Library service in Costa Mesa is provided by three branch libraries of the Orange County Public Library (OCPL): the Donald Dungan Branch (usually called the Costa Mesa Branch) Library at 1855 Park Avenue; the Mesa Verde Branch Library at 2969 Mesa Verde Drive East; and a third branch, the Costa Mesa Technology Branch Library at 3033 South Bristol, Suite Q. Our libraries currently face facility challenges that need to be addressed.

Facilities are inadequate.

Costa Mesa’s two general collection libraries (Mesa Verde and Donald Dungan) lack the space required to provide the quality of library services in demand by Costa Mesa residents. There is insufficient space for appropriately sized collections, and inadequate seating to accommodate patrons. There is very limited space to accommodate the libraries’ very active children’s programs, and insufficient areas for community meetings.

The designs of both libraries limit their usefulness in a number of ways. And both libraries are out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Library Services Needs and Delivery Study for the City of Costa Mesa dated August 18, 2000, (produced by Arroyo Associates, Inc., and hereafter called “The Arroyo Report”) confirmed that our city needed larger and more modern library facilities, including more up-to-date holdings and enhanced electronic access. Statistics showed that Costa Mesa ranks very low in library size, books, attendance and circulation when compared with a set of benchmark cities throughout the state. This holds true as well when Costa Mesa’s libraries are compared with the average for cities in the Orange County Public Library system.

When collections are small, attendance is correspondingly small. There is no room for more books, non-print materials, computer stations or library programs. We are compromised by our current building conditions. Experience has shown, however, that “When you build it, they will come.”

The Arroyo Report named 11 libraries in the state as “benchmark” cities because of similar demographics. The 1998 statistics the report used showed the average square footage of their main libraries to be 41,000 square feet. Since that time 5 of the 11 cities have expanded their main libraries or built new ones, and the average is now 55,206 square feet. Cities across the state have found that larger facilities are necessary to provide the services now considered necessary in public libraries. With no “main” library, Costa Mesa’s three small libraries total only 16,400 square feet.

To adequately meet the needs of Costa Mesa, we need to drastically increase our library space. Costa Mesa has only 0.145 square feet of library space per capita – one of the lowest rates of any similar sized city in California. With no increase in library space, and with expected population growth, it is projected that by 2025 we will have only 0.128 square feet per capita of library space.

Benchmark cities – for their MAIN libraries (not including branches)

The average square footage for these 11 benchmark cities (as selected in the Arroyo Report that was commissioned by the City of Costa Mesa) is now 55,206.

As stated, these (except for Irvine) are only the statistics for the Main libraries in these benchmark cities. Most of the cities also have branch libraries that would add to the total of library square footage in their cities.

Figure 1

The Mesa Verde branch was built in 1965 to serve a fast-growing northern section of the city. Its 6460 square feet soon became inadequate and its design – with two of the three levels of the library reached by small flights of stairs – is out of compliance with the American with Disabilities Act. The rest rooms are out of compliance. To serve a continually expanding need, additional books and services have been squeezed in to the building. There is no room in the building for a person in a wheelchair to navigate freely. Despite a demonstrated need for a community room, there is none. There is one small room for children’s story hour. There is no lobby or sitting area. Programs held in the library must be scheduled when the building is closed to regular service so that furniture can be cleared away. And even at that, there is space for only about 20 chairs. Many children’s summer reading program activities must be held outside on the lawn. The walled patio/garden areas at the four corners of the library are not usable for library needs. The building’s infrastructure is inadequate. This shortfall includes electrical distribution, communications cabling, lighting and the heat/cooling/ventilation system.

A quality staff and a tradition of customer service are primarily responsible for the relatively high level of customer satisfaction. Mesa Verde Branch has a collection of approximately 70,889 (in 2006) items, and has an active Children’s program in place, along with a well-utilized Vietnamese Collection. The library also houses a collection of books in Spanish. There are seven Internet stations, installed in 2006, all equipped with Word.

This branch was built in 1987 to replace an earlier building near the same location. It is part of the City’s Westside Civic Center situated in the City’s Lions’ Park. . The 7,500 square foot building is round with a small circular community room attached.

Because the building is round, it is hard to place library furniture using space economically. This means, of course, that fewer stacks can be accommodated, which further limits the size of the collection (65,353 in 2006). As in the Mesa Verde Branch, there is insufficient room for both adult’s and children’s programming.

The Costa Mesa Technology Library

This branch was added on January 30, 2002 to address a demand for Internet and computer access. This small (2400 square feet) branch is located in a strip mall in the northeast section of town. The library is open 5 days a week, for a total of 38 hours.

