By Cantor Sheldon Foster Merel
SAN DIEGO — It seemed I walked into the future last Thursday with five friends for our first visit to the “ new” downtown San Diego Library! Its stunning outside and inside structures are an architect’s dream project. Curved aluminum metal rods circle around the building and its beautiful dome glistens over the city like a beacon.
The reception area is a very high expanded space with a huge and imposing concrete arch supporting the roof, symbolic of the arch structure of the 6th avenue bridge into Balboa Park. Registration desks are on the left as one enters., and several stairs and escalators wind up into the upper floors with multiple elevators as an option
The library is adjacent to Petco Park with red San Diego Trolleys traveling along its side. Its proximity to the freeway makes it an easy destination for all book lovers.
1,500 large glass panels surround thee building providing plenty of daylight to read, study, find books, videos, and CD s. Documents of the city’s history never before available to the public can now be researched. There are magnificent views of the city wherever you sit with the Coronado bridge clear as a bell.
My friends and I began our tour of the library in the very impressive auditorium on the street level where we were greeted by our tour guide, librarian Ms. Monee Tang. The auditorium has excellent acoustics for concerts and lectures, and each seat has a small movable writing board attached to take notes.
After our orientation, Tang led us from floor to floor as she shared the history of the library and various rooms offering programs of interest for every age. Baseball fans will be delighted to visit an extensive collection of books about their sport. Monee Tang was charming and informative. We could not have had a better guide.
Bright red and orange colored desks, chairs, book shelves and a wall painting by Dr. Seuss welcomed us into the children’s library. There were a few infants crawling on the carpeted floor while parents read books to their older children.
The reading areas throughout the building have modern designed chairs and furniture with rich shades of blue for leisurely study and clear views of the surrounding city,
We visited the well named Innovation Lab on the third floor and met the teacher, a young woman eager to demonstrate for us the advanced hi- tech electronic computers, printers and sewing machines available to everyone. The Lab is an epitome of Innovation.
There is also a teen center where students meet to socialize and share projects. In addition to all these wonders, the 6th and 7th floors house a charter high school. How lucky these students are to have the incredible resources of the library available just a few floors below..
When we first arrived at the library awaiting the tour guide, we loitered in the gift shop where the loquacious store keeper entertained us with some background details of the library. We learned that it took 30 years of planning to build this unique library building. Funds were provided by the San Diego Library Foundation, City Council, and donations from the public topped by Joan and Irwin Jacobs of Qualcomm. Although the building had its grand opening in September 2013, it was entirely new to me.
We loved every minute of our wonder world time at the library. If you haven’t yet visited the library, I urge you to arrange a tour to see first hand one of the crown jewels of San Diego.
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Merel is cantor emeritus of Congregation Beth Israel. He may be contacted via sheldon.merel@sdjewishworld.com
Cantor Merel. i am so glad you and your friends enjoyed your first visit to the Central Library. It (and the 35 other branch libraries) truly is a jewel that all San Diegans can enjoy and take advantage of. At the San Diego Public Library Foundation, we are grateful for the support Library advocates made and continue to provide to make resources like these possible.
We are delighted that you enjoyed your visit to the San Diego Central Library @ Joan Λ Irwin Jacobs Common. We hope you have an opportunity to visit our other 35 branch locations. https://www.sandiego.gov/public-library
Sincerely,
Robert Cronk
Deputy Director of Public Services
City of San Diego
San Diego Public Library