New Library Project

The Yorba Linda Public Library facility has served its community well for over 50 years, but is showing signs of its age and heavy use. Because the library receives an average of over 1,100 visitors per day, a report was commissioned to study the facility's current conditions and the library's future service needs. On August 2, 2011 the City Council authorized funding for a new library facility!

KEY DOCUMENTS:

PROJECT BACKGROUND:

The Yorba Linda Public Library dates back almost 100 years when the first library opened in 1913.  In 1959, the library moved to its current location and opened a 6,000 s.f. facility to serve a population of 1,198.  In 1970 the population reached 11,856 and an 18,000 s.f. addition was added.  In 1990 Yorba Linda's population grew to 51,800, and the library moved into temporary quarters to renovate the current facility for a third time, adding 4,000 s.f. and bringing the total size to 28,350 s.f.  The renovated library opened in 1992. 

In 2003-04 another expansion plan for the current facility was considered, but the City Council deemed the plan inadequate to meet current and future needs. In 2007-08, structural damage to the library's upper story was discovered and steel improvements were installed for safety purposes, but the overall cause of the damage was not determined.

In 2009, an outside Library Community Planning Committee assembled to develop the "Yorba Linda Public Library Strategic Plan 2010-2014".  The first goal of the plan was to address the library's facility needs to serve a population of 70,000.  The City Council directed staff in 2010 to proceed with a space needs assessment, building program and cost range estimate for a new library facility.  In 2011, The "Yorba Linda Public Library Space Needs Assessment and Building Program" was completed and presented.

PROJECT FUNDING:

According to the Yorba Linda Public Library Space Needs Assessment and Building Program, the initial cost estimates for a new 50,820 square foot facility are between $29M and $31.4M, not including the cost of land which is being donated by the Redevelopment Agency. At the Regular City Council meeting on August 2, 2011, the Council authorized $29M in funding from the following sources:

Originally, the library was established in 1914 as an independent special district with its own funding stream long before the City of Yorba Linda was incorporated in 1967. In 1985 when the Yorba Linda Library District merged with the City of Yorba Linda to become a department within the City, the Library brought all of its own assets and restricted funds. Currently, the library helps support the City's General Fund through the payment of administrative charges and fees, and no General Fund dollars are used to support the library. If the Library District had not become a department within the City of Yorba Linda, all of its assets would have been remanded to the County of Orange to become a branch in the county library system.

LINKS TO PROJECT RESOURCES: