artwork in its galleries, its state-of-the-art theater and the incredible views of the city viewable from the reading room at the top of the building.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re going to love it,\u201d Gloria said.<\/p>\n
Current hours for the Central Library located at 330 Park Blvd. are Monday and Wednesday 12 \u2013 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9:30 a.m. \u2013 5:30 p.m.; Saturday 9:30 a.m. \u2013 2:30 p.m.; and Sunday 1 \u2013 5 p.m.<\/p>\n