WOODLAND HILLS : Repaired Library Branch to Reopen

The Woodland Hills branch of the Los Angeles Public Library will reopen Friday after being closed since the Jan. 17 Northridge earthquake.

The Woodland Hills branch, which will reopen without fanfare at 12:30 p.m., is one of 22 libraries citywide that was closed because of earthquake damage, said David Haut, a spokesman for the Los Angeles library system.

Only two, the North Hollywood Regional Branch Library and the Los Feliz Branch, are still closed, he said.

“We are very excited about having the library reopen,” said Karen Constine, chief of staff for Councilwoman Laura Chick. While the library is outside Chick’s district, many of her constituents use the Woodland Hills library, Constine said.

“We have been getting all sorts of calls,” she said. “People want books.”

The system has spent $2.6 million on repairs to the damaged libraries, said Haut. The quake caused about $200,000 in damage at the Woodland Hills Branch, he said.

The Woodland Hills branch will be open Monday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Tuesday and Thursday from 12:30 to 8 p.m., and Wednesday and Friday from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m.

The repairs included asbestos removal and the anchoring of bookcases and light fixtures, Haut said. A new air-conditioning and heating system was also installed.

New carpeting and flooring were added and the facility has increased its electrical capacity to accommodate modern library technology.