THOUSAND OAKS : Panel Formed to Aid Damaged Library
Residents of Thousand Oaks have formed a committee to raise money for the Thousand Oaks Library, which suffered $2 million in damage during last week’s earthquake.
The committee, which will be made up of members from Friends of the Thousand Oaks Library and the library’s fund-raising foundation, hopes to raise $250,000 to help pay for repairs not covered by insurance.
“We’ve created the committee to pay for things that fall through the cracks,” library director Marvin Smith said. “Insurance will cover some of this and some will be covered by our FEMA application, but there will undoubtedly be expenses that go uncovered.”
Most of the damage to the 12-year-old building occurred when metal ceiling panels collapsed, rupturing sprinkler pipes and crashing down on books and shelves. Nearly the entire children’s book collection was lost.
Mayor Elois Zeanah, who suggested the fund-raising committee, said the outpouring of support for the library has been enormous.
“The day after the earthquake, I had just come out from a tour of the library and a man came up to me who was returning some books,” Zeanah recalled. “Right on the spot, he wanted to contribute $100.”
Zeanah said the interest is not surprising, considering the library has an average of 2,000 visitors a day.
“This is a major cultural and recreational resource for the city,” she said. “People here are committed to restoring it to the way it was.”
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