View Attachment B — Rules & Legislation Committee, March 26, 2026

CITY OF OAKLAND

OAKLAND

PUBLIC LIBRARY

MASTER FACILITIES PLAN
JUNE 2006
2006 D R A F T R E P O R T

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
NEEDS ASSESSMENT 9
- Methodology
- Demographics and Community Analysis
- Library Use
- Summary of Library Facility Needs
- Summary of Library Service Needs
RECOMMENDATIONS 29
- Systemwide Vision for the Oakland Library System
- Service Level Guidelines and Service Areas
- Determining the Location
- Development Strategies

IMPLEMENTATION 43
- Cost Planning
- Capital Budget Funding Strategies
- Operating and Maintenance Budget
- Project Phasing
PARTICIPATION 57
FACILITY SUMMARIES 64
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Table of Contents i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Executive Summary 1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION
In 2002, on City Council direction, the Oakland Public Library (OPL) embarked on a Master Facilities Plan in response to the community’s need for improved services, with the intent to plan for facilities to support these needs.

This work builds upon the Library’s Strategic Plan is a response to the unmet and growing needs of the community. It is also in response to recent ﬁ scal crises and the community’s outcry in support of the Library, which resulted in the Save Oakland Libraries organization and the support and passage in 2002 of Measure Q, the library’s dedicated parcel tax.

The Master Facilities Plan articulates a vision that is based on a highly participatory process and includes overall service recommendations and improvements for a revitalized system. The Plan identi ﬁ es speci ﬁ c improvements to facilities, including capital costs, and implementation strategies for the overall plan, such as funding options and phasing of improvements.

Three rounds of public participation played an important role in the formation of the Master Facilities Plan. A ﬁ rst round of focus groups was held at each of the libraries during the Needs Assessment phase. During the Recommendations phase a second round of community outreach was done through a Speaker’s Forum, which included a variety of interested Library Staff, CAC, and project team members going out to over 40 community organizations to present the draft plan’s recommendations. Feedback from these as well as Council was then incorporated into the Draft Master Facilities Plan Part 1, presented to Council the Fall of 2004. The second part of the master plan advanced the Main Library development strategy recommendation, as well as re ﬁ nement of draft recommendations for branches through further coordination with Council of ﬁ ces and City staff. The Main Library recommendation of relocation to the Henry J. Kaiser Center’s Arena entailed a full feasibility study and cost development. Project costs were also developed for each of the library improvement projects and potential funding options for the full Master Plan recommendations were reviewed. A third round of community participation was completed through a series of open houses held at each of the library facilities to present the draft Master Plan and Main Library recommendations.

THE NEED
Through the use of a variety of different methods over 4,000 people gave input into the plan. These included community meetings and focus groups held throughout the city, over 1,600 user surveys collected at the Main and all of the branch libraries, and a telephone survey by the City Auditor that reached 1,000 residents, both current library users and non-users alike. The Needs Assessment also mapped existing user patterns to look for underserved areas Recommendations:

DImprove ALL existing branches
DAdd 4 new branches
DExpand the Main at the Kaiser
Arena
DSeek funding to make it
happen

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Executive Summary and studied technical demographic analysis of both current and future trends in the city to discern future needs. The Library’s Community Action Committee, composed of community representatives, and its Youth Leadership Council, composed of youth representatives, were vital in con ﬁ rming these needs as well as working with the project team to form the vision for the library’s future - in services and facilities.

The voices of residents were loud and clear: The Oakland Public Library plays a vital role in meeting residents’ needs – in terms of education, enrichment, and technology. The Needs Assessment has identi ﬁ ed a lack of space, which constrains the size and diversity of the collection needed for our community.

Many of the libraries are too small to accommodate the number of people using them and, at peak use times, library patrons cannot ﬁ nd places to sit. The libraries provide a vital link to technology for Oakland residents: citywide, 25% of the population has no other access to computers, and there is a need for both technology access and training. Patrons see life-skills including literacy and job training, and enrichment programs – such as cultural and literary programs, as vital services for the Library to provide.

THE RECOMMENDATION
The existing libraries play a signiﬁ cant role in the day-to-day lives of Oakland residents and is a well-distributed system. However, many of these facilities are stretched beyond their capacity, and have little if any room to grow to accommodate the many needs of patrons. There are also a few under-served areas of the city without good access to any facility, such as the Laurel/Oak Knoll, and the San Antonio neighborhoods. The vision for the Oakland Public Library system is to improve all the libraries in the system, to supplement the system with new branches in the underserved areas, and to revitalize and expand the Main Library. The Library proposes to do this with three different types of libraries.

Neighborhood Libraries
The vision for Neighborhood Libraries is to retain and improve the current network of libraries that provide safe, walkable libraries in local neighborhoods. Neighborhood Libraries will be enhanced to address speci ﬁ c service needs of the areas in which they are located. All of the neighborhood facilities will provide core services of materials, seating, and technology access; they will be further tailored to meet the speci ﬁ c needs of the local residents. For example, neighborhoods with a high children’s population may have collections focused on children’s materials and homework resources (for example, Martin Luther King and Brookﬁ eld); and neighborhoods with multi- cultural populations may have collections focused on language materials (for example, Asian, and Chávez). This will allow the Library to keep and improve all existing branch libraries. This will also allow the Library to make more effective use of the limited space in many of these facilities in meeting local needs.

The vision for the Oakland Public
Library system is to improve all
the libraries in the system, to
supplement the system with new
branches in the underserved
areas, and to revitalize and
expand the Main Library.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Executive Summary 3 Community Libraries
The library will also improve and expand several libraries and add two new libraries to serve as Community Libraries that will provide both core services to their neighborhoods and supplement the Neighborhood Libraries with additional services that residents need, such as computer labs and program rooms. The Community Libraries will allow OPL to effectively and efﬁ ciently increase services. Community Libraries will provide a full-array of library services that cannot be offered at the Neighborhood Libraries due to space constraints: augmented materials in increased space; program space, including meeting room(s) for both library and community use; space to accommodate group study, diverse age groups, and recreational use, including areas for children, teens, and adults; and technology training in computer lab settings.

These facilities will be geographically distributed throughout the city to ensure accessibility from all neighborhoods, and will be implemented through expansion of existing libraries or new facilities, not consolidation.

Main Library
The Main Library plays a pivotal role in both supporting the system and providing a civic focal point within the city. It also has the opportunity to play a major role in the revitalization of downtown and an improved quality of life for all Oakland residents, including the many new and current downtown residents for whom it is their “branch.” While the vision for the Main Library continues to be formed, the preliminary vision is for a revitalized Main Library as a combination of traditional and new library services in a facility that serves as a physical and metaphorical beacon to all users. Providing “Everything Oakland” – from history, current events, and government to cultural enrichment and education will be a primary civic role of the Main Library. The new Main will also provide a window to the rest of the world. and be an arena that supports the cross-fertilization of ideas and knowledge through programs, interaction, and resources.

The Main Library will provide technical system support for in-depth resources not available at the branches (more extensive collections, fragile historic materials, large scale programs, etc) as well as system-wide support, services including acquisitions, purchasing and processing of materials, technology services, program development resources, and library administration.

The current Main Library facility is about half of the size needed to support these services, and is also burdened by signi ﬁ cant infrastructure issues, such as existing data capacity and structural capacity for expansion. In addition, the current building is poorly organized with a large solid core of closed stacks in the middle of the building that makes it very inef ﬁ cient to operate both these closed spaces ahd the public spaces that surround it. Of the options examined for the Main Library, including renovation and expansion of the existing Main Library facility or relocation to another facility, the relocation of the Main Library to the Henry Kaiser Center’s Arena is the preferred development strategy. This location presents a number of opportunities, including a more For further information on this
project, please visit the Oakland
Public Library’s Website, and click
on the link for the Master Facilities
Plan: www.oaklandlibrary.org
The new library will have 4-
5 levels of new construction
around a sky-lit atrium

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
4 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Executive Summary public and civic location, with the capacity to house the needed space, as well as the opportunity to preserve the historic landmark and give a new life to the Kaiser Center and keep it from being closed for an extended period of time.

The full study of the development options for the Main Library are outlined in the Feasibility Study of the Adaptive Reuse of the Kaiser Arena as a New Main Library report being issued along with this report.

There are also citywide services that are based out of other library facilities, such as special collections (Asian’s and Chávez’s language collections, African-American Museum and Library of Oakland, or AAMLO, etc.) as well as special services, including literacy. Many of these services will remain at their current locations to serve their local constituency while continuing to serve the city as a whole as well.

A new service model that emphasizes customer service and more ef ﬁ cient delivery systems of both materials and services will be implemented in all facilities (utilizing partnerships, self-service and use of technology such as self-check out machines, radio frequency identi ﬁ cation, etc.). Such service models will free up library staff from more repetitive tasks enabling them to assist patrons with value-added services such as information and referral and increased programming.

IMPLEMENTATION
Capital costs, including comprehensive project budgets for all recommended library improvements were developed. Funding options, including local funding measures and grant funding opportunities are considered. The Plan also developed draft phasing criteria to guide the implementation of projects in a way that allows it to move steadily towards its goal of full implementation of its vision for improved library services and facilities while being ﬁ scally responsible to the residents of Oakland.

Relocating the Main Library into
the Henry J. Kaiser Center will
bring new life and preserve this
cherished historic landmark.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Executive Summary 5 Neighborhood Libraries
ASIAN
8,500 SF Existing
Expansion to
10,500-12,000 SF

BROOKFIELD
4,250 SF Existing
Expansion to
7,000-8,000 SF
CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ
Complete/Service Upgrade
15,000 SF Existing

ELMHURST
3,220 SF Existing
Expansion to
4,200-4,700 SF

GOLDEN GATE
4,260 SF Existing
Service Upgrade

HOOVER (NEW)
New Construction
8,000-12,000 SF

LAKEVIEW
3,800 SF Existing
Expansion to
5,800-6,300 SF

LAUREL (NEW)
New Construction
8,000-12,000 SF
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
3,800 SF Existing
Renovation

MELROSE
5,300 SF Existing
Service Upgrade

MONTCLAIR
3,800 SF Existing
Implement New Service Model

OAK KNOLLOOVER (NEW)
New Construction
5,000-8,000 SF

PIEDMONT AVENUE
1,700 SF Existing
Expansion to
5,000-10,000 SF

TEMESCAL
4,260 SF Existing
Service Upgrade
Community Libraries
DIMOND
10,000 SF Existing
Expansion to
16,000-19,000 SF

EASTMONT
9,200 SF Existing
Expansion to
16,000-19,000 SF
81st AVENUE BRANCH (NEW)
New Construction
21,500 SF

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF Existing
Expansion to
17,500-18,000 SF

SAN ANTONIO (NEW)
New Construction
16,000-19,000 SF

WEST OAKLAND
8,000 SF
Expansion to
16,000-19,000 SF
Citywide Facilifies

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility to
120,000-160,000 SF
AAMLO
17,000 SF
Recently Completed
* The Library will be implementing the
new service model at all libraries to
improve customer service and increase
efficiency.
* Locations of new or relocated facilities to
be determined. See discussions of possible
sites in Facility Summaries Section.

Proposed Library Facility Improvements

Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment 7

NEEDS ASSESSMENT

NEEDS OF THE OAKLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Oakland Public Library is deeply committed to providing excellent library service to residents of the City of Oakland, a mature city with a rich history.

With a geographic area of about 54 square miles, Oakland is the largest city in Alameda County and the sixth largest in the state, boasting a bustling harbor, an international airport, important transportation lines, and a temperate climate.

The Library understands that a needs assessment is a critical tool for understanding each community and its service requirements. Complementary methodologies – including focus groups, interviews, public meetings, surveys, patron mapping, and demographic analysis – were used to involve as many community members and local organizations as possible in the needs assessment process and to explore the demographic characteristics of the communities to be served.

METHODOLOGY
This master plan process sought to include as many community members as possible through as many methods as possible. The Library recognizes the value of public participation in library planning as the best way to develop an understanding of each community’s particular service needs. When the Library knows the community’s needs, it can set about meeting them in a focused manner.

The process by which this needs assessment was developed was strongly participatory in nature. Input was solicited from Oakland residents of all ages as well as from city and community leaders, service providers, educators, and other stakeholders. Methods to gather broad-based information included library facility visits, mapping of library patron addresses, and analysis of demographic data as well as public meetings, focus groups, interviews, and written surveys.

Public Meetings
Public meetings were held throughout Oakland in order to give all residents the opportunity to participate. Meeting dates and times were publicized via ﬂ yers distributed at each OPL branch library. The general outline for each meeting was to discuss community characteristics, values, strengths, and needs; prioritize the library services that would best respond to the community’s needs; and evaluate the existing library facility. While not every meeting followed this outline in order, all participants provided information about their area and its needs, and made suggestions for priority library services.

