SCLF in the news
Reprinted with permission from The Reporter, Dec. 15, 2006.
New library stacks up as Cordelia bonanza
A visitor walks past the aisles of new books at the Fairfield-Cordelia Library during its grand opening Thursday. The 15,600 square-foot library features a new collection of books, express check-out machines, 40 public access computers and more. (Ryan Chalk/The Reporter) By Julie Kay/Staff Writer
The tangible benefits of the long-awaited Cordelia library stood on shining display at the facility's grand opening Thursday.
Brand-new books sat atop immaculate wooden shelves; a bevy of computers displayed the library catalog. Expansive views of the surrounding damp green hills appeared outside the library windows.
But the celebration also powerfully reflected the library's intangible benefits, its significance as a connector of the Cordelia area to the broader Fairfield community, and as a gem in the crown of the area itself.
At the time that the city of Fairfield began work on the library project in 2001, Cordelia and lower Green Valley residents expressed feelings of isolation from the rest of Fairfield, said Mayor Harry Price during the ceremony.
"It was like that cell phone commercial," he said, holding his own phone in the air. "'Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?'"
"Well, the city council listened, and we began to build," he said.
The project quickly became a collaborative one between Fairfield, Solano County and the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District. The groups worked together for years to make the library's opening possible.
On Thursday, hundreds came to celebrate the dream's success. The ceremony was held in a balloon-festooned tent in the library parking lot, at 5050 Business Center Drive. Guests munched on cake decorated with photographic images of the library, while the Green Valley Middle School jazz band performed a skillful rendition of "Blues Machine."
Kenneth Berson, 3, looks over some of the new children's books Thursday with his mother, Jane, at the Fairfield-Cordelia Library. (Ryan Chalk/The Reporter)
Those who spoke at the event included Price, City Manager Kevin O'Rourke, County Superintendent of Schools Dee Alarcon, Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, State Senator Mike Machado., State Librarian Susan Hildreth, Assistant City Manager Nancy Huston, and County Library Director Ann Cousineau.
Their speeches reflected determination, even in the face of challenge.
"I feel like Homer," quipped Price during his comments. "This is a story (that) was not an Iliad. It was an Odyssey."
Plans for the Cordelia library began with the creation of the 2001 County Library Facilities Master Plan, which listed it as the top priority for the Fairfield area. The city hired an architectural firm and later submitted a request for funding to the state Office of Library Construction and Renovation Board.
Planners were disappointed when the bid failed, but applied again during the following round, this time winning $4.1 million toward the $14.3 million project.
"They listened to our plaintive pleas...and we succeeded," said Price.
The 15,600-square -foot library has 47,000 items in its collection, 40 public computers, three group study rooms, and 12 individual carrels.
It is located near three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school, as well as close to Solano Community College.
Huston called Thursday "a great day for Fairfield."
"This library was not an easy assignment," she said. "But when you believe in something that's very important to your community, you find a way to make it happen."
Following the morning's speeches, the crowd gathered to watch officials cut a ceremonial ribbon in front of the library doors.
O'Rourke then made a long-awaited announcement.
"Welcome everyone," he said. "Come on in."
Julie Kay can be reached at schools@thereporter.com.