By Denise Ward
There’s something happening in your neighborhood!
Thanks to a parcel tax passed in 2016, “Measure S” improvements are being made, will be made, or have already been made to our county’s 10 libraries.
Right here in Aptos near the corner of State Park Drive and Soquel Drive our local branch is about to be demolished. In its place will stand a state-of-the-art facility that will feature flexible community, meeting and study rooms; garden and terrace areas; a local history section; children, teen and adult reading areas; and it will be built to maximize energy efficiency.
These improvements are much anticipated by patrons of the library. It has traditionally been a very busy place. 24,705 residents of Santa Cruz County consider the Aptos branch to be their library “home.”
It is the second busiest branch in the system with 151,841 visitors during the 2019 year. Tens of thousands of books are checked out annually not to mention the digital materials that are available for download. Yes! Directly to your mobile device!
While some skeptics think that libraries are a thing of the past, the sentiment from its patrons could not be more opposite.
Based on the reopening of both Capitola and Felton branches after their rebuilds and renovations, their use doubled!
The new design will allow more room for the Aptos library to run its popular array of programs. Our library offers such programs as technical help, Children’s Story Hours, Book Discussion Groups, Literacy Training, and special workshops such as Digital Animation for teens and adults.
The libraries of today have taken on something of a community center function, bringing people together for various events designed for learning and enrichment.
The Aptos Library has a Friends’ group (as do many of the other branches) who work to support their branches with additional funding and programming.
The Aptos Friends began a program called “Our Community Reads” which has been joined by Capitola, Felton, and Le Selva Beach Friends. They work to bring community members together around a selected book. Each year since 2018, the Friends has offered free public events such as films, lectures, poetry slams, panel discussions, author visits and more, all based around themes from the book.
Our libraries are a valuable community resource and we very much look forward to endless possibilities of future programming and events here in Aptos.
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To make your contribution to the new Aptos Library visit: www.friendsofaptoslibrary.org