In some areas of Oakland, many residents attended the public meetings, while meeting attendance was sparse in other areas. In those neighborhoods where Library Patrons gave input on how
they value the library and what they
see as the most pressing needs

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
8 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment public meeting attendance was expected to be low, community leaders were speciﬁ cally asked to come serve as a focus group during the ﬁ rst hour of the meeting. This proved to be a useful strategy that yielded quite a bit of useful information.

Focus groups were used to determine the library needs of special constituencies within the community. Participants were asked to characterize their community, identify their own library service needs, and comment on the library service needs of the community as a whole. A total of 14 focus groups were convened, including groups with teens, seniors, elementary school teachers and parents, and residents with disabilities.

Interviews were conducted with community leaders, library staff, community service providers, public school staff, and local residents to better understand the character of Oakland and to ascertain library service needs. Each interview provided valuable information that contributed to this needs assessment and Master Facilities Plan.

Surveys
This needs assessment included the distribution and collection of a survey created speci ﬁ cally for this master plan process as well as the analysis of data from three other recent surveys administered by the Oakland Public Library, the City of Oakland’s Community and Economic Development Agency (CEDA) and the Oakland City Auditor’s Ofﬁ ce. Surveys provided a pool of quantitative and qualitative data that added breadth to the information collected via public meetings, focus groups, and interviews, and supplemented the demographic data supplied by U.S. Census 2000 and other sources.

The 2001 CEDA survey was mandated by the Oakland City Council to identify funding needs and priorities throughout the city. Although the survey was not speciﬁ cally designed to elicit information about library service needs, the results provide insight into residents’ characteristics and general community needs.

In 2002, the Library conducted a teen user survey. With 1,174 responses, it was the largest single teen survey in the memories of some of the nation’s best known authorities in young adult services. The responses helped shape a vision for services that goes beyond teen’s identity as students to serve the whole person. The survey obtained information on the demographics of respondents, reasons they use the library, which library or libraries they most use, what they like about the library, and what they would like to see more of in the future.

Between December 2, 2002 and March 3, 2003, the Oakland City Auditor used a telephone survey to solicit public opinion on the Oakland Public Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment 9

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Library system from both library users and non-users. Telephone numbers were randomly selected from the local phone directory. A total of 842 residents participated in interviews, which were conducted in English, Chinese, and Spanish. While these survey results are not available by speci ﬁ c community or library service area, they provided demographic information and helped identify general library service priorities.

As part of the investigation for the development of this master plan, a two page written library survey was administered citywide in order to elicit information from residents about library use patterns, service needs, and facility issues.

Copies were made available at current Oakland Public Library branches in early December 2003. The surveys were in Spanish and Chinese as well as English, and more than 1,600 responses were completed and returned, with an average of 100 responses for each branch.

Patron Mapping
A library’s service area is the surrounding geographic area, or neighborhood, in which that branch’s primary service population lives. The library’s service population represents the number of people that the branch library should serve. Service areas are one of the primary ways to measure the geographic equity and the distribution of library services. Service areas were con ﬁ rmed by mapping where current patrons of each facilities live. This allowed the planning team to see the extent of each service area and con ﬁ rm geographic or other barriers, and to conﬁ rm that people in many areas use more than one library. It also helped us identify underserved areas – residential areas within the city with a very low rate of library usage. These were in areas of known or suspected barriers outside of existing library service areas.. “Snapshot” data were collected of materials checked out at all branches in the Oakland Public Library system during one week in September 2003. The address of each person who checked out materials was plotted on a map in order to better understand the core and expanded geographic areas from which each branch draws its patrons, as well as identify underserved areas within the city.

Patron Mapping helped identify
service areas and under-served
areas in the city

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
10 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment Demographics
A range of demographic data was collected to con ﬁ rm and enrich the information gained through public participation and patron mapping. Sources included:
U.S. Census 2000, which provided data on distribution of age, ethnicity, household language, educational level, family status, income, and poverty status in Oakland
Unemployment rates from state and federal agencies
Population projections were obtained from the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)
Portland State University’s 1996 estimates of literacy rates

DEMOGRAPHICS AND COMMUNITY ANALYSIS
Between 1980 and 2000, the population of Oakland increased by more than one-third to approximately 417,000 people. Since Oakland is, for the most part, built out, this high growth rate is not expected to continue. According to the Association of Bay Area Govenments, moderate growth is expected with an anticipated increase of a little over 10% by 2020 to 467,000 (including Emeryville and Piedmont), and increasing to 478,000 by 2025.

Children and youth make up nearly 30% of Oakland’s population, while more than 10% of residents are seniors. Residents of all ages have distinct and signiﬁ cant service needs that the Library should address.

The population of Oakland is much more diverse than California or the nation.

This diversity is a point of pride for Oakland residents, and also a role that they see as important for the Library to celebrate, through cultural programming, language materials and more. Approximately one-third of Oakland residents are African-American, while Asians and Paciﬁ c Islanders make up 20% of the city. White residents make up about one-third of the population, compared to 60% of the state and 75% of the country; one-ﬁ fth of the residents are Hispanic.

Within the city, the proportions of various ethnic groups vary, depending on the particular neighborhood, and some neighborhoods are in ethnic ﬂ ux.

For example, some east Oakland areas are experiencing a transition from a predominately African American population to a mix of African-American and Latino residents with many recent immigrants.

Ethnicity
More than one-fourth of city residents are foreign-born – more than twice the proportion nationwide. Immigration into Oakland has been particularly strong in recent years; nearly one in eight Oakland residents immigrated during the 1990s. Many immigrants are Latino/Hispanic, who make up more than one-ﬁ fth of the city’s population. (It should be noted here that U.S. Census Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment 11

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
considers Latino/Hispanic identity to be an overlay cultural demographic rather than a separate ethnicity).

According to U.S. Census data, more than 15% of households speak Spanish as the primary language in the home. Twelve percent of households primarily speak an Asian or Paci ﬁ c Island language, while another 4% speak an Indo- European language (other than Spanish). Approximately 17% of households are linguistically isolated, meaning that they have dif ﬁ culty communicating in English. More than 30% of Spanish-speaking households and nearly half of households speaking Asian/Paci ﬁ c Island languages are linguistically isolated, while almost 40% of Oaklanders speak a language other than English at home.

In response, the City and Library provide many resources and services, including making public announcements and providing translation services during meetings in English, Spanish, and Chinese. The Library has extensive Asian language collections at the Asian branch library, and Spanish at the Melrose and Chavez libraries. In addition, the Library’s website has recently added a Spanish language version, and is currently working on a Chinese language version.

Ethnicity in California
Ethnicity in Oakland
Source: U.S. Census 2000

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
12 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment Literacy
The illiteracy rate in Oakland is high. Lowering this rate is one of the top priorities of the Library and the Library Advisory Commission. Over one- third of the population read and write at or below Level 1, meaning that they can perform tasks involving simple texts, but have dif ﬁ culty using certain reading, writing, and computational skills considered necessary for everyday life. The staff of the Library’s Second Start literacy program report that the patrons they see are primarily adults with very low skill levels. Many of the older adult students did not attend school or dropped out. Younger students are those who have actually graduated from high school in Oakland without basic reading and writing skills.

Income and Poverty Levels
Oakland residents face many challenges in providing for themselves and their families. According to U.S. Census 2000 data, the average per capita income in Oakland, currently is below the state and national levels even as the cost of living is more expensive here than in many other areas. About 19% of Oakland residents lived below the poverty level, compared to 14% of California residents and 12% of U.S. residents. These residents need support on a variety of levels, including social service information and referral and job or reading skills programming.

U.S. Census 2000 data show that Oakland has a relatively high proportion of non-family households compared to the proportion of family households statewide or nationwide. As elsewhere in the state or nation, members of non- family households in Oakland tend to have lower incomes and are more likely to live in poverty than their neighbors living in family households.

Percentage of Oakland Residents Reading at or below Level 1 Literacy 1996 Portland State University
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment 13

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Unemployment Rate (2002)
Source: CA Department of Labor, July 2002
Unemployment Rates
Oakland has had a chronic unemployment problem since the dismantling of the manufacturing industry that accompanied the end of World War II. In July 2002, 10.6% of Oakland residents were unemployed, compared to 6.7% of California residents; the rate has fallen only slightly in the past two years, to approximately 8.6% as of May 2004. Service providers in the area pointed out that it is often the women in the families that are able to ﬁ nd work, such as administrative and clerical positions, while the men remain unemployed.

Educational Attainment
Adding to the challenge of ﬁ nding work for Oakland residents is the fact that 26% never completed high school, and another 18% did not continue their formal education beyond their diploma (or equivalent). However, while residents of California and the United States in general were more likely than Oakland residents to complete high school, Oakland residents who attended college were much more likely to attain an advanced degree, with nearly one Source: U.S. Census 2000
Educational Attainment among Residents (age 25 and older)

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
14 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment out of three Oakland residents having achieved a bachelor’s, master’s, or other professional degree. This range of educational diversity holds both challenges for the Library–in meeting the vastly different needs of two different populations, as well as opportunities –for partnering, literacy tutoring, etc.

Home Ownership
U.S. Census 2000 data show that relatively fewer Oakland residents own their own homes than many other places – 41% compared to 57% and 66% for the state and nation, respectively. Renting is not always a wholly affordable alternative. A 2001 CEDA Housing agency survey found the highest proportion of renters is in west Oakland (80%), where nearly one-fourth of renters reported that they could not afford their current rent. In the Eastlake/ San Antonio/ Chinatown area, 43% of respondents were renters, nearly three- fourths of whom said that they could not afford their current rent. Nearly half of renters in north Oakland said that they could not afford their current rent.

LIBRARY USE
The patron survey revealed some very important characteristics regarding how patrons used the libraries. In general, it highlighted a very accessible system for those currently using libraries, with the walkability of local branches to these users a signiﬁ cant factor. The libraries were all considered conveniently located for these users; where reported as not convenient, usually the lack of parking was a factor. The importance of the existing facilities has been echoed in a number of settings, from focus groups and community meetings, to protests of proposed branch closures in 2002, before Measure Q was renewed by voters in March 2004.

Patron Survey
The patron survey that was distributed and collected at each of the library facilities asked about both library use patterns of users as well as about their library service needs.

Geographic Highlights:
46% of patrons use more than one library, which indicates that many people use a network of libraries to meet their needs.
39% of patrons use the Main Library as well as one or more neighborhood branches.
45% access their library through walking, while 43% used automobile, 8% used bus, 3% biked, and 1% took BART. This is an extremely high rate of access by foot compared to other area library systems, and indicates that the location of the branches is convenient to residents. A signiﬁ cant number of people have indicated that parking is not adequate at many of the facilities - showing that the library underserves those who are not within walking distances.

Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment 15

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
93% of users feel that their library is conveniently located, indicating that the existing libraries are well-located within their neighborhoods.

Since this survey was of current library users, it does not include people who may not use the library because the locations are inconvenient. The Patron Mapping helped to assess areas that may have this issue.

Source: Patron Survey, 2002
Transportation Method Used by Oakland Library Patrons
Service Highlights:
The most important service, as demonstrated in the patron survey, were for books and computers, followed by research/reference functions.

This is not surprising as the City Auditor’s survey and the patron survey found that the Library was the only source for computers for 25% of the population. A need for computer training and access was also emphasized in focus groups.
Other most important services outlined in the patron surveys included:
general collection, books, books on tape, children’s books, reference/ research, and videos.

One-fourth of the City’s
population uses the Library as their
only source for computers.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
16 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment Patron Mapping
The patron mapping (with the use of circulation data) revealed the geographic use patterns of patrons:
Asian Library draws patrons from 11 cities throughout the Bay Area, and is considered a resource within the Bay Area region as well as for the City of Oakland.
Rockridge has a larger geographic draw than other libraries, which may be attributable to its convenient location as well as its comparatively larger size and greater resources than most of the other branches Most people travel less than one mile to access their library, with the exception of Eastmont, Dimond, West Oakland, and Lakeview. Underserved areas of the city as determined by the patron mapping include the area around 80th and International (marked East Oakland), the Laurel/Redwood Heights area, and the Oak Knoll area (currently served by a bookmobile).
Additional underserved areas, due to geography and population density considerations, include the Hoover and San Antonio areas..

Source: PatronMapping, Oct.. 2003
Patron Mapping: Defining Service Areas and Underserved Areas Laurel/Redwood
Heights
San Antonio
East Oakland
Blue circles denote the general
range of patrons using each
library. The red dashed lines
indicated underserved areas
where very few patrons are
getting to a library facility.

Oak Knoll/
Sheffield
Hgts
Hoover
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment 17

NEEDS ASSESSMENT

SUMMARY OF LIBRARY FACILITY NEEDS
At the same time that the demographic analysis, surveys, and focus groups were underway, a functional analysis was done by the project team to evaluate each library according to how well the existing facility “worked” for customers and staff. The project team examined each existing library facility, observed how customers and staff were using the library, and noted any functional problems that interfered with library services and programs, such as poor layout, acoustics or lighting, a shortage of seats or computers, crowding or long lines at service areas, or the library’s location. The project team also collected and reviewed existing documentation on ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance and other upgrades to facilities.

