Read All About It - Ramona's Booked for a New Library
By Regina Elling

A sign between 12th and 13th Streets marks the spot where Ramona's new library will be built. Photos by Regina Elling

It's been nine years of waiting, wondering, planning and dreaming. But the wait may finally pay off for Friends of the Ramona Library, as the group recently received some good news about the town receiving a new library.

"After being at a standstill for such a long time," says Elise Kuhn, spokesperson for the Friends, "We are very excited that we might be able to have a groundbreaking ceremony as early as March."

The Friends have been working with county officials on the project for years. The new library will be the cornerstone of the Ramona Intergenerational Community Campus, RICC for short.

"We would love to have both the senior center and youth groups along with the library," she says. "We hope our youth and our seniors will be able to work together."

The library is planned to be a Tuscan-style building with a clock tower. The campus will be located off Main Street on six acres between 12th and 13th streets.

Elise Kuhn was busy sorting books at a recent Friends of the Library book sale.

"It will be a beautiful green campus with lots of shade and seating areas," Kuhn says.

The current library is less than 5,000 square feet; the new one will be more than 20,000 square feet. A large room for community use is planned.

The increased space is long overdue.

"The library was originally built in 1973 to serve 1,200, and now serves 4,500," Kuhn says.

The Friends were hoping to hear the good news about the building progression in July. But the summer months came and went with no word, and the program was at a crossroads.

"Other than our monthly book sale, we didn't want to continue with any fundraising until we had some sense of a timeline," she explains.

Book sales are held the third Saturday of each month at the library.

"We are losing a lot of money because we have no storage for more books to be donated," Kuhn says. "The new library will have a bookstore, and we can keep it open every day we can find volunteers to work in it. That will really help with funds."

Kuhn is looking forward to getting back into full swing with the Friends. "We will have lots of plans to talk about at our December meeting," she says.

One topic will definitely be the increased cost of the delayed construction.

"The project cost has doubled, from more than $5 million originally proposed to more than $10 million now," Kuhn explains. "Previously, we raised $1.2 million from pledges and checks from local residents. But we still need some intense fundraisers."

Land for the project has already been purchased by the county. However, any additional funds the Friends can raise will be used for equipment, materials and other items to improve the project.

The county is also continuing its negotiations for more land, as the Friends would love to be able to add more parking and amenities.

In the meantime, Kuhn is thankful that so many in the community have worked so hard to see a new facility built.

"The Kiwanis Club is a huge help; they drag around all those 100-pound boxes of books for our book sales. And the folks at the county have been really good to us," she says.

"But it would be nice to have our library, and not have to drag all those books around every month," she added.

To join or support Friends of the Ramona Library, call membership chair Barbara Pierce at 760-789-2319. For information about the new facility, visit: www.ramonalibrary.org.