A Library Building Boom in Oxnard

Armed with a $5.7-million grant from the state and $3.1 million from the city, Oxnard library officials are on schedule to build a 23,000-square-foot facility in the south part of town by 2006.

But that’s not all. In a city in the midst of a seemingly endless housing boom, plans are also in the works for satellite libraries in the blue-collar Colonia section of town and affluent west Oxnard.

Oxnard was selected last year to share a portion of $350 million made available by Proposition 14, a library construction measure passed by state voters in March 2000.

The proposals were judged based on population growth and the age and condition of facilities. The current 4,000-square-foot facility in south Oxnard serves an estimated 60,000 residents.

“I actually felt that ... we stood a very good chance,” said library director Barbara Murray, one of more than 100 people on hand this week for groundbreaking for the south Oxnard branch. “The need was there. I have a great team, and the schools have been very cooperative. Everything seemed to fall into place.”

Library officials are currently working to meet a deadline for another state grant later in the year for additional construction, Murray said.

“I’m very excited,” she said. “When we conducted our survey, some of the things we heard were that [residents] wanted a quiet place to study, literacy programs, staff to help them with homework and materials in Spanish.”

The new library will include a 30-terminal computer lab, a homework center for tutoring and literacy and a mezzanine section for materials in both Spanish and English, Murray said.

City Manager Ed Sotelo said Oxnard officials were committed to the expansion efforts. “In terms of this facility, there was never any question that we would spend the money to make this happen,” Sotelo said. “It’s a celebration of vision, hard work and proactive action taken ... for the benefit of the community.”

Sotelo said the city already had the $3 million it has promised, but will probably pay for the construction through bond measures or additional grants.