This assessment found that, not only was there not enough room in many of the facilities for the number of services the library would like to provide (described later in this chapter), the current condition of many facilities hinders their current operations. For example, the functional problems found at the West Oakland Library (illustrated in the ﬂ oorplan on the next page) were representative of the problems at other Oakland Public Library facilities:

User Comfort:
• Poor acoustics means noise travels throughout the library. • No HVAC system in the Bookmobile area.
• Staff area crowded and not efﬁ ciently or ergonomically organized.

Service Needs:
• Shelving is at capacity.
• Not enough computers for patrons use.
• Except for storytelling, programming needs are difﬁ cult to meet with a program room that is not dedicated for Library use (has been re- solved).
• Not enough seating for patrons, especially in the afternoon.

Space Needs:
• No group study/work areas.
• Insufﬁ cient storage, resulting in storage in public areas.

Facility and Site:
• Not all corridors and other areas are ADA accessible. • Poor visual secruity to rear of building.

Functional problems at many of
the Library’s existing facilities
impacts services and programs
currentl
y being offered and
hampers the Library’s efforts
to introduce new
services and
programs.

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
18 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment As the analyses of each of the Library’s facilities demonstrates, the functional limitations of many existing facilities means that these facilities do not adequately support services and programs currently
being provided. A prime
example of how the facilities’ functional limitations impede the ability of the Library to provide adequate services to the community can be found at the Elmhurst and Lakeview Libraries. Because there is not enough room for the collection, stacks are placed in the meeting rooms, meaning that these areas of the collection are inaccessible when library or community programs are being held. Other facilities, such as Piedmont, Montclair, and King, do not have dedicated program space, which means that even basic, traditional library programs such as children’s storytelling cannot be provided without negatively impacting other library users.

Physical facility problems also include lack of public restrooms and inadequate Example of the Functional Analysis
done for the West Oakland Library

Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment 19

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
ADA accessibility at some facilities. Elmhurst, Lakeview, and Piedmont do not have public restroom facilities, a severe hinderance for users, especially small children, trying to use the library for any length of time. While some facilities have recently undergone upgrades to meet current ADA accessibility guidelines, such as the three Carnegies--Melrose, Temescal, and Golden Gate, or are new enough to meet more current codes, such as Rockridge and Chavez, some of the older facilities would not meet current ADA or other codes.

Functional limitations of many of the Library’s existing facilities have ham- pered the introduction of new
services and programs. For example, providing
computer access has been a challenge in the Library’s older facilities such as the King and West Oakland Libraries (due to insuf ﬁ cient data and electrical cabling) as well as at the Library’s smaller facilities such as the Piedmont and Elmhurst Libraries (due to lack of space as well as infrastructure limitations).

In fact, insufﬁ cient cabling, lack of space, and/or a poor layout has limited the Elmhurst, Lakeview, and
Piedmont do not have public
restroom facilities,

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
20 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment number of general purpose computers that can be placed at many of the Library’s facilities. With the exceptions of the Golden Gate and Main Libraries, there are no computer labs for classes or training, and even these two facilities present functional challenges for using the computer labs for teaching.

The facilities analysis found that, despite the best efforts of maintenance staff, many of the Library’s facilities are experiencing physical deterioration as a result of age and heavy public use. As these facilities continue to age, they will become increasingly inadequate to meet both the growing demand for traditional library services and the new expectations placed on modern libraries for such services as Internet access and technology training classrooms. The ﬁ ndings of facility needs for each library are summarized in each of the Facilities Sum- maries section of this Report .

Despite the problems found in the Library’s existing facilities, the location of most libraries within their communities provide convenient access. These loca- tions are a vital part of their neighborhoods. Almost all of the library facilities suffer from lack of adequate parking.

MAIN LIBRARY NEEDS
The present library is over 50 years old and was built for a different era and, while the community and library services have changed, the library has es- sentially remained untouched. The shelves were ﬁ lled to capacity decades ago, preventing the collection of books and other materials from growing with the needs of the community. The majority of the books are warehoused in the original multi-level, low-ceiling stack core which is off-limits to the public and denies patrons free access to the materials. Even with needs to grow the collection, for each book added one book must be discarded.

The present building is poorly organized. Major areas are disconnected from each other separated by a rabbit warren of hallways. The poor organization makes it harder to ﬁ nd library staff and makes the library less ef ﬁ cient to operate. Seating is but a fraction of what is needed with shortages of reading tables and study carrels and almost no comfortable lounge type seats that are so popular in today’s libraries.

The present main library building’s infrastructure dates back to the time of typewriters, and the power and data supports for modern technology are woefully inadequate. The limited number of computers and media stations are poorly supported from a cobbled together and in ﬂ exible network. The Main library’s media and new format collections are very undersized. The present buildings outdated building systems, while functional and complying with the codes of their day, do not meet current life safety or health and comfort requirements.

Last year the Main Library
represented about a quarter of all
circulation in the Oakland Library
system.

The Facility Summaries secion
contains further detail on each
library branch.

Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment 21

NEEDS ASSESSMENT

SUMMARY OF LIBRARY SERVICE NEEDS
The Oakland Public Library serves a more diverse constituency – ethnically, educationally, and economically – than most other public libraries. Materials, programs, and services are all important needs of Oakland residents of all ages, along with increased access to computers and technology. There is a need for more space throughout the system to house these vital resources. For instance, computer training was emphasized throughout the system by patrons, but the Library does not currently have the computer lab settings needed for computer training. All of the libraries (with the exception of Chávez) are also at the maximum capacity in terms of their ability to hold collections.

The Library is also a vital resource for providing specialized services to Oakland residents who need language, literacy, life skills, computer training, and enrichment support. The Second Start literacy program, legal aid programs, and author receptions and readings, are all hampered due to the lack of space to hold programs. The Main Library currently has only one meeting room that must accommodate library and public programs as well as staff meetings.

The needs described in this section represent the Library’s system-wide needs. The needs assessment found that needs varied according to library branch and area of the city. Residents of some areas of the city report the need for increased services, while other residents want access to an expanded collection of materials. The Library understands this diversity of needs to be a vital component which must be included in the vision for the future system.

Collection Needs
When asked to choose the most important services that the library provides, elements of the collection – including the general collection, audio books, children’s materials, videos, and reference/research materials – all were ranked highly by library patron survey respondents. In the City Auditor’s 2003 survey, respondents reported that the library should broaden, diversify, and expand its collection of print, audiovisual, and reference materials.

In particular, Oakland residents need access to materials in other languages, particularly for the Spanish, Asian, and Paci ﬁ c Islander communities, in which many residents are linguistically isolated. The City Auditor’s 2003 survey found that more than half of respondents do (or would) use materials in languages other than English, such as Spanish, Chinese, and Tigrinya. The U.S. Census indicates that a third of residents speak languages other than English. Recent immigrants and other foreign language speakers want to be able to comfortably ﬁ nd information in their own language, access periodicals from their countries of origin in order to keep abreast of current events, borrow recreational reading materials, and retain their language in their native tongue.

Oakland needs access to a strong collection of easy-to-read materials.

A growing body of research points to the developmental and academic 98% of Oakland public
elementary schools do not have
fully functioning libraries, and
the Oakland Public Library plays
a vital role in providing access
to students both through class
visits and access to materials
outside of school hours.

Top Service Needs:

1. Books

2. Computers

3. Reference and research

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
22 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment

advantages children can gain through reading. One important component of this effort includes the availability of a collection of high interest materials in a variety of formats, including audiovisual materials (such as audio books) in addition to traditional print materials. Children are not the only ones who use children’s materials though; patrons with low literacy skills and English language learners also check out easy readers in order to practice their reading and language skills. Therefore, this easy-to-read collection should include a variety of topics appealing to all age levels.

Elementary and secondary school students have a range of collection needs.

The 2003 City Auditor’s survey emphasized the collection needs of school- age residents, stating that the Library’s “inability to continue to maintain an updated and broad collection of materials will most heavily impact this group of users.” Students completing research projects for school need access to a strong collection of reference and research materials. Students who cannot afford to purchase all of the books that they are required to read rely upon the library to provide multiple copies of the classic novels and other materials often assigned by language arts teachers. And children and teens who simply want to ﬁ nd out more about a particular topic that they are studying in school need access to a supportive collection. The schools, however, often do not have the ability to support students with school libraries: 98% of Oakland public elementary schools do not have fully functioning libraries, and the Oakland Public Library plays a vital role in providing access to students both through class visits and access to materials outside of school hours.

The 2003 City Auditor’s survey also found that city residents with the highest levels of formal education were the least satis ﬁ ed with the Library’s collection. The study concluded that the Library should expand the depth of its collection of “high-end” materials. Patrons also reported that the Library should emphasize current and up-to-date materials. The Library should make more copies of popular items, such as bestsellers and new materials, available to help minimize long wait times for patron holds.

Issues related to physical and mental health – such as depression, substance abuse, ADD/ADHD, and sexuality – are of particular interest to teens. Also popular are high-interest ﬁ ction books, audiovisual materials such as music CDs and movies, and periodicals on a variety of topics. College-bound teens need access to materials to help them prepare for college as well as to identify and apply to schools. Teens who do not plan to attend college also need resources to help them identify potential careers.

Seniors also require particular services. The Bookmobile currently services a number of senior homes and holds a fairly large collection of large print books, as do some of the branches. Books on tape, periodicals, genealogy, and other collection types, as well as general and specialized programming appealing to seniors should continue to be held, especially at those branches serving large senior populations.

4. To house the needed services
for residents, more library space is
needed citywide.

1. Average Oakland library is
over 40 years old and built when
the population was much smaller
and libraries had only books in
English and one typewriter

2. The population has increased,
as has the types of materials in the
library (computers, CD‘s, videos,
books on tape, books in many
languages, etc.)

3. All of these things simply don’t
fit in the existing buildings that have
become too crowded, noisy, and
small to hold everything Oakland
needs
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment 23

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Program and Service Needs
Oakland residents have a wide variety of program and service needs. The 2003 City Auditor’s survey found that in general, the majority of city residents found that the Library offered programs and activities that were of interest to them. However, as with collections, residents with higher levels of formal education tended to be less satisﬁ ed with their library’s events.

There is a strong need for library programs and services for children and pre-teens, who make up approximately one- ﬁ fth of Oakland’s population.

Enjoyment of reading is an important predictor of future academic and life success. Even very young children who cannot yet read on their own – or even understand words at all – beneﬁ t enormously from having others read to them.

Storytimes are important for getting children and their families to come to the library and learn to enjoy reading, particularly for families struggling with literacy. Reading incentive programs, through schools and the library, can be a powerful tool for encouraging children to read.

More than half of respondents in the City Auditor’s 2003 survey said that the library should emphasize “educational support for children.” In addition to a strong collection, elements of educational support include tutoring, homework assistance, appropriate places to study, space for working with other students on group projects, and access to technology such as computers and photocopiers. Teachers and parents need support services such as collection materials and programs on parenting, spaces to work in the library with their children/students, and materials that support the school curriculums.

Children and teens also have a strong need for programs and services to help them navigate the library, locate resources, and develop research and information literacy skills. Educators described the challenges involved in teaching students how to locate and evaluate the quality of sources, especially when students are increasingly likely to rely solely on the Internet and search engines such as Google to ﬁ nd “information.”
Educators, community leaders, and residents all support the development of partnerships between the Oakland Uni ﬁ ed School District and the Oakland Public Library to offer programs in library literacy, class visits to the library, and other such services for local students. Measure Q, the parcel tax passed by voters in March 2004, provides funding for a team of outreach staff whose primary job is to connect with all levels of the public schools to explore improving services and forging collaborations.

Beyond their academic support needs, teens need library programs and services that address their identities as people. One key component of this need is for a place of their own in the library to socialize and share ideas with their peers.

Of particular interest to teens are programs, services, and materials about music, art, poetry, social activism, and popular culture. Access to technology is particularly important for teens, who use computers as tools for recreation as well as communication and academics.

The Oakland Public Library offered
over 2,600 programs in 2005
that were attended by more than
70,000 residents
Oakland Library Services and
Programs:

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
24 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment Teens and adults alike need employment support. Job skills training and career information are a particularly important need in Oakland, where fewer residents pursue a post-secondary education and the unemployment rate has historically been higher than elsewhere in the state or nation. Residents also need increased access to job and small business information and referral services.

Oakland residents also need language, literacy, and life skills programs and services. Literacy services are desperately needed, not only for adults without extensive formal education, but also for residents who graduated from high school without adequate reading or writing skills. Outreach is needed to foreign-language residents, especially those who may be unaware of what the library has to offer them. Tax and legal assistance are dif ﬁ cult for many residents to afford, and were identiﬁ ed as important services that are provided at the library.

Residents of all ages mentioned a variety of social, recreational, and enrichment programs and services that should be offered at the library. In the 2003 City Auditor’s survey as well as in community meetings and focus groups, residents frequently mentioned author readings, book clubs, and topical discussion groups that enable patrons to socialize with other readers.

