After two years, Pleasant Hill Library has become a community hub
PLEASANT HILL, CA (July 19, 2024) — This month we are celebrating two years with our new Pleasant Hill Library, a building which I feel is the jewel of the city.
Our library has long been a gathering space for members of our community, but with the opening of the new structure in 2022, it has reached new heights both in what it provides to the city and its engagement with our residents.
The road to getting this new library was a long one. After 60 years, the former library site had reached the end of its useful life and was in need of numerous repairs and upgrades. Rather than continue to invest in the failing building, the city decided to look at the possibility of creating something new. In 2014, the city formed a Library Task Force to explore what elements would be needed to create a library that would meet the evolving needs of the Pleasant Hill community.
The task force toured other libraries throughout the area, gathering information and looking at what could be incorporated into the new design. At the same time, the City Council moved forward with seeking a half-cent sales tax to fund the new building. Voters approved the tax in 2016.
Planning and construction
The new site would be on five acres of land donated by Contra Costa County, on Monticello Avenue.
The planning process for the library welcomed participation from many residents through scoping sessions, Town Hall meetings and more. Finally, in 2020, construction on the new facility began, and thousands attended the Grand Opening on July 30, 2022. It was an amazing day filled with music, food, projects and tours of the new facility.
Since that time, the Pleasant Hill Library has not only met all expectations, it has exceeded them – becoming the premier library in Contra Costa County. According to the library’s annual report, in 2023, the library welcomed 271,520 visitors, and issued 6,448 new library cards. There were 359,270 items checked out of the library, 28% more than the next busiest branch and double the average library in our county. And this number doesn’t even include the 138,000 e-books checked out during that time.
The library has also become a hub of creativity and imagination through its programs and areas like the Maker Space. More than 50,000 people attended 548 events at the library in 2023. Events ranged from reptile shows to author visits and the annual Tinkers and Thinkers Day.
Residents were able to experience new things like learning to crochet, creating 3-D models or finding out about animals at the 4-H Farmfest.
High level of creativity, joy and fun
Senior community library manager Patrick Remer continues to be one of the most popular storytellers in the area, in addition to bringing a high level of creativity, joy and fun to all of the programs at the library. We are lucky to have him and his hard-working staff to bring all of these programs to life.
The building itself is a thing of beauty: bright, open and airy with plenty of space for people to relax and enjoy their latest literary find. It bears little resemblance to libraries of old, choosing instead to invoke a sense of community, fun and play. It is inviting, while also offering something for everyone – from children to seniors.
If you haven’t had an opportunity to check out the Pleasant Hill Library, I can’t recommend it strongly enough. It took a great deal of city and community effort to get this amazing facility built. Having spent time there myself, I can tell you it was well worth the wait.
Contact Matt Rinn at Mrinn@pleasanthillca.org.