Library renovation plans expected to be completed in the fall with a new educational and arts plaza

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - For a normally quiet library,  there's a lot of commotion and that's a good sign in downtown Santa Barbara.

The new Michael Towbes Library Plaza is about to replace the old plaza with design features in the arts and cultural neighborhood that have never been seen  before. There will also be a synergy that's expected to make the area come alive. 

From the construction site, now fenced off, a revitalized entrance and activity area will emerge. Once competed this fall, it can be in use day and night.
Santa Barbara Library Director Jessica Cadiente said "it's going to create the cultural campus that we deserve as a city. It is going to be exciting to see all the different activities that can happen when the library plaza opens. There will be 10,000 square feet of programmable space."
  It can also be divided into three separate plazas.

An outside patio area on an upper floor will also be renovated in the future as an overlook down to the plaza.

Cadiente said, "imagine movie nights on that wall imagine, you can have book festivals, a literary festival, any kind of  festival, fair, a literary fair or a  job fair. Any of that can happen here at the Michael Towbes Library Plaza."
The library remains open with  only a few periods of downtime,  even as another big months-long, multi-story inside project takes place.

"The city made a commitment to install an ADA complaint elevator and we are living up to that today so the ADA elevator is going to go to all floors and we hope to be open in the late fall of 2023," said Cadiente.

  For those who are not coming into the building the "Library on the Go" van is often at Shoreline park for kids and adults and many other areas. "You will find us at Alameda, Bohnett,  the Boys and Girls clubs all over the city.," said Cadiente. "You will find us in parks, in senior centers,  we haven't stopped serving, we haven't slowed down. We keep on going. We just might not be in this building to do it ."

 Next week it's  National Library Week with a public reception, a cocktail party,  a happy hour, an outside common table luncheon and a trivia night.  Plus you will learn about new services.

Cadiente said beyond books, the library has so much to offer. "If you would like a pop up tent or a paddle board, if you don't have the things to recreate in our beautiful community, you can check those out at the library."

There's even musical instruments.  "If you need a guitar, a ukulele, an amplifier for your guitar, a bass, we have those as well, " she said. The library also has mi-fi units for internet connection, equipment to view and study birds, a sewing machine, and passes to give you access to a State Park.

Three new library card designs will also be revealed during Library Week.

There will also be some discounts to go with many social events as listed here: National Library Week in Santa Barbara