“This is — wow,” was a frequent expression overheard Saturday morning at San Diego’s newest and arguably most impressive library in the North City community of Pacific Highlands Ranch.
The city opened the doors of its 37th library branch to a crowd of around 400 local residents and families at about 10:20 a.m., following a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by the neighborhood’s council representative, mayor, library director and community planning group chair.
“Just over two years ago, we were here for the groundbreaking, and today I have the privilege of joining you and your friends and your neighbors for the grand opening of San Diego’s library of the future, the Pacific Highlands Ranch library,” Councilmember Joe LaCava said.
“As an all-electric … building with three EV charging stations, this library takes an important step towards a more sustainable tomorrow. As a library featuring more community rooms and offering more opportunities for formal meetings and informal get-togethers, this library moves us towards a more civically engaged tomorrow,” he said. “This project is community-led, sustainable and downright good looking.”
The assembled crowd’s pent-up enthusiasm — for a branch that has been more than 26 years in the making — was on display as people crammed their way inside. Library-goers young and old were anxious to see for themselves the facility’s many surprises, some which were teased on social media in the days leading up to the opening.
The $29 million, 18,000-square-foot facility at 12911 Pacific Place includes seven study and conference rooms, several cozy nooks, a couple of computer areas, a large community room with a catering kitchen, three outdoor areas, climbing mounds for kids and an idea lab with 3D printers and an engraving station.
There is also a public art installation in one courtyard, called “Text/Tile,” featuring terracotta tiles that spell out words in English, Spanish and Kumeyaay. The artwork was designed by City Heights resident Janelle Iglesias, who said she was inspired by early libraries made out clay tablets inscribed with cuneiform script.
“We are a family that loves reading books. And so we’re super excited about this location, even though it’s further from us (than the Carmel Valley library),” said Torrey Hills resident Jenika Karnik, 41, who made a beeline with her 7- and 9-year-old kids to the children’s section. Karnik, who co-hosts a podcast billed as a virtual bookclub, has instilled in her children a passion for reading, which was apparent as she checked out a hefty haul of books.
“I like the organization (of the library),” she said. “The kids section, being kind of separate, is nice, because then the kids know exactly where to go. There’s plenty of seats for the parents to sit.”
The genesis of the Pacific Highlands Ranch library is linked to the neighborhood’s community plan, which was adopted in 1999. During the planning process, in September 1998, the city of San Diego and developer Pardee Homes entered into a purchase agreement for the library site. The $3.7 million land buy was later authorized in September 2014 by a San Diego City Council that included now-mayor Todd Gloria.
“We don’t open a lot of libraries,” Gloria said Saturday. “I don’t know about you all, but I hear a lot from folks, ‘It’s the 21st century. Why do we even need libraries?’ … Look at this crowd. The public demands libraries. We want libraries. They’re critical pieces of neighborhood infrastructure.”
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The library’s design is a product of what Library Director Misty Jones described as “intensive” meetings with community members and focus groups.
“We talked to the local elementary and high schools to get what kind of technology they wanted to see in the (idea lab),” she told the Union-Tribune. “They wanted to be able to come in and tinker and do creative stuff … so that’s what we built.”
The project was paid for using developer fees in four neighborhood Facility Benefit Assessment funds: Black Mountain Ranch, Del Mar Mesa, Pacific Highlands Ranch and Torrey Highlands. Idea lab supplies are being paid for using donations from Friends of the Pacific Highlands Ranch Public Library, which are matched by the city, Jones said.
