THOUSAND OAKS : Library Gift Store Moves

The Thousand Oaks Library Foundation, a nonprofit agency that raises funds to support library programs, has opened a makeshift gift store in The Oaks mall.

Last month’s earthquake seriously damaged the library on Janss Road, forcing the foundation store to close. But little of the store’s merchandise was destroyed, and foundation directors decided to move the inventory to The Oaks.

The new store, open during regular mall hours, is on the upper level just west of The Oaks’ main entrance. Foundation board member Frances Prince said she expects the mall store to remain open for four to six weeks, until library renovations are complete.

The new location is already bringing some benefits. A young woman striding by during her mall-walking class one morning offered to volunteer in the store, Prince said, adding: “We signed her up on the spot.”

To give residents a peek at the library during the renovations, the Friends of the Library group will hold a Hard Hat Art Day from 1 to 3 p.m. March 5.

For a $1 donation, visitors will be able to scribble on the library’s floor with crayons or chalk, to leave their mark before the new carpeting is installed.

“We don’t expect it to make a lot of money,” organizer Kathy Lewis said. “But kids and adults will enjoy it, and it will keep the library in their minds.”