U.S. News Center
8/4/2021
On August 4th, Arcadia Live Oak Library, which has been closed for nearly three years, was opened under the re-constructed building of the Los Angeles County. LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger who represents 5th District was invited for the cutting ribbon ceremony.
This county-owned public library closed about three years ago. The local community residents and the library board jointly requested an order in Los Angeles County, and was approved by 5th District Supervisor Kathryn Barger, investing $7.3 million by the LA County Government in 2019. It took one year and four months for renovations and a full update. The modern fashion design style that’s been renewed from inside and out has amazed attending guests and citizens of today’s opening ceremony, most notably the fully transparent glass room in the middle of the library. The design of the small round skylight is unique, allowing parents and children to look up at space to open their horizons and increase their knowledge, laying a solid foundation for future studies.
Kathryn Barger said that she was very pleased the public library, initially planning to close due to tight funding, was able to finally reopen after over a year of reconstruction. It was able to offer the surrounding communities and cities (including Temple City, Arcadia, Duarte, and Monrovia) wonderful family reunions and a plethora of reading time.
She said the library also provided two meals for children. As a parent, this offers great news for children. What’s even better, she is also willing to continue to support and serve the communities.
Barger gave special thanks and praise to the library design and construction contracting engineering company Mark Strellan and his team for their punctual acceptance and budget control; she expressed her gratitude for the library directors and their many meetings and discussions. She thanked her assistant Fraska for his direct involvement in the promoting of reconstruction. Furthermore, she thanked the San Dimas office’s Paul, who represents San Gabriel Valley, for consistently coordinating the project with all parties and finally successfully reaching it.
Supervisor Barger said that the library houses meeting rooms, a kitchen, a group learning activity room, 12 computers, tables that can be charged with USB cables, and two self-checkout systems. There are also wo digital informational boards and several other places that you can spend time to explore.
On behalf of the Los Angeles County Government, Supervisor Barger presented the library with a beautiful painting to congratulate their re-opening.
Sho Tay, the mayor of Arcadia, who was invited to attend the opening ceremony that day, said that he welcomes the county public library in Arcadia to return to people’s lives. He hopes that more citizens in surrounding cities come to study and gather together for family time, especially seeing as the fall semester will soon be starting. Teenagers can spend their after-school study time here after school instead of wandering around, posing a potential risk to safety issues.
At the same time, the mayor of San Gabriel, Qinho Liao, said that he is also a Commissioner of the LA County Public Library Board. There are 87 public libraries in Los Angeles County, and each of them has served the local community for a long time. Mayor Liao stated previously this library was planning to close in 1993. Later, the “Friends of the Library” was established among the local community and the library council, and the old library was kept. With the county supervisor joint efforts, a new library was finally built for the benefit of communities. The existence of a library is a necessary aspect for new immigrant communities.
Mayor Liao said that the San Gabriel City Library also belongs to LA County. Many new immigrants go to read books and newspapers. It provides a safe place for everyone to gather. Reading in the library is also an important part of our lives.
The director of the library said that residents in the surrounding communities called this a “new home”. The return of the Live Oak Library today is inseparable from the full support and help of LA County’s 5th District Supervisor, Kathryn Barger. She introduced a number of people from the behind-the-scenes community who helped the library to persist, and last but not least, Denise, who has served the library for 36 years.
