By Jondi Gumz
Can the newly rebuilt reimagined Aptos Library meet expectations?
My answer is: “Yes!”
The address is the same: 7695 Soquel Drive, and the parking appears to be spacious.
Inside is truly spacious.
The building is 12,408 square feet — 50 % larger — and so carefully designed with the children’s area and the teen area separate from the adult reading area, which has a drop-dead gorgeous view looking onto Soquel Drive and onward to Monterey Bay.
Aptos library assistant Claire McCoy appreciates the view from the corner of the reading area.
The picture windows bring in natural light and add to the feeling of spaciousness.
With the theme of “forest to the sea,” some rooms are painted blue and white; others are green.
Blue baffling on the ceiling — looking like an ocean wave — muffles sound and green glass dividers represent kelp.
Kudos to Mark Schoeman of Anderson Brulé Architects, who listened to community feedback, and Santa Cruz contractor Bogard Construction, which teamed up for the design-build project, the first in the county.
One wall in the new Aptos Library thanks donors who made it possible. The community room is named for Betty Leonard, a nurse who left the Aptos library $650,000 in her will, the conference room for Dr. Norman Dorosin & his wife Blossom, who came to Aptos after losing their home in the 1991 Berkeley fire, and the teen room for the Martin family.
Bogard Construction President Jared Bogaard called the Aptos Library “a true example of how successful design/build deliveries can be on public projects.”
The once-in-a-lifetime library was made possible by Measure S, the $67 million bond measure approved by voters in 2016 to repair and upgrade all 10 libraries in the Santa Cruz Public Libraries system.
The Aptos project cost $14 million, and the Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries raised $496,342 beyond the Measure S funding.
Interim SCPL Director Eric Howard is especially pleased with this built-in feature: Energy-efficient design.
New Collection
Did I mention the entire collection is new?
This colorful mural, Love is Why We Tell the Story, was sponsored by Live Like Coco Foundation, on the youth patio.
About 23,000 books, according to librarian Sarah Harbison, who said library crews worked round the clock for two weeks to organize books — science fiction, fiction and nonfiction — that were packed into floor-to-ceiling boxes.
There is a new local history collection, plus DVDs and audiobooks.
Visitors who check out “Your Lucky Day” shelves may find a book in high demand with a long waitlist such as “The Horse,” the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Geraldine Brooks, Barbra Streisand’s new memoir and “The Fury,” a thriller by Alex Michaelides. Caution: You must finish “Your Lucky Day” book in three weeks — no renewals.
Twelve computer stations are ready for adults, with a mix of chairs, some with arms, some without — and again, the word is spacious — plenty of room to work without elbowing the person next to you.
There is a second reading area for adults, with the new magazine racks offering 64 choices.
The community room, named for Betty Leonard, a nurse who left the Aptos library $650,000, seats about 70 and has a fridge, sink and trash can.
An anonymous donor gave money for the conference room to be named for Dr. Norman Dorosin and his wife Blossom, longtime Aptos residents. This room seats 12 to 16, and will host the writers workshop on Mondays.
The bridge club sponsored by Santa Cruz County Parks & Recreation is moving here from the Capitola Library, starting Monday, Feb. 5. Members meet weekly from 10:30 a.m. to noon, holidays excepted.
All this spaciousness will make it easier for library staff to offer programs and not interfere with regular library patrons.
“Everybody gets their cup of tea,” Rammer said.
Aptos History
Yes, the replica of an indigenous canoe hangs from the ceiling — it’s part of the Aptos History Museum display. Watch for the historic Rio del Mar sign and the rotating exhibit now featuring Claus Spreckels, Claus Mangels and a beautifully embroidered Spanish shawl.
Exhibits from Aptos History Museum feature Claus Spreckels, Claus Mangels and a beautifully embroidered Spanish shawl.
A pair of group study rooms seat 5 to 6 people each and can be reserved the day it’s needed.
The children’s section is thoughtfully organized from the board books for babies, to early readers such as “Frog & Toad,” “Pinkalicious” and “Flat Stanley” for grade 1-3, then older readers such as “Dragon Academy,” “Captain Underpants” and Geronimo Stilton.” Then nonfiction — “I Survived the Titanic” and — the most popular of all — graphic novels, which has more shelves than originally anticipated.
Along with DVDs, books on CDs, there are Vox books, which came out in 2015 and won a National Parenting Product Award in 2021. Kids push a button and a lively narrator reads the story to them, with a special sound telling them when to turn the page.
I can see this will help kids pronounce words that are unfamiliar — and gives them a way to enjoy a book when their parents are busy making dinner.
The staff quarters are spacious too, easy to sort through the books being returned to get them to any of the 10 branches in the Santa Cruz Public Libraries system.
Any skimps on this project? There is only one printer station, so bring your patience.
While you wait, take in the view, the art, or better yet, read a book, and you’ll get your turn.
Aptos Branch Library hours: Monday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Sunday.
Photos Credit: Jondi Gumz
TOP PHOTO: Aptos librarian Rowan Rammer is eager to greet you at the grand opening Feb. 4.