Cordelia Library to Open Thursday

Cordelia Library to Open Thursday
By Ben Antonius

FAIRFIELD - The wait is almost over for Cordelia residents.

City officials will hold a grand opening ceremony for the new Cordelia library and civic center at 10 a.m. on Thursday. The library is located at 5050 Business Center Dr., next to the Wiseman Building.

The ground level of the two-story building is occupied by the library; the upstairs will house city offices and a private, rent-paying tenant.

Assistant City Manager Nancy Huston said the rent would help cover the ongoing costs of the building for the cash-strapped city, though it does not have a tenant lined up yet.

"This will be great," Huston said. "I really think it brings educational materials but it also brings a sense of community with the residents in Cordelia. I predict that this place will be packed as soon as we open it."

The $14 million project was paid for by a state library bond that voters approved in 2000, as well as contributions from the city and county.

Fairfield will move the offices of its local access TV channel to the new location, which will also be equipped to broadcast city council meetings and serve as a backup emergency operations center.

The library will have 40 public computers, group study rooms, a quiet study area and meeting space. Librarians said the most popular programs, including children's story hour, would likely be held in the meeting rooms.

There are separate areas for reference books, DVDs, young adult literature and books in Spanish. At the rear of the library is a large section dedicated to children's books.

Nearby is a landscaped retention pond and bike path, which provides an impressive view out of the back windows.

The opening day collection will not be expanded much beyond its current size, although librarians said they would continue to rotate books in and out to keep it fresh.

Reach Ben Antonius at 427-6977 or bantonius@dailyrepublic.net.

CORDELIA LIBRARY

Location: 5050 Business Center Dr., Fairfield

Opening ceremony: 10 a.m. Thursday

Hours: Monday, Wednesday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Tuesday, Thursday: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday, Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Number of items: 47,000, including books, DVDs, CDs and audio books

Number of public computers: 40

Number of employees: 11

Size: 16,459 square feet for library, 2,000 square feet for city offices, 7,000 square feet for private tenant