Other programs and services mentioned include arts and crafts programs, community and cultural events, history programs, and genealogy.

There also is a need for a central resource for community information, which could be provided both at individual library branches and through the Oakland Public Library website. Other services desired include the opportunity to purchase and enjoy refreshments in the library (either through vending machines or a staffed café).

Last, but certainly not least, Oakland residents need increased access to their library. The fact that more patron survey respondents walk to their branch than drive shows that most libraries are easily accessible to their communities.

However, many survey respondents noted the need for expanded hours of operation, particularly during evenings and weekends to accommodate working people who cannot visit the library during the day. Persons with limited transportation options – such as seniors and children – need to be close to the library for ease of access. The passage of Measure Q in March 2004 increased the number of hours at all of the branch libraries and permitted the libraries to be open six days a week.

Technology Needs
Respondents to the 2003 City Auditor’s survey ranked computers as the most important service that the library provides, and said that the library should provide more computers. One-fourth of all respondents – including nearly two-thirds of seniors – reported that the library provides their only access to computers and the Internet. Of the 41% of residents who say that they use One quarter of Oakland residents
use the Library as their only access
to a computer

Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Needs Assessment 25

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
their library’s computers for purposes other than searching the online catalog, half reported that they usually must wait to use computers. And the wait is not insigniﬁ cant – 85% reported that the wait usually exceeds 15 minutes. The patron survey conﬁ rmed the need for technology access by a large number of residents, as did the focus groups, which emphasized both computer access and training.

There is a clear need for increased access to computers at the library. In community meetings and focus groups convened for this master plan, participants repeatedly stressed the need not only for increased access to computers, but also for training in the skills that residents need to help them bridge the “digital divide” – the gap between people and communities who can make effective use of information technology and those who cannot. As computers become more ubiquitous in modern life, this gap can have serious effects on residents’ ability to ﬁ nd information, access resources, and compete for employment.

Space Needs
Most of the collection, program, service, and technology needs described above have associated space implications. However, most of the current Oakland Public Library facilities do not have enough space to provide the full range of services needed by the neighborhoods they serve.

Many of the existing facilities were not designed to accommodate the range of formats, languages, and materials needed by Oakland residents today. Nor were the facilities designed to support the prominence of computers in modern life – a drastic change compared to 15 years ago. In response to these changing needs, libraries have added more shelving and computers wherever possible, often taking over reader seating and public meeting areas in order to do so.

However, even these strategies have not been enough. Shelving at most branches is ﬁ lled to capacity, meaning that for every book added to the collection, another must be discarded. This limits the library’s ability to provide a collection of suf ﬁ cient breadth and depth to meet the community’s needs.

There is insuf ﬁ cient space and infrastructure to meet the technology needs of Oakland residents using computers at the library. The small number of computers and their location(s) within public areas also prevent library staff from efﬁ ciently providing computer training, instead limiting training to one- on-one tutoring, if training can be offered at all.

As the Library becomes responsible for providing more and more resources in its limited spaces, patrons are left with few places to “be” within the library.

Readers have trouble ﬁ nding places to sit in order to enjoy periodicals, work on research projects, or study. Librarians and the Library’s partners do not have room to hold programs, and there are not enough places for the public to “When I go to the library, there is
no economic difference [between
me] and the kid next to me.”
Oakland student quoted in East
Bay Express article “No Signal”
(May 17, 2006)
For every book added to the
collection, another must be
discarded due to lack of space
to grow the collection.

RECOMMENDATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations 27 HOW ARE WE GOING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM?
The needs of the Oakland Public Library do not represent a minor de ﬁ ciency.

As discussed in the previous chapter, additional library space is needed citywide in order to provide adequate library services to the diverse and unique population of Oakland. These services include the need for more tailored traditional services, such as collections and reading programs, as well as new services, such as technology access and training and literacy programs, many of which cannot happen in current facilities due to their small size and outdated systems. This chapter recommends the following strategies to allow the Library and its community partners to meet immediate and future needs throughout the areas the Library serves.
Improve all existing facilities to better serve customers more effectively and efﬁ ciently.
Supplement system with new branches to meet un ﬁ lled needs. Provide top quality traditional and new services.
Target services to meet different neighborhood and community needs.

The vision for the systemwide improvements to the Oakland Public Library System was based on an expansion of the concepts from the Library’s Mission Statement, the Mayor and City Council Goals for 2003-2005, and priorities from the community input through the Needs Assessment. These priorities and goals are represented by the ﬁ ve “E’s”:

Education: Formal and informal, life skills and job skills, literacy Enrichment: Literary, cultural and arts, life-long learning, social gathering Equity: Geographic, services and resources, accessibility Efﬁ ciency: Existing infrastructure, operating service model/maintenance, partnerships
Enticement: Reach out to established and new users

RECOMMENDATION
28 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations

SYSTEMWIDE VISION FOR THE OAKLAND LIBRARY SYSTEM
The unique characteristics of Oakland – demographically and geographically – require a unique solution to best serve the diverse components of the community and the need for focused local services as well as standard services citywide.

In forming this vision, the project team worked with residents and community leaders through the Community Action Committee (CAC) to form Development Strategy Policies that would guide the development of this vision. These policies were used in tandem with the needs assessment information as well as existing library service guidelines to determine both the physical strategy for the system as well as the recommended library service levels that the library system should strive to provide.

The Development Strategy Policies include:
Libraries for ALL: all knowledge levels, and from education to enrichment
Tailoring library services to local needs: recognize the need for traditional services as well as new services
New vision for library services: “what you’re used to….and even more” Library is more than books: it is also a social focal point and gathering place, as well as being a trusted place in the community Geographically walkable libraries
Sustainable communities and buildings: that incorporate the three “E’s” of sustainability: environmentally, economically, and equity Develop partnership opportunities
New service-delivery methods for ef ﬁ ciency in operations Build on existing infrastructure: to ensure cost effectiveness, community familiarity, and to recognize that libraries are important civic assets and a physical part of the quality of life and pride of place in Oakland.

The vision that was developed for the Oakland Public Library system is one that allows the Library to retain its system of existing local branches while increasing and improving library service levels signi ﬁ cantly throughout the city. While the current branch libraries are well-located and much loved in their communities, many of them are too small to meet existing and growing needs, and cannot be expanded enough to meet the needs of its service area on their sites. OPL proposes to improve all libraries, by renovating those that cannot be practically expanded to better serve local needs and expanding those that can be. Additionally, these Neighborhood Libraries will be supplemented

RECOMMENDATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations 29 by larger community-sized libraries which will be geographically distributed throughout the city and which will be large enough to include more expansive library services. The Main Library will also be expanded to improve the system-wide support (such as library acquisitions, technology, purchasing, administration, etc.) and public services accessed by residents system-wide (research and specialized collections, Oakland history collections, larger library programs).

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARIES
While many of the Neighborhood Libraries cannot be increased in size, they will all be improved to better serve their local communities. Those that can be efﬁ ciently and practically increased will be, and all will include improvements in customer service, including self-check out machines and self-service holds that free up staff time to assist patrons with value-added services such as information assistance and referral and increased programming capacity.

Better linkages to other libraries in the system will also be a focus given the strong connections between the roles of the various libraries.

Recommended Library Improvements - Systemwide Improvements Three tiers of library service
complement and support each
other.

RECOMMENDATION
30 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations All of the neighborhood facilities will provide core services of materials, seating, and technology access; they will be further tailored to meet the speciﬁ c needs of the local residents. The ability to house more extensive space-intensive services at nearby Community Libraries will allow the Neighborhood Libraries to focus on the particular needs of the localities they serve while still providing residents with the more extensive services at nearby locations.

These needs include speci ﬁ c services (such as literacy, children’s and/or teen services, homework assistance, job skills and small business resources); collections (including specialized language or cultural collections such as Asian languages, Spanish, Eritrean, large print, African American Museum and Library at Oakland, Native American and Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender collections); or other localized needs such as information and referral assistance. New libraries will be added in currently underserved areas of Laurel/Redwood Heights area, Hoover neighborhood in West Oakland, and Oak Knoll which is currently an under-served area of the city, in addition to the Neighborhood Libraries of Temescal, Elmhurst, Asian, Golden Gate, M.L. King, Montclair, Brook ﬁ eld, and Lakeview. Additionally, all of the Community Libraries and Main Library will also act as Neighborhood Libraries in that they will include the more focused services or collections needed by their immediate residents as well as providing the community resources to the larger area.

Upgrade 7 existing branches
Expand 8 branches
Build 4-5 new branches
Recommended Library Improvements - Neighborhood Libraries

RECOMMENDATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations 31

COMMUNITY LIBRARIES
The Community Libraries will be geographically distributed throughout the city and, where possible, will be upgrades of existing facilities, to insure that these resources are accessible from neighborhoods throughout the city. These facilities will include a full-array of library services, such as computer/technology labs, program/meeting rooms, group study rooms, more extensive collections, and separate spaces for adults, teens, and children. The Community Libraries will be accomplished through expansions or upgrades of the existing West Oakland, Dimond, Eastmont, and Rockridge Libraries and the addition of two new community libraries in the under-served San Antonio and 81
st Ave. areas. The new 81st Avenue Branch, which was partially funded through a State Library Grant, will open in 2008 and will serve as a template for the Community Libraries.

Recommended Library Improvements - Community Libraries
The new 20,000 Square Foot 81st
Avenue Library that will open in
2008 will serve as a template for
the Community Libraries.

Six of the libraries will be larger
and serve as Community Libraries

RECOMMENDATION
32 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations

CITYWIDE SERVICES / MAIN LIBRARY
The Main Library will be signiﬁ cantly expanded to increase the space available for public services: bringing its collections into public-accessible areas; more in-depth collections; special collections such as Oakland History; meeting rooms for library programs and the general public, businesses; spaces for all ages, including an improved and expanded Teen Zone, children’s library, and adult seating areas.

The Main Library plays a central role in both supporting the system and providing a civic focal point within the city. It also has the opportunity to play a major role in the revitalization of downtown and an improved quality of life for all Oakland residents, including the many new downtown residents for whom it will be their “branch.” While the vision for the Main Library continues to be formed, the preliminary vision is for a revitalized Main Library that will be a combination of traditional and new library services in a facility that serves as a physical and metaphorical beacon to all users. Providing “Everything Oakland” – from history, current events, and government to cultural enrichment and education, as well as a window to the rest of the world – all in an arena that supports the cross-fertilization of these ideas and knowledge through programs, interaction, and resources.

The Main Library will provide the technical support of the system, including acquisitions, purchasing and processing of materials, technology services, program development resources, and library administration. Although all of these centralized services are important and ideally would be located directly in a Main Library building, these latter services could potentially be in a separate facility if necessary due to space limitations.

There are also citywide services that are based in other library facilities, such as special collections that are citywide resources (Asian’s and Chávez’s language collections, AAMLO, etc.) as well as special services, including literacy. Many of these services will remain at their current locations to serve their central constituency while continuing to serve the city as a whole.

These resources are and will be available to any user anywhere in the system; the improved connections between facilities will help to facilitate access to materials via the user’s preferred library.

This new library system concept allows for improved and expanded services in a way that is ef ﬁ cient and responsible. It allows for the retention of its existing infrastructure system of libraries that provide safe, convenient libraries in neighborhoods, while providing access to Community Libraries throughout the city that will have all of the programs and spaces needed in a modern library in Oakland.

RECOMMENDATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations 33 Recommended Library Improvements - Citywide Services
The Main Library acts as a Neighborhood Library to downtown and other residents within walking distance as well as a convenient full-service community library.
The African American Museum and Library of Oakland is an archival and reference library as well as museum not only for Oakland but for Northern California
Other Citywide services are distributed across the City in branch libraries and

RECOMMENDATION
34 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations

SERVICE LEVEL GUIDELINES
Service level guidelines are a way of describing library services in terms of a ratio of numbers (of books, chairs, computers, etc.) required by a population of a certain size. They are developed from service ranges established by the American Library Association, published guides, and experience. These guidelines have been customized to build on the strengths of the existing library system and respond to the unique needs of Oakland. This has allowed the library to tailor the guidelines for collection, computers, seating, and other services and spaces to meet the unique needs of residents based on staff and customer input. For example, the tailored Neighborhood Libraries may diverge from the exact guideline numbers in order to provide the most needed services within their existing space; this re ﬂ ects the different types of needs found throughout the city in the needs assessment work. However, the guidelines are applicable when applied to the city overall.

The service level guidelines are built “from the ground up” based on the number of books, computers, seats, etc. needed by the community. Each of these elements have square footage associated with them (ie, 40 SF per computer), allowing the service level guidelines to be totaled to a recommended square footage per person (SF/capita). To meet Oakland residents’ needs, the Library needs to increase its total square footage systemwide from approximately 170,700 square feet, or 0.42 SF/person, to approximately 350,000 square feet, or 0.80 SF/person. This is in the mid-range of library service levels of square footage compared to comparable systems. At this level, the Library will be able to operate a library system that has all of the services to meet the community needs while increasing the ef ﬁ ciency and sustainability of its operations.

