LION DANCERS, story time with characters, a musical performance and a bubble show were part of the festivities surrounding the long-awaited grand opening of the Campbell Library on Saturday. Librarians led hundreds of residents on tours to highlight the special features of the building.
The May 9 celebration, hosted by the Santa Clara County Library District, afforded the huge crowd of eager residents a first glimpse of the new facility. The Dreamy Downtown, a children’s early learning play space, features a slide and play structure to support early literacy skills and a love of learning.
Parents Savannah Hari and Mike May watched their daughter explore the play structure.
“It’s a great place for kids to play,” Hari told San José Spotlight. “We’ll be here all the time. It’s a perfect way to escape from the sun, get interested in reading and hang out in the community.”
The renovations of the city-owned library became a reality after the passage of Measure O, a $50-million bond measure approved in 2018 that was key to raising funds. Construction took about two years.
The funding for the new library came from a variety of sources. The majority of the money, about $20.5 million, came from Measure O. The city also used the bond to build a new police station. Additional funding came from a $4.7 million state library grant and $500,000 from a Silicon Valley Clean Energy grant. The Santa Clara County Library District contributed about $510,000. In addition, the Friends of the Campbell Library donated $250,000.
Griffin Structures Contract Manager James Said said it’s been a lot of hard work and effort by everyone to complete the project.
“What we’ve ended up with is a really great place for the community to come and gather,” he told San José Spotlight. “Compared to the previous library, this is going to be a lot more usable and a lot more welcoming for everyone. It will be a good place to have all sorts of meetings, whether it’s community get togethers or productivity type meetings.”
Said’s children enjoyed going down the slide and his wife, Jenna Haug Said, appreciated the interactive area for babies and little ones.
The fully remodeled, 24,000-square-foot library features new furniture, thousands of books and floor to ceiling windows spanning two stories, which bring in natural light. The upper floor includes a community room and seating areas called “The Overlook” where people can relax.
Parent Zhao Yuan said he appreciated the new furniture and variety of books for different ages.
“It took a lot of attention, a lot of preparation to make this happen,” he told San José Spotlight. “We really like it here.”
County Librarian Jennifer Weeks said being in partnership with Campbell helped to realize the new library for the community.
“A library is for everyone,” she told San José Spotlight. “There’s a history panel about the city. There’s public art. There’s an immersive play space that has details special to Campbell. You’re going to feel like you’re coming home when you walk into this library.”
City Manager Brian Loventhal said the library was a long time in the making, but worth the wait. He said the city had to create the facility bit by bit to be able to afford it and deliver something residents wanted and would truly enjoy.
“It’s an awesome space for the community to be here and thrive,” he told San José Spotlight. “It’s a warm, welcoming place.”
Contact Lorraine Gabbert at lorrainegabbertsjspotlight@gmail.com.
This story originally appeared in San José Spotlight.