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Berryessa Branch Library Closes in Preparation for
the Grand Opening of the New Berryessa Branch

Community Volunteers Step Up to Assist with Moving Library Collections

February 14, 2005 -

February 19 marks a milestone for the Berryessa community as the current, 8,637 sq. ft. Berryessa Branch Library closes its doors for the last time to make way for an enlarged 26,000 sq. ft. facility funded by the library bond measure approved by voters in November 2000. When the current Berryessa Branch Library was built in 1968, orchards dotted the area. Today, the area is densely populated: primarily residential neighborhoods with a bustling array of light industry, offices, retail businesses, small shopping centers and vestiges of its agricultural past, such as an egg ranch and a few remaining orchards and ranches. As a result, the demand for library services has grown considerably.

Moving an entire library collection into a new facility is a complex undertaking, typically managed by library staff in concert with a professional moving company. While that will still be true, 150 volunteers have come forward to offer their assistance on two Saturdays starting February 26, potentially saving the City thousands of dollars. Don Wilkins, a one-time page at Kern County Library (Bakersfield, Calif), is coordinating the group of volunteers that includes members of the San Jose California East Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, along with friends and neighbors.

"The Church has always been service orientated and we are always looking for opportunities for community involvement,” says Wilkins. “As much as we get from the Library, it would be nice to give something back to it."

The grand opening for the new Berryessa Branch Library will take place on March 12, 2005 with a dedication ceremony at 11 am. The day’s program will include hourly tours of the library, musical performances by local schools, a martial arts demonstration, face painting and other fun activities for kids, including story times.

The new library, located at 3355 Noble Avenue, will have the look and feel of an upscale bookstore. Highlights of the new branch include an Internet Café, Community Living Room with a fireplace, Technology Lab, Group and Quiet Study Areas, and a Community Room that will accommodate 124 persons, as well as significantly more space for seating, collections and computers. For public information about the upcoming opening event, call (408) 794-1400.

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