Existing and Proposed Service Levels

RECOMMENDATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations 35 Summary of Recommended Development Strategies
YEAR
BUILT

BUILDING

AREA (SF)
2000

POPULATION
SERVED
2000
SF PER
CAPITA
2020 BUILDING

AREA (SF)
2020

POPULATION
SERVED
2020
SF PER
CAPITA
AAMLO* 1902 17,000 Citywide 17,000 Citywide
Asian 1995 8,500 6,754 1.26 10,500-11,000 10,442 1.01
Brookﬁ eld 1990 4,250 8,601 0.49 7-8,000 9,141 0.77
Cesar E. Chavez 2003 15,000 22,732 0.66 15,000 30,095 0.50 Dimond 1980 10,000 33,080 0.30 16-19,000 35,142 0.46
Eastmont 1998 9,500 25,371 0.37 16-19,000 26,799 0.60
Elmhurst 1949 3,220 21,087 0.15 3,220 22,605 0.14
Golden Gate 1918 4,260 22,866 0.19 4,260 29,773 0.14
Martin Luther King Jr. 1970 3,800 16,849 0.23 4,200-4,700 17,787 0.25 Lakeview 1949 3,800 37,920 0.10 5,800-6,300 41,193 0.14 Melrose 1916 5,300 39,822 0.13 5,300 41,970 0.13
Montclair 1930 3,800 21,112 0.18 3,800 24,386 0.16
Piedmont 1932 1,700 19,174 0.09 5-10,000 19,966 0.40
Rockridge 1996 15,200 9,026 1.68 17-18,000 9,598 1.67
Temescal 1918 4,260 17,654 0.24 4,260 18,636 0.23
West Oakland 1977 8,000 15,366 0.52 16-19,000 18,846 0.85 Laurel - - 12,239 - 8-12,000 13,542 0.59
San Antonio - - 40,907 - 16-19,000 43,495 0.37
81st Ave. Branch - - 16,809 - 21,500 17,904 1.20
Hoover - - 11,921 - 8-10,000 13,308 0.60
Oak Knoll - - 6,345 - 5-8,000 7,270 0.69
Main (Neighborhood
pop.)
1951 82,000 11,646 0.20 120-160,000 15,888 .26-.35
Branch Total 117,590 417,278 0.28 208-238,340 467,784 .45-.5 Main Library 120-160,000 .25-.35
Total Oakland 117,590 417,278 0.28 328-398,340 467,784 .7-.85 YEAR
BUILT
2005

BUILDING

AREA (SF)
2000

POPULATION
SERVED
2000
SF PER
CAPITA

PROPOSED
2020 BUILDING

AREA (SF)

PROJECTED
2020

POPULATION
2020
SF PER
CAPITA
Population includes Emerville and Piedmont; populations based on library service area.

Population from 2000 U.S. Census; Population Projections from ABAG Projections 2000. *AAMLO total building size is 17,000 sf; 7,000 sf of this is museum. **Main Library serves both its neighborhood population (11,646) as well as the citywide population (417,278).

RECOMMENDATION
36 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations

SERVICE AREAS
In the draft system vision, there will be over-lapping service areas, so that each resident will be served by three or more libraries. For instance, someone living near the Montclair Library would have that branch as their Neighborhood Library, the Rockridge Library as their Community Library, and the Main Library as the central library. Someone living near the Dimond Library would have the Dimond Library, with its neighborhood and community components, as well as the Main Library as their central or research library.

The balance of service area population to building size within the network is key to designing a branch system that is accessible to all residents of the city.

Adjustments in the service level guidelines (for libraries which contain large quantities of citywide resources, such as Chávez and Asian) account for the small variation in square foot per capita. Within each network of libraries, residents are experiencing the same level of services as those located in other networks elsewhere in the city even if the library nearest them is a different size.

DETERMINING THE LOCATIONS
The preliminary steps in formulating the development strategies was to analyze the existing libraries in relation to their current service areas, identify under-served populations, and identify areas where future population growth is anticipated. Current and future population ﬁ gures as well as anticipated areas of growth were established using Census data and information from the City and the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG). These ﬁ gures provided the basis for determining the need in different areas of the city in terms of service level guidelines, especially square footage needs.

The patron mapping and patron surveys con ﬁ rmed that the existing libraries were all well-located, but that there were under-served areas, including Central East Oakland near International Boulevard, the Laurel/Redwood Heights and Oak Knoll areas in the hills above I-580. In addition, the Hoover area in West Oakland and San Antonio areas are underserved based on population and density as well as geography. These areas were de ﬁ ned as under-served and needing new libraries. Central locations that are easily accessible through a variety of transportation options and which added to the civic infrastructure of a community, as well as sites that increased the possibility of partnerships, were main criteria for site identiﬁ cation. For existing libraries, the existing site, or one very nearby as in the case of the Eastmong Library recommendation, were recommended to retain this access for residents. Potential sites for new facilities were identi ﬁ ed with the project team and meetings with the City’s Planning and Real Estate departments as well as meetings with the Oakland Uniﬁ ed School District. These sites were then evaluated against the Development Strategy policies, including the need for centralized locations, equitable distribution of services throughout the city, and the potential for partnerships and funding opportunities. Good access - through public transit

RECOMMENDATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations 37 and automobile, including parking availability - to the Community Libraries was of particular concern as these are seen as a way of ensuring equity and access to a full spectrum of library services within close geographic proximity to all of the City’s neighborhoods.

To accomplish this, six Community Libraries, with the Main Library also providing these services, will be developed throughout the City. The sizing of these service areas was based on the current Rockridge Library’s reach, as this library is already supplementing the smaller libraries that surround it, including Montclair and Temescal. The libraries chosen to be expanded into Community Libraries were selected due to their geographic distribution throughout the City as well as the convenient location within their service area.

Existing libraries that had the potential to expanded on their current sites to the size needed to house all of the required components was the basis by which three of the existing branches that will be expanded to community libraries were identiﬁ ed - Dimond, Rockridge, West Oakland. In addition, the Eastmont Library is in a good location vis-a-vis its service area, but its location in the Eastmont Mall is problematic (as described later); relocation near this very centralized and accessible area is recommended. This leaves the two underserved areas of San Antonio and Central East Oakland near International; one of these, the new 81st Ave. Library. The San Antonio Library site is still to be determined.

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES
Each proposed new branch or change to an existing facility was evaluated to determine the best solution to the meet the unique needs of that community.

Once speci ﬁ c strategies were identi ﬁ ed, they were then reviewed and conﬁ rmed with the Community Action Committee throughout the process, and with the public in the Fall 2004 Speaker’s Forum and the June 2006 Open Houses. Each development strategy falls into one of four categories:
renovation, expansion, relocation, and new facility, with one facility, the new Chavez Library, complete. Alternate development strategies are proposed for several projects in order to allow the Library and City the most ﬂ exibility possible in terms of selecting a strategy based on opportunities as they arise.

These are included in more detail in the Facility Summaries section of this Report.

The deﬁ nition of each development strategy is as follows:

Renovation:

Renovating an existing facility. This strategy was applied when the size and location of the existing facility was appropriate to meet the areas needs, or where the facility could not be expanded to meet the needs (and was then supplemented by an additional library in the system). The renovated Renovation: Renovating
an existing facility to
better serve customers

RECOMMENDATION
38 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations building will, to the extent possible, be completely brought up to current code requirements and will incorporate contemporary library design and planning concepts including the new service model of customer service and self-service to better serve library customers. The Montclair, Elmhurst, and King facilities cannot be reasonably or ef ﬁ ciently expanded on their existing sites; these facilities will be renovated for needed facility improvements and to implement the new service model.

Expansion:

Expanding an existing facility at the library’s present site. This strategy was applied when the existing branch library was well located but needed to be larger in order to provide the recommended level of service and when there was adequate capacity at the present site for an addition. The expanded building will complement the existing facility and allow the library to meet community needs at its present site, and the existing facility will be renovated in the process. In some instances, a facility may be more expensive to expand through addition than through re-building on the existing site. In situations where this may be the case, both options were included under the heading of “expansion”, with the ultimate goal of increasing the library capacity on the existing site. West Oakland and Dimond will be expanded into community libraries and Rockridge will implement its originally intended second ﬂ oor balconies; Asian, Lakeview, and Brookﬁ eld will also be expanded and remain Neighborhood Libraries. The Piedmont Avenue Library may be expanded on its current site if the site could be acquired from the current owner.

Relocation:

This strategy was only applied when the facility could not be expanded on the existing site AND the existing site/facility is not controlled by the Library.

The existing branch will be relocated to a more appropriately sized facility, with priority given to a site that the Library can fully control and which also meets the needs of residents in the branch’s service area and which meets the development strategy policies (central location, etc.). The existing branch will remain open until the new facility is completed. The Eastmont Library is one of these libraries; it currently leases space in the Eastmont Mall, where it is hidden away from many potential library patrons. A more public and accessible location is recommended for this facility as it expands. The Piedmont Avenue Branch, which is in a leased facility, may potentially need to relocate if the preferred expansion on site is not feasible. The Brook ﬁ eld branch has a relocation as an alternative development strategy if it cannot expand at its current site.

New:

Constructing a completely new branch. This strategy was applied in those areas where the current population is underserved by the existing branch library or where a Community Library was needed but existing branches did not have the capacity to be enlarged. The ﬁ ve new recommended branches are Relocation: The current
branch will be relocated
to a new facility on
a new site within the
same service area of the
existing branch
Expansion: Constructing
an addition to an existing
facility or re-building
a larger facility on the
present site.

RECOMMENDATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations 39 New: A completely new
branch will be added to
the library system.

Complete/Service
Upgrade: These recently
completed facilities
need minor work if any,
but will be changed to
incorporate operational
changes such as self-
service.

Sites for new or relocated
branches to be determined.

Project budgets include funds to
purchase land if a City owned
site is not available. See
Branch Summaires for expanded
descriptions.

P
Additional Parking:

Where needed and
feasibilty to acquire
additional land for
library parking.
the San Antonio and 81st Avenue as new Community Libraries and Laurel.

Hoover, Oak Knoll as a new Neighborhood Library. In summary, the Master Plan recommends:
A library system with three types of libraries: Neighborhood, Community and Main
A system which builds upon the current infrastructure in order to improve services and increase space for collections and programs More than doubling the current library square footage in ten years Doubling the size of the Main Library
Constructing two new Community Libraries
Constructing three new Neighborhood Library
Improving all existing facilities through renovation, expansion, or relocation
Complete/Service Upgrade
There are recently improved facilities in the system, including the African American Museum and Library of Oakland (AAMLO), reopened in 2002, and the Chavez Library, opened in 2004. In addition, the three Carnegie branches – Golden Gate, Temescal, and Melrose – have been recently renovated and will likely require only upgrades in service model. These facilities will have minor facility upgrades but will also have service upgrades to include wi- ﬁ and self-service models such as self-check machines. For example, the Chavez Library is recommended to reduce the size of the circulation desk and use this space for public service. These have been budgeted for in the project costs section.

Parking
There are some facilities without any or without enough parking to serve the community and where it may be feasible to purchase nearby land to add library parking. These facilities include Golden Gate, Temescal, Lakeview, Dimond, and Melrose (Lakeview parking could be expanded by reconﬁ guring the existing site) have been noted, and a land budget based on general size needed has been included in the project costs. While Piedmont and Montclair do not have dedicated parking, the lack of land generally available in these areas does not make it likely for any land to become available.

RECOMMENDATION
40 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations Proposed Development Strategies

RECOMMENDATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Recommendations 41 2000 Population from U.S. Census, 2000. Population Projections from ABAG Projections 2000.

Population includes Emeryville and Piedmont; populations based on library service area. *AAMLO total building size is 17,000 square feet, approximately 3,000 of which is dedicated to library use. **Branches are currently serving their own service area poulations as well as areas that will be served by new branches in the future.
***The Main Library serves both its neighborhood population as well as the Citywide population, so this population is not broken out.

