The Little Library That Could

By Bobbi Zane

Visitors inspect a special reading area for children. PHOTOS BY BOBBI ZANE

It all started more than a decade ago when Julian Library patrons, supporters and staff began to focus on the problem: Julian had outgrown its tiny library housed in the historic Witch Creek one-room schoolhouse.

Long before a committee was formed by the Friends of the Library in 1993 to address the problem, members were "grouching about the need for more room," according to Friends President Jan Mattias, who with Nancy Hall spearheaded the effort to build the new Julian library that was dedicated on September 14.

Miss Julian, Rebecca Thomas

By 1993, the Friends and other interested patrons had begun looking for a place to move the books, which would accommodate a growing collection and increasing local patronage. By then, the little library had earned the distinction of being the busiest library for its size in the county. Although they never identified a suitable building, the Friends continued to support the library by raising funds at book sales, wine and cheese parties, and other events. While most of the funds raised supported the existing library and building special collections such as large print books and Books on Tape, the Friends began setting aside some money to build a new library.

Bill Porter and Betty Zerbe next to the gates designed by James Hubbel.

For a brief period in the mid - 1990s a building committee was formed to "determine what type of building we needed, and address issues such as how many tables and chairs needed. This committee eventually became the Steering Committee and began to look for land on which to construct a new library. During the time this committee was active, it accomplished something very important that enabled the library to accept large donations according to Mattias. "The Steering Committee became aware of the mostly dormant Julian Educational Foundation, helped to resurrect it, and got the members involved with the library project, setting up an executive board that could handle the money." Later the foundation held its own fundraising activities in support of the new library.

Joseph Munson is the first person to check out a book on Sept. 14.

 

 

 

Speakers at the grand opening ceremony for the Julian Library.

These were exciting times for library supporters. Help was appearing from many quarters inside and outside the Julian community. And things were happening all at once. The first turning point came when Jan Mattias mentioned that the community was searching for money to build a new library at a HUD meeting held in 1998 to provide Julian with information about community block grant funding. "The committee researched our service area, which is huge, to see if we qualified for funding under their guidelines." Fortunately, the Julian library did, and subsequently received funding to cover the cost of initial working drawings. Local architect Jay Evarts volunteered to create the initial design.

Jackie Lutts on the library computer.

The Friends also engaged in discussions with local school officials to designate the new library a joint use project. After the discussions bogged down over a number of issues including governance, maintenance, funding and management, a decision was made that the new library should be a county library, as the old one was.

But the Friends were not finished dealing with the high school. They still needed to find a site on which to build the brand new library. They had been hoping to obtain a portion of the high school parking lot, and the site of the tennis courts and baseball field (moved elsewhere during the school renovation).

The opportunity came when the voters passed Proposition 14 in 2000, the California Reading and Literacy Improvement and Public Library Construction and Renovation Bond Act. The act would provide 65 percent of the funds needed to construct a new library, providing the community could come up with the res.Now the Friends went to work. The committee talked to people, held coffees, and shared their passion for the library with anyone who would listen.

In general the matching funds came from the two original community development block grants, a capital fund raising campaigns conducted by the Friends and the Julian Educational Foundation, and the donation of needed 2.05-acre parcel by Julian Union High School District. Later the library received a $10,000 donation for books and other media from the Julian Union School District.

Julian's application for construction funding was approved with much praise for its quality by a state panel following hearings in December 2001. It was the last project funded in the first round of allocations.

The rest, as they say, is history. Construction started in May 2003 and was completed in September 2004, with a very short hiatus during the Cedar Fire.

The first library building to be completed with funding from Proposition 14 money, the Julian Branch, San Diego County Library, fulfills a library patron's fantasy with ample shelving for thousands of books, tapes and CDs, a children's reading area, a community room and two smaller study/meeting rooms, comfortable reading nooks, 20 computers most with Internet access, a store selling gently used books operated by members of the Friends, abundant lighting, and a set of entry gates designed by James Hubbell and crafted by local artists.