Santa Monica Gets New Library Branch, 1st in 50 Years

From a city of Santa Monica press release:

Ready, set, read! The Pico Branch Library, 2201 Pico Blvd., is now open. 

The new neighborhood library is the first addition to the Santa Monica Public Library system in more than 50 years. Nestled in between the Thelma Terry Center and the Farmers Market zone, the Pico Branch is located in the heart of the Virginia Avenue Park campus and is designed programmatically to enhance early literacy, lifelong learning, and to complement Park programs.

The Pico Branch is stocked with a brand new “opening day” collection of 25,000 materials for adults, teens and children. In addition to popular books, movies, music, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers, the collection includes materials in Spanish and large print books.

Designed by Koning Eizenberg Architecture of Santa Monica, the 8,690 square-foot branch features a single-story, two-building design, with the main 7,872 square-foot library facility providing a children’s space, tables and seating, three group study rooms, reading areas, public computers, early literacy computers, copy center, self-service checkout, and self-service checkin using an automated materials handling system. 

The Annex, a separate, 818 square-foot community room, is connected to the library by a roofline trellis with solar panels.  The Annex provides space for story times, after-school activities, summer reading programs, book clubs, film screenings, do-it-yourself activities, educational, informational and cultural programs and will be available for public rental.

The Pico Branch Library is currently in a soft-open mode, with an official grand opening ceremony and festival scheduled for Saturday, June 28, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. In the first three days that the Pico Branch was open, it welcomed nearly 1,650 visitors.

Santa Monica Public Library branch hours are noon-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 5:30 p.m. on Friday, and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday (closed Sunday). The Pico Branch is wheelchair accessible. Big Blue Bus line 7 serves the Pico neighborhood; and bicycle parking racks are available. For more information, visit www.smpl.org/PicoBranch.aspx.