YEAR
BUILT

BUILDING

AREA (SF)
2000

POPULATION
SERVED
2020

BUILDING

AREA (SF)
2020

POPULATION
SERVED

RECOMMENDED

STRATEGY
AAMLO* 1902 3,000 Citywide 17,000 Citywide Complete/Service Upgrade Asian 1995 8,500 6,754 10,500-11,000 10,442 Expansion
Brookﬁ eld** 1990 4,250 8,601 7-8,000 9,141 Expansion
Cesar E. Chavez** 2003 15,000 22,732 15,000 30,095 Complete/Service Upgrade Dimond** 1980 10,000 33,080 16-19,000 35,142 Expansion
Eastmont 1998 9,500 25,371 16-19,000 26,799 Expansion
Elmhurst** 1949 3,220 21,087 3,220 22,605 Renovation
Golden Gate 1918 4,260 22,866 4,260 29,773 Complete/Service Upgrade and add. parking
Martin Luther King
Jr.**
1970 3,800 16,849 4,200-4,700 17,787 Expansion
Lakeview 1949 3,800 37,920 5,800-6,300 41,193 Expansion and add. parking Melrose 1916 5,300 39,822 5,300 41,970 Complete/Service Upgrade and add. parking
Montclair 1930 3,800 21,112 3,800 24,386 Renovation
Piedmont 1932 1,700 19,174 5-10,000 19,966 Expansion
Rockridge 1996 15,200 9,026 17-18,000 9,598 Expansion
Temescal 1918 4,260 17,654 4,260 18,636 Renovation
West Oakland** 1977 8,000 15,366 16-19,000 18,846 Complete/Service Upgrade and add. parking
Laurel - - 12,239 8-12,000 13,542 New
San Antonio - - 40,907 16-19,000 43,495 New
81st Ave. Branch - - 16,809 21,500 17,904 New
Hoover Branch - - 11,921 8-11,000 13,308 New
Oak Knoll - - 6,345 5,000 7,270
Main*** 1951 82,000 11,646 120-160,000 15,888 and
Citywide
Relocation
Branch Total 103,590 336,186 208-238,340 467,784
Main Total 1951 82,000 Citywide 120-160,000 Citywide
Total Oakland 185,590 417,278 328-398,340 467,784
YEAR
BUILT
2005

BUILDING

AREA (SF)
2000

POPULATION
SERVED

PROPOSED
2020

BUILDING

AREA (SF)

PROJECTED
2020

POPULATION
SERVED

RECOMMENDED

STRATEGY
Summary of Recommended Development Strategies

IMPLEMENTATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Implementation 43

IMPLEMENTING THE MASTER FACILITIES PLAN
The City of Oakland has a history of funding the Oakland Public Library through a variety of mechanisms, including local bonds, Mello Roos special assessment districts, redevelopment area funding, and grant funding. The scale of the current need requires a citywide implementation strategy. The success of the 2002 Oakland Measure DD: Oakland Trust for Clean Water, Safe Parks Bond was a local indicator that this community might support a comprehensive local funding measure such as a general obligation bond program. In this section, the key components required to implement this plan are discussed.

COST PLANNING
Both of these elements are essential to the success of the project. A premier library system requires excellent materials, talented professional staff, conve- nient hours of operation, and facilities that support the Library’s mission. A thorough analysis of the costs of the Master Facilities Plan recommendations must address both the one-time capital funds necessary to construct or improve library buildings and the on-going funds to maintain and operate them.

An integral part of the Master Facilities Plan process was the development of project costs. It was mandated from the onset of this study that the Master Facilities Plan be developed with a comprehensive project budget including construction, operating and maintenance costs, as well as funding options. The project costs can be broken down into two categories: capital project budget and operating and maintenance budget (which includes both personnel costs and service costs such as new collection materials and technology, utilities, custodial care, supplies, and postage).

Components of the capital project budget include both hard and soft costs. Hard costs include land acquisition where required; demolition; renovation or new construction costs as appropriate to each project; site improvements includ- ing parking, landscaping, and hardscaping; site utility allowances, furniture, ﬁ xtures and equipment including library stacks; and technology infrastructure and equipment. Facilities with recommended expansions include both the cost ofor the new construction as well as renovation costs for the existing portion of the building.

Soft costs include design and engineering, City project management and construction management, plan check, inspections, and contract compliance.

Contingencies and escalation have been applied to both hard and soft costs to ensure proper budgeting for a build-out of the projects over time.

Land costs have been included where appropriate and are based on the general cost per square foot of land in each of the neighborhoods/areas where land is 44 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Implementation

IMPLEMENTATION
needed for library improvements. It is recommended that needed land be purchased as soon as possible to eliminate as much escalation as possible. Land costs have been with a 20% contingency for rising land costs. The Library will be actively working with its community partners to identify potential library sites that are owned by the City, OUSD, or other community partners.

CAPITAL COST MODEL METHODOLOGY
Budgets are comprehensive. Construction budgets are based on per square foot costs for building, landscape, and parking appropriate to public buildings of the size and type proposed and are based on traditional (design/bid/build) project delivery by a public sector entity. The approach to developing the hard costs had several built-in checkpoints. The cost models were developed by the Facilities Master Plan consultants and an estimating specialist who has experience with both construction and renovation of similarly sized branch libraries.

Proposed projects were classi ﬁ ed into three budget categories: small branch library (8,000-15,000 sf) and medium branch library (15,000-25,000 sf) and large main library (100,000 sf+). Three categories of construction were used:
new construction, renovation, and addition. For additions, the addition cost was applied for the square footage being added while renovation costs were applied to the existing square footage.

Furniture budgets are also based on square foot costs and are for new items to replace and augment the existing furniture. A construction contingency of 10% for new construction and 15% for renovations and additions was utilized. The City’s Public Art requirement (1.5% of construction cost) is also included.

Soft costs utilize a budget of 41% of the hard costs, which includes engineering and design fees, City project management, and construction management costs and a 10% contingency on soft costs.

Capital costs are anticipated to rise over the course of building the projects, and a budget for escalation is included in the cost plan for a 10 year build-out period.

Analysis of the costs of the
recommended projects must
address both one-time capital
funds necessary to construct or
improve library facilities and
on-going funds to maintain and
operate them.

One-Time Capital Costs:
- Land Costs
- Construction Costs, building
and site
- Development (Soft) Costs
- Furniture, Technology,
Shelving, Equipment, and
Signage
- Escalation
On-going Operating Costs:
- New collections
- Staff
- Utilities
- Maintenance

IMPLEMENTATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Implementation 45 Summary of Recommended Development Strategies
Project
Recommended
Development
Strategy
Current
Building Size
(SF)
Proposed Building
Size (SF) Existing
Parking
Proposed
Parking
Spaces
African American
Museum and Library of
Oakland (AAMLO)*
Complete/
Service Upgrade
3,000 3,000 3 spaces 3 spaces
Asian Expansion 8,500 10,500-11,000 shared shared
Brookﬁ eld Expansion 4,250 7-8,000 12 spaces 24 spaces
Cesar E. Chavez Complete/
Service Upgrade
15,000 15,000 shared shared
Dimond Expansion 10,000 16-19,000 20 spaces 44 spaces
Eastmont Relocation 9,500 16-19,000 shared 53 spaces
Elmhurst Renovation 3,220 3,220 0 spaces 0 spaces
Golden Gate Complete/
Service Upgrade
and add. parking
4,260 4,260 0 spaces 13 spaces
Martin Luther King Jr. Expansion 3,800 4,200-4,700 6 spaces 6 spaces Lakeview Expansion and
add. parking
3,800 5,800-6,300 18 spaces 18+ spaces
Melrose Complete/
Service Upgrade
and add. parking
5,300 5,300 2 spaces 16 spaces
Montclair Renovation 3,800 3,800 0 spaces 0 spaces
Piedmont Expansion 1,700 9-12,000 0 spaces 26 spaces
Rockridge Expansion 15,200 15,200 26 spaces 26 spaces
Temescal Complete/
Service Upgrade
and add. parking
4,260 4,260 2 spaces 13 spaces
West Oakland Expansion 8,000 16-19,000 26 spaces 53 spaces Laurel New - 8-12,000 - 29 spaces
San Antonio New - 16-19,000 - 59 spaces
81st Ave. Branch New - 22,000 - shared
Hoover New - 8-12,000 - 29 spaces
Oak Knoll** New - 5-9,000 - shared
Main Library Relocation 82,000 120-160,000 20 spaces 200-300 spaces
*AAMLO library portion of building is approximately 3,000 sf, museum is an additional 7,000 sf. **Oak Knoll strategy still being determined; may be a joint-use with other community partners. 46 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Implementation

IMPLEMENTATION
*See Main Library Feasibility Study

BONDABLE COSTS NON-BONDABLE
Project Development Strategy Building Area Construction Budget** Land Costs FF&E
2006 Dollars 2006 Dollars 2006 Dollars
AM AMMLO Complete/Service Upgrade 17,000 SF 387,000 $- $ AS Asian Expansion 13,000 SF 3,693,000 $ 1,575,000 $ 274,000 $ BK Brookfield Expansion 8,000 SF 5,157,000 $ 228,000 $
CH Chavez Compl ete/Service Upgrade 15,000 SF 79,000 $ 78,000 $ DM Dimond Expansion 15,000 SF 11,911,000 $ 1,675,000 $ 912,000 $ ES Eastmont Expansion/Relocation 18,000 SF 14,780,000 $ 3,870,000 $ 1,094,000 $ EL Elmhurst Renovation 3,220 SF 1,967,000$ 196,000 $
GG Golden Gate Complete/Service Upgrade 4,260 SF 1,275,000 $ 900,000 $ 259,000 $ MLK Martin Luther King Jr. Br*** Expansion 4,800 SF 1,972,000 $ 292,000 $ LK Lakeview Expansion 6,300 SF 4,297,000 $ 384,000 $
ML Melrose Complete/Service Upgrade 5,300 SF 1,875,000 $ 1,230,000 $ 322,000 $ MC Montclair Complete/Service Upgrade 3,800 SF 292,000 $ 231,000 $ PD Piedmont Expansion 5,200 SF 5,718,000 $ 2,200,000 $ 315,900 $ RR Rockridge Expansion 18,000 SF 3,078,000$ 1,309,000 $ TM Temescal Complete/Service Upgrade 4,260 SF 1,110,000 $ 804,000 $ 259,000 $ WO West Oakland Expansion 18,000 SF 11,164,000 $ 1,094,000 $ HV Hoover New 10,000 SF 8,719,000$ 2,160,000 $ 608,000 $ LA Laurel New 10,000 SF 8,718,000 $ 2,160,000 $ 608,000 $ 81 81st Avenue New 21,000 SF (Already Funded)
SA San Antonio New 19,000 SF 16,195,000 $ 4,500,000 $ 1,155,000 $ OK Oak Knoll Neww 5,000 SF (Funded by developer)
MN Main at Kaiser Relocation
See Kaiser
Feasibility Study
Total All MFP Projects 102,387,000 $ 21,074,000 $ $9,618,900 Escalation (Assumes 10 Year Buildout) 19,445,000 $ 2,405,000 $ *Land area is the minimum land required for building, parking, and setbacks. **Includes soft costs, public art, construction, and contingency *** King Library is currently has some funding identified; remaining funding needed is represented here.

IMPLEMENTATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Implementation 47

CAPITAL BUDGET FUNDING STRATEGIES
Implementation of the full Master Facilities Plan will have a capital cost of $102.3 Million for branch construction costs (including soft costs), $19.4 Million for escalation costs, and up to $21 Million for land. A ten-year buildout period is recommended.

1. GENERAL FUND
A basic approach to ﬁ nance projects is to use available cash from the City’s General Fund for each project. Unfortunately there are almost no funds available to implement any of the Master Plan Projects in this fund.

2. REDEVELOPMENT AREA FUNDING
State of California Redevelopment law allows a redevelopment agency to obtain funds using “tax increment ﬁ nancing.” This type of ﬁ nancing registers a total property tax value for the area and then allows any future increases in taxes (the “tax increment”) due to increases in the assessed value of properties within the area to go to the Redevelopment Agency for use in stimulating development. The purpose of these redevelopment areas is to fund new projects that will create a healthier environment for businesses and residents. The Redevelopment Agency can then use the funds raised through the tax increment to rehabilitate properties, promote creation of jobs, improve streets and streetscapes, parks, and other public facilities, stimulate private business and development, and create investment to accomplish what could not be done by other public or private means.

The City of Oakland has nine Redevelopment Areas which could potentially tap into funding available through Redevelopment, either as supplemental funding as was done for the Prop. 14 Grant Application, or full funding for speciﬁ c eligible projects. These areas are: the Oak Center and Acorn in West Oakland; Broadway/MacArthur/San Pablo Area and Stanford Adeline in north Oakland; Central District (downtown); Central City East; Oak Knoll; and the Coliseum Area and West Oakland/Oakland Army Base (the newest). Current or proposed libraries in Redevelopment areas include the West Oakland, Hoover, Asian, Main, San Antonio, Chavez, Melrose, Eastmont, Elmhurst, Martin Luther King, Jr., Brook ﬁ eld, and Oak Knoll Libraries.

3. PARTNERSHIPS
Partnerships with other public or private entities is another way to leverage funds to meet multiple needs efﬁ ciently. These could include joint OUSD/ OPL projects, such as the 81st Ave. Library at the ACORN Woodland/ EnCompass Academy small school site in East Oakland. It could also include projects led by private developers, redevelopment agency projects, and any other appropriate ﬁ nancing mechanisms that will facilitate project implementation. The Piedmont Library has been discussed in the past as Capital Funding Options include:
- General Fund
- Redevelopment Area Financing
- Partnerships
- Grants
- General Obligation Bond
- Other sources, such as Mello
Roos, Benefit Assessment Districts
48 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Implementation

IMPLEMENTATION
a potential joint-use with a private developer, although the development proposed failed due to community concerns; the developers of the Oak Knoll area are also interested in partnering to build a library as a part of that development. Also, leveraging different ﬁ nancing options may also provide greater opportunities for funding. For example, $3.5 Million of the Coliseum Redevelopment Area School Set-aside Funds were used as the local match for the 81st Ave. Library State Prop. 14 grant.