Though it contains no general book collections, the branch does house a modest collection of technology-related books and magazines, children’s and young adult’s paperbacks, a bestseller rental collection, and local and regional newspapers. (1,935 in 2006) It has available 24 Public Internet Workstations and 1 Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) to search and request materials from the OCPL system. Some computer instruction is given.

Planning for new facilities

In a report to the city by the “Library Services Needs and Delivery Study Working Group” in February 2003, two alternatives were considered: a single centralized library or neighborhood branch libraries. Initially the group recommended branch libraries. Since that time, however, the concept of a larger “main or central library” with a few branches has become a more favored concept in order to be able to offer the services and collections and community-connecting library space needed in our city.

This planned 50,000 sq. ft. library will have the space and collections to not only offer general information, but also business and career information, consumer information, and a broad range of materials on current topics and popular literature. It will have a computer/technology center, a homework center, and subject specialty areas. It will have the resources to provide formal learning support for students enrolled in school. (K-12) It will offer materials for community residents to gain an understanding of their own cultural heritage and the cultural heritage of others. It will provide lifelong learning services, to address the desire for self-directed personal growth and development opportunities.

A teen center will have young adult resources and study areas. A children’s section with a reference desk and a storytime room will serve our youngest citizens. Adults will enjoy a quiet reading section. Six to eight study rooms will serve students and the community. A large community room will accommodate lectures, author events, book discussions and special programs. Space for a ‘Friends of the Libraries’ bookstore will be provided. Ample off-street parking will be available.

In addition, space and staff will be available to handle special programs such as literacy, homework assistance, and collections of books and materials on loan from the school district for this homework assistance.

The goal is to meet the needs of our diverse community by providing at least 3.5 books or other materials per resident – up-to-date books, books on cassette, online resources, reference materials, videos, CDs, DVDs, magazines and newspapers for children, teens, and adults.

Every great community needs a great library. More than any other institution, the public library connects us with our past, enriches our present and prepares us for a better tomorrow. Our Costa Mesa libraries serve people of all ages, interests and backgrounds – from toddlers attending story hour to senior citizens using the Internet. A new, large central library is long overdue and will be an investment in our shared future, one that will provide unlimited opportunities for learning and enjoyment for many years to come.

The location

Site Selection Process. A study by a city appointed committee (Library Service Needs and Delivery Study Working Group) reported to the city the need for a library in the center of the city. Available sites were considered, and this city-owned site was selected because of its central location, availability and low use.

The site, the 2.4-acre Civic Center Park on Fair Drive next to the Police Facility, is large enough for the 50,000 square foot library that is planned. It will be necessary to also build a parking structure to provide parking for 200 vehicles as there will be no on street parking available. However, buses from the Orange County Transit Authority run east west along Fair Drive by the 178 route, and north south along Fairview Road by routes 173, 55 and 47 on a regular basis. Sidewalks for foot traffic are available on both sides of Fair Drive in front of the site, and along Fairview Drive on both sides to the west of the site as well as in all the nearby neighborhoods. Bike paths run along Fair Drive and Fairview Road. Bicycle parking will be available on site.

Parking Rationale. The planned parking structure can be entered from both Vanguard and Fair Drive. The first floor of parking is half a story (6-7 ft.) underground, so that the second floor of parking (which has no roof) does not needlessly block light and air from the condominiums behind.

Visibility. The site, across from the Orange County Fairgrounds, along Fair Drive, across Vanguard Street from the city hall and police station, and on a main thoroughfare of the city, is very visible to the public and the library should become a special landmark within the city.

Community Context and Planning. This site, in the center of the city and equally accessible from all sides, is also next to city hall and the main police station. It is within walking distance of a 4-year college, a community college, a high school, a middle school, and several elementary schools. The Orange County Fairgrounds, with a full range of activities, is across the street.

Funding for the library

Funding for the library will come from a combination of sources, including gifts, grants and possible fees established by the City of Costa Mesa. Initially the fund raising will center on gifts. These can take many forms – gifts of cash, or of real estate, or stocks and bonds. These gifts might be a one-time gift either as an outright donation of cash, or a pledge for later giving. Some may plan to give regularly for a set time, or up to a set amount. Those who work for companies that give matching gifts may consider filling out the paperwork for this added funding.

Those donating funds may also wish their gift to pay for specific portions of the new building; for instance, a meeting room, or the children’s or teen’s departments.

Opportunities for funding this library also may take the form of in-kind gifts. And there are many ways in which those interested may donate their time, skills and talents.

Timeline for fundraising and for project

It is hoped to begin construction on this library within 5-8 years, after funds are raised, architectural drawings are finalized and construction bids have been awarded. The city of Costa Mesa has given the Foundation until 2015 to raise the funds before the land would revert to other uses.