4. GRANTS
The City of Oakland applied for and received a State Proposition 14 Grant in the third and ﬁ nal round of funding for a co-located Public-School Library with the Oakland Uni ﬁ ed School District at the ACORN Woodland and EnCompass Academy Elementary School site at 81
st and Rudsdale Avenue.

The local match requirement for this grant was supplied by Redevelopment Area School set-aside funds within the Coliseum Redevelopment Area.

The city had previously received a state grant through the 1988 state grant program which received matching funds through the Rockridge Community Facilities District and the City as a whole.

After two successful state library construction bonds in 1988 and 2000, the third proposed bond measure, Proposition 81, failed in June 2006.

Statewide library leaders hope to place a similar ballot measure in the near future. If a future measure similar to Proposition 14 is passed it could be a source of grant funding of up to approximately $20 Million.

5. GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS
Since the passage of Proposition 46 on the June 3, 1986 ballot, cities have been able to issue general obligation bonds to acquire, construct or improve real property. General obligation bonds are the most efﬁ cient form of long- term debt ﬁ nancing because they require neither a reserve fund nor funded interest (i.e. capitalized interest) during construction or acquisition of the project. Therefore, general obligation bonds are smaller in size and annual total debt is correspondingly lower than any other form of long term debt ﬁ nancing. The major challenge of a general obligation bond is the required 2/3rds majority voter approval.

6. OTHER FUNDING MECHANISMS

DEVELOPMENT IMPACT FEES
When a jurisdiction looks at existing revenues and they are not adequate to support the development of a capital improvement program on a pay-as- you-go basis or cash basis, an alternative available to the jurisdiction is to implement new fees. One vehicle that has been used by several jurisdictions for the construction of new library facilities is a development fee. The fee is typically charged against new residential housing projects. It is based on the number of housing units to be developed, the timing of the build-out of those housing units, and the total amount of money needed.

IMPLEMENTATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Implementation 49

BENEFIT ASSESSMENT AND PARCEL TAX
Like the March 2004 Measure Q citywide parcel tax which provides funding exclusively for library operations, a new parcel tax could be considered for capital funding.

Parcel taxes require super majority (67%) voter approval. Both parcel taxes and beneﬁ t assessments have been used throughout California to ﬁ nance emergency and paramedic services and improvements. The advantage of these types is that the actual amount levied per household, business, etc. can be structured so it is reﬂ ective of the beneﬁ t derived from the improvement or service. This is in contrast to the general obligation bond tax, which can only be based on assessed valuation. In the case of a parcel tax, the amount can be based on anything except assessed valuation. A beneﬁ t assessment district measure can also be done through a mail-in ballot, as the current Landscaping and Lighting Assessment District is being done.

California Proposition 218, passed in 1996, prohibits the creation of Beneﬁ t Assessment Districts based on property values. Rather, parcels in the district are assessed based on the beneﬁ t they receive, potentially based on parcel use (commercial, residential, etc.). Such a measure requires a “majority support” (50% + 1) to pass, and votes are weighted based on each property owners’ proposed assessment.

MELLO-ROOS SPECIAL TAX BONDS
The Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act was enacted by the California Legislature in 1982 to provide all cities, counties or districts an alternative method of ﬁ nancing essential public facilities and services. The Act allows cities to create separate public agencies, known as community facilities districts, within their boundaries for the purpose of ﬁ nancing certain public facilities and services. The Mello-Roos ﬁ nancing mechanism uses a special tax to repay the annual debt service and operating costs. The special tax may be based upon beneﬁ t to the parcels of land in the district, or on the cost of making the facilities or services available, or on any other reasonable basis. The tax must not be ad valorem or related to the value of the property. In 1990, Resolution 67202 C.M.S. is a Mello-Roos ﬁ nancing measure that funded the construction of the Rockridge Library by forming the Rockridge Community Facilities District #1 and levying a special property tax of $25 annually within this area.

OPERATING AND MAINTENANCE BUDGET
The two main sources for the Library’s operating budget are the City’s General Fund and Measure Q, an assessment district passed by voters in March 2004.

Measure Q requires a certain level of funding from the General Fund and will sunset in 2024 as voted upon in the March 2004 election. Additional funding from State sources supplement the Library’s budget.
50 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Implementation

IMPLEMENTATION
The Library’s operating budget is comprised of two parts, Personnel and Services:
• Personnel includes all costs (i.e., salaries and beneﬁ ts) associated with the people part of the organization – the staff needed to provide the array of library services offered to the general public. • Services include those costs associated with the day-to-day operation of the system. Those costs include, but are not limited to, purchases for the collection, technology, utilities, custodial care, supplies, and post- age. Service costs do not include costs associated with the operation and maintenance of the facilities or capital renewal costs (other than routine cleaning and maintenance).

The operating and maintenance costs for implementation of the Master Facili- ties Plan establishes a steady and gradual growth in costs associated with the operating and maintenance budget. Implementation of the Facilities Master Plan will be based upon a phased approach to construction that will distribute increased personnel and services costs over a period of time, potentially a ten- year period.

With the library renovations and upgrades, a comprehensive approach will be undertaken to emphasize design solutions that will lower maintenance and repair costs by ensuring energy conservation, employing sustainable building materials and encouraging use of renewable energy.

Many options will be explored to reduce energy consumption. For example, aging mechanical equipment and lighting can be replaced with more energy efﬁ cient models and drafty building windows can be replaced with dual-paned, weather-tight windows with a protective coating to reduce unwanted solar heat gain. To promote sustainability, recycled building products or those made from renewable resources can be employed. Durable construction materials, such as stained concrete ﬂ oors in lieu of carpet, can be utilized to reduce life-cycle replacement and maintenance costs. Where possible, renewable solar power technology can be incorporated as well.

Currently, the City levies an assessment under Measure Q, passed by voters in 2004, to fund acquisition of new books, magazines, computers and other materials to improve educational and other programs for children, adults and seniors, and to staff certain positions in its libraries. Measure Q, approved by voters in March of 2004, is a parcel tax measure that will be collected until 2024 and will:
• Keep the Main Library open 7 days per week and expand branch hours to 6 days per week with more branches open on weekends • Signi ﬁ cantly increase the library’s budget to purchase books and other material

IMPLEMENTATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Implementation 51 • Restore staff reductions and retain professional children’s librarians in every library
• Operate the Library’s African American Museum and Library and its adult literacy program (Second Start)
• Upgrade and enhance information technology in all libraries and improve access to computers and other technology
• Increase joint educational activities with local schools • Support the PASS! after-school homework program and other educational and cultural programs for children and to support the Teen Services Program
• Operate the new 81
st Ave. Library (joint school-public library) in
East Oakland
• Set aside a 5% reserve
The approximate amount of revenues to be generated by this beneﬁ t assessment is $11 million per year. The proposed enhancement of the Library System’s physical infrastructure will require additional monies to pay for operating and maintenance costs.

The Library is committed to increased ef ﬁ ciency in both the design of new facilities as well as when retro ﬁ tting existing facilities. This includes new service models such as self-service/self-check machines; multiple material return slots for rough sorting of returns; and streamlined materials handling.

Library administration is currently working with staff and unions to collaborate and tailor a new service model that will be right for the Oakland library

52 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Implementation

IMPLEMENTATION
system. Self-check out by patrons at ATM style machines can predictably handle over 75% of all check-outs. Multiple return bins can simplify check-in and reshelving. Neither of these systems are depended on an RFID system, which the Library is still considering where or not is appropriate for Oakland after implementing a test case at the Chavez Library.

BUILDING IMPROVEMENT LIBRARIES: PROJECT PHASING
It is proposed that all twenty projects recommended in this Master Facilities Plan be implemented over a period of approximately ten years. The sequence of project phasing will be determined after funding has been secured. A key task of the library implementation program management will be to include public oversight and project sequencing. After funding is secured, it is recommended that land acquisition where needed for library improvements be started to reduce land costs and demonstrate committment to projects. Phases for implementing projects will include: community input, detailed plans of library service and building programs, design and engineering, permitting, bidding, construction, and move-in phases.

Draft Phasing Criteria have been proposed and reviewed by the Community Action Committee to help guide this process.

DRAFT PHASING CRITERIA

GEOGRAPHIC EQUITY
Improvement services and facilities should be implemented evenly across the city with projects starting in each part of the city - north, south, east and west, in the early phase of implementation.

CONTINUITY OF SERVICE/MITIGATION OF LOCAL SERVICE DISRUPTIONS Phasing should permit continuous library service to the community in each part of the city so that geographically there are no major gaps in service. For each facility that is required to close for improvements, a new or improved facility or temporarly library facility will be open to allow the Library to maintain service to patrons.

OPERATION COST MANAGEMENT
Phased improvements should distribute the increased staf ﬁ ng and maintenance requirements in a gradual manner. The renovation of facilities should also be staged to balance the need for staff in new/ expanded facilities with the conversion of existing facilities to the new service model which will free up some of the needed staff for transfer to other facilities. Also, new facilities may house existing library staff and collections temporarily while a nearby neighborhood branch is being improved.

Library Implementation Program
Management:

1. Funding

2. Begin Land Acquisition

3. Implement Projects
- Community input
- Plan of library service
- Building program
- Design and engineering,
- Permitting
- Bidding
- Construction
- Move-in

IMPLEMENTATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Implementation 53

PROJECT OVERSIGHT
Phased improvements will schedule work that encourages effective oversight by staff and community participation in the design process. The project schedule includes a time contingency for unforeseen extensions in project schedules, such as delays in land acquisitions or accelerations resulting from partnership opportunities.

EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES/OPPORTUNITIES FOR FUNDING
The phasing plan should include enough ﬂ exibility to permit the City and Library to take advantage of development opportunities that allow the Library to leverage funds or partnerships with other City, non-pro ﬁ t, or other developments that may arise in the future.

PARTICIPATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Participation 55

PARTICIPATION
The Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan was prepared through a highly participatory process. Over 4,000 people gave input into the plan through three rounds of community participation, as well as an on-going input and advisory group, the Community Action Committee (CAC). The ﬁ rst point of contact was during the Needs Assessment phase and included focus groups at each of the libraries as well as patron surveys at each of the library facilities.

The second round, to present draft recommendations and get feedback from community residents, was done through a Speaker’s Forum, which included a variety of interested Library Staff, CAC, and project team members going out to various community organizations to present the draft plan. Feedback was then incorporated into the 2004 Draft Master Facilities Plan, presented to Council the fall of 2004. A third round of participation was held the ﬁ rst two weekends of June 2006 in the form of open houses held at each of the branch facilities (with two open houses held at the Main Library) to present revised branch recommendations and the Main Library at Kaiser Feasibility Study and concept.

In addition to community participation, numerous meetings with City staff and elected ofﬁ cials were held in the process of developing and re ﬁ ning the 2004 Draft Master Facilities Plan.

The following individuals and organizations participated in the master planning process and provided invaluable information and guidance in the creation of this Facilities Master Plan:

LIBRARY PATRONS and CITY RESIDENTS
Over 1,600 community members completed customer surveys.

Over 130 residents attended a total of 16 focus groups held throughout the city
Library staff and community members presented Master Plan Draft Recommendations and received feedback from over 650 residents through the Fall 2004 Speaker’s Forum, including presentations to the following organizations:
23rd Avenue Merchants and Stakeholders Association
Asian Friends of the Library
Bret Harte Middle School PTA
Chabot Elementary School PTA
City Council
Dimond Improvement Association
District 7 Leadership Breakfast
Eastmont Friends of the Library
Friends of Lakeview Library

PARTICIPATION
56 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Participation Friends of the Oakland Public Library
Library Advisory Commission
Life Enrichment Committee
Mayor’s Commission on Persons with Disabilities
NCPC Beat 10X - Golden Gate
NCPC Beat 10Y - Santa Fe
NCPC Beat 12X - Temescal
NCPC Beat 18 - San Antonio/Fruitvale
NCPC Beat 21Y - Fruitvale
NCPC Beat 22X - Dimond
NCPC Beat 22Y - Bret Harte/Joaquin Miller
NCPC Beat 25X - Laurel/Redwood Heights
NCPC Beat 27X - Melrose/High Hopes
NCPC Beat 27Y - Melrose
NCPC Beat 28x Maxwell Park
NCPC Beat 2X - Prescott
NCPC Beat 2Y - West Oakland
NCPC Beat 30Y - Millsmont
NCPC Beat 33 - New Horizon Neighborhood Council
NCPC Beat 34X - Eastmont/Arroyo Viejo
NCPC Beat 34X - Elmhurst
NCPC Beat 6 - Hoover/Brockhurst
NCPC Beat 8X - Northgate
NCPC Beats 2X, 5X, and 5Y - West Oakland
NCPC Beats 31Y and 31Z - Brookﬁ eld/Columbian Garden & Sobrante Park
Oak Knoll Community Meeting
Oakland Library Youth Leadership Council
Oakland Public Library Foundation
Oakland Uniﬁ ed School District School Board
Peralta School PTA
Peralta Community College Board
Piedmont Neighborhood Improvement League (PANIL)
Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC)
Urban Ecology Workshop - San Antonio/Eastlake
West Oakland Commerce Association Board of Directors
West Oakland District Council
Youth Advisory Commission (Citywide comission)
Residents attended Spring 2006 Open Houses held at each of the library facilities to present the Facilities Master Plan.

COMMUNITY AND AGENCY CONTACTS
Deborah Edgerly, City Administrator
Claudia Cappio, Development Director, CEDA
Leslie Gould, Director, City Planning (former)
CAC members after a Council
presentation

PARTICIPATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Participation 57 Dan Vanderpreim, Director, Redevelopment, Economic Development, and Housing
Frank Fanelli, Real Estate Services Manager
Bruce Sage, Real Estate Services (former)
Ava Jourdain, Real Estate Services
William W. Wilkins, Real Estate Services
Sonja El-Wakil, Redevelopment Division, GIS
Annalee Allen, Oakland Tours Program Manager
Bill Noland, Director, Finance and Management Agency
Katano Kasaine, Assistant Treasury Manager
Joseph Yew, Treasury Manager (former)
Jennifer Koney, Ofﬁ ce of Parks and Recreation
Andrea Youngdahl, Director, Human Services
James Ryugo, Parks and Building Manager, Department of Facilities and Environment
Cheryl Ramirez, Building Services Manager, Public Works Atheria Smith, Peralta College

COMMUNITY ACTION COMMITTEE (CAC)
Winona Adkins, Oakland Public Library Foundation, Community Member Annalee Allen, City of Oakland; CEDA and City Administrator’s Ofﬁ ce Duff Axson, Oakland Public Library Foundation (former)
Bobbie Bond, Commission on Aging, Redwood Heights Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council
Frank Brodsky, Save Oakland Libraries
Andy Carpentier, Architect, Community Member
Sylvester Grisby, 26Y Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council Genevieve Katz, Friends of the Oakland Public Library
Victoria Kelly, Save Oakland Libraries
Tracey Scott, Library Advisory Commission
Winifred Walters, Friends of the Oakland Public Library Julie Waldman, Friends of the Oakland Public LIbrary
Anthony Bernier, Director of Youth Services, Oakland Public Library Tracey Firestone, Youth Services, Oakland Public Library

YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL (YLC)
Rica Azarcon
Perin Lopez
Shartesa Nixon
Virginia Tice
Nathaniel Aklilu
Daniel Belay
Carrie Cai
Riaz Zaidi
Eric Baxter
YLC meeting on the Master
Plan

PARTICIPATION
58 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Participation

OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL
Mayor Jerry Brown
Councilmember Desley Brooks, District 6
Councilmember Jane Brunner, District 1
Councilmember Henry Chang, At-Large
Council President Ignacio de la Fuente, District 5
Councilmember Nancy Nadel, District 3
Vice Mayor Jean Quan, District 4
Councilmember Larry Reid, District 7
Councilmember Patricia Kernighan, District 2
Councilmember Danny Wan, District 2 (former)

LIFE ENRICHMENT COMMITTEE
Chair, Councilmember Henry Chang
Councilmember Jean Quan
Councilmember Desley Brooks
Councilmember Jane Brunner (former committee member)
Councilmember Danny Wan (former)
Councilmember Patricia Kernighan

EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP COMMITTEE
Co-Chair Councilmember Henry Chang
Councilmember Jane Brunner
Councilmember Jean Quan
Councilmember Nancy Nadel
Councilmember Patricia Kernighan
Councilmember Danny Wan (former)
Oakland Uniﬁ ed School Board Members:

Co-Chair Noel Gallo, OUSD Board of Education
Gregory Hodge, OUSD Board of Education
Dan Siegel, OUSD Board of Education
Vice President Gary Yee, OUSD Board of Education President (former committee member)
Viola Gonzalez, OUSD Board of Education (former)

LIBRARY STAFF
Carmen Martinez, Library Director
Madeleine Lee, Asian Branch Manager
Cynthia Hegedus, Brookﬁ eld, Branch Manager
Jane Gonzales, Chavez Branch Manager
Catherine Nichols, Dimond Branch Manager
Roberto Quintanill, Eastmont Branch Manager
Pat Richard, Elmhurst Branch Manager
Bella Madara, Golden Gate Branch Manager
Mary Farrell, Lakeview Branch Manager

PARTICIPATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Participation 59 Needs Assessment Strategy
Team (X-Team) Workshop
Ajoke Kokodoko, M.L. King Branch Manager
Doug Smith, Main Branch Manager
Sandra Toscano, Melrose Branch Manager
Leon Cho, Montclair Branch Manager
Jamie Turbak, Piedmont Branch Manager
Pat Lichter, Rockridge Branch Manager
Sally Bean, Temescal Tool Lending Branch Manager
Christine Saed, West Branch Manager
Joyce Wong, Second Start Program Coordinator
Norma Jones, Second Start Lit. Asst.

Rick Moss, AAMLO Director
Nina Lindsay, Children’s Room Librarian II
Kathleen Hirooka, Community Relations Coordinator
Rosalia Arteaga-Romo, Assistant to Library Director
Terry Egan, Public Services Librarian II
Gene Tom, Financial Admin Svcs Ofﬁ ce, Chief Financial Ofﬁ cer Leslie Rodd, Grants Dev & Programs, Supervising Librarian Lyn Taylor, Teen Services, Teen Librarian
Pete Villasenor, Teen Services, Teen Librarian
Nancy Rhoda, Science/Business/Social, Acting Sr. Librarian Lynne Cutler, Services for the Disabled, Librarian II
Paul Schiesser, Magazine/Newspaper Acting Librarian II
Chris Jennings, Mail Room/Delivery

PROJECT MANAGEMENT TEAM
Carmen Martinez, Library Director
Gerard G. Garzon, Deputy Director
Julie Odoﬁ n, Administrative Librarian, Policy and Strategic Planning Mary Weinstein, Senior Librarian, Special Projects
Hannah Michaelson, Administrative Analyst
Calvin Hao, Project Manager, Public Works Department
Leslie Nordby, Oakland Public Library
David Schnee, Project Manager, Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning Dawn Merkes, Project Manager, Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning Kari Holmgren, Project Planner, Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning

NEEDS ASSESSMENT STRATEGY TEAM
Amy Apel, Communications/Technology
Anthony Bernier, Youth Services (former)
Leon Cho, Montclair Branch
Lynne Cutler, Main Library, History and Literature, Disablity Services Advocate
Terry Egan, Main Library, Electronic Information
Tracey Firestone, Youth Services, Oakland Public Library Gerry Garzon, Deputy Library Director
Calvin Hao, Public Works Department
Daniel Hersh, Main Library, Public Services/Computer and Technical

PARTICIPATION
60 Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Participation Services
Kathleen Hirooka, Community Relations
Cong Hoang, Circulation/Automation
Ja-Lih Lee, Children’s Services
Marjorie Li, Branch Services
Carmen Martinez, Library Director
Joyce Mende Wong, Second Start Literacy
Rick Moss, African-American Museum and Library at Oakland Richard Mull, Branch Services (former)
Catherine Nichols, Dimond Branch
Julie Odoﬁ n, Policy and Strategic Planning
Isela Perez, Cesar Chavez Branch
Leslie Rodd, Grants, Development and Programs
Doug Smith, Main Library Public Services
Gene Tom, Administrative Services, FASO
Brad Walters, Main Library, Circulation
Mary Weinstein, Senior Librarian, Special Projects
Gracie Woodard, Branch Services

CONSULTANT TEAM FOR MASTER FACILITIES PLAN AND KAISER

FEASIBILITY STUDY
Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.

David Schnee, AIA, AICP, LEEDAP Principal-in-charge
David Sturges, AIA, Principal,Project Architect
Dawn Merkes, AIA Principal, Facility Master Plan Manager Kari Holmgren, AICP, Associate, Project Planner
Nancy Chow Yang, Designer
Eric Chaves, Intern
Miki Mori
Paul Jamtgaard
Satoshi Yamura
Don Todd Associates, Cost Estimator (Master Plan)
Alex McClendon, Principal
Emiliano Vinuya, Cost Estimator
Mason Tillman Associates, Community Facilitator (Master Plan) Dr. Eleanor Ramsey, Principal
Tommy Smith, Project Manager
Carey & Company, Inc., Architectural Historian (Kaiser Center and Main Library)
Alice Carey, Prinicpal
Nancy Goldenberg, Senior Vice President
Martin Lee Associates, Cost Estimator (Kaiser Center and Main Library) Walk-through of Kaiser Center
wtih Peralta College, Library,
and consultant teams

PARTICIPATION
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Participation 61 Martin Lee, PE, Principal
Rutherford & Chekene, Structural Engineers (Kaiser Center) Dominic Campi, Principal
Patric Ryan, Structural Engineer
Calvin Wong, Code Consultant (Kaiser Center)
Calvin Wong, PE
FW Associates, Electrical Engineers (Kaiser Center)
Munson Fong, President
Rumsey Engineers, Inc., Mechanical Engineers (Kaiser Center) Peter Rumsey, Principal
Larry Chu, Project Engineer

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

EXPANSION

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The highest-circulation library in the city, the Asian Branch Library acts as a city-wide – as well as Bay Area and beyond – resource for Asian language materials and programs.
The library collection supports eight Asian languages in addition to English and serves as the major repository for Asian language materials within the system. It is also the neighborhood branch for Oakland’s Chinatown area. Patrons emphasized collection, including books and videos in both Asian and English languages, as the most important service for the library to offer, followed by computer access and children’s books. (Patron Survey)

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is extremely well-located in the heart of Chinatown’s commercial area in the Paciﬁ c Renaissance Plaza complex. Although the facility is well-located and in good physical condition, it is too small to accommodate the collection and other services its patrons are demanding.

ASIAN

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000.................................. 6,754
2020................................. 10,442
GROWTH.............................. 55%

ASIAN BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Library
ASIAN
8,500 SF
Expansion
10,500-12,000 SF
Community Library

SAN ANTONIO
0 SF
New Construction
16,00-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

Expansion on existing site
Expand the library at the Pacific Renaissance Plaza building, allowing the branch to remain in the heart of Chinatown, through potential expansion or joint-use with the Oakland Asian Cultural Center on the second floor or other options. Expansion will include expansion of services as well as facility upgrades such as public restrooms, etc.
Due to limited space, parking would continue to be shared in Plaza’s underground parking structure
Development of nearby San Antonio Library will also help ease pressure on Asian Library
Estimated Project Cost of $3.7-4.6 M for 13,000 SF , including budget for additional property acqusition

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
45% of Asian Branch’s patrons hail from
outside of the city.
Patrons from throughout the city use the
library, with large numbers of patrons
coming from the Chinatown, Eastlake,
and San Antonio neighborhoods.
An additional library in the San
Antonio neighborhood that emphasizes
Asian, Spanish, and English language
materials will supplement the expanded
Asian Branch to meet the service needs
of current patrons.

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 64,398 vol. 67-72,000 vol
Seating 69 seats 75-90 seats
Computers 12 computers 15-30 comp.

Storytelling 30-40 spaces 30-40 spaces
Program Room 0 seats 20-50 seats
Group Study 0 seats 0 seats
Teen Area 0 seats TBD
Building Size 8,500 SF 10,500-13,000 SF
Pacific Renaissance SitePacific Renaissance Site
Existing Library at 388 9th St
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)
1 FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

EXPANSION

ASIAN

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000.................................. 6,754
2020................................. 10,442
GROWTH.............................. 55%

ASIAN BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Library
ASIAN
8,500 SF
Expansion
10,500-12,000 SF
Community Library

SAN ANTONIO
0 SF
New Construction
16,00-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 64,398 vol. 67-72,000 vol
Seating 69 seats 75-90 seats
Computers 12 computers 15-30 comp.

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

EXPANSION

BROOKFIELD

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000.................................. 8,601
2020.................................. 9,141
GROWTH................................ 6%

BROOKFIELD BRANCH

NETWORK
Neighborhood Library

BROOKFIELD
4,250 SF
Expansion
7,000-8,000 SF
Community Library
81st AVENUE BRANCH
0 SF
New Construction
21,500 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries
Expansion on existing site
Expand the library within the existing building to accommodate the additional square footage needed
As the Senior Center and Library spaces in the existing building are modified, the function of the shared program room should also be re-examined (currently the library’s demand is greater than the room’s availability).
Estimated Project Cost of $5.1-6.5M for renovation and expansion within existing building

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Brookﬁ eld neighborhood is one of the most isolated neighborhoods in the City of Oakland. As such, needed library services for those with limited mobility must be provided within the neighborhood.
The branch is currently greatly used by children; two-thirds of the library’s circulation is children’s materials. The adjacent school campus and the high proportion of family households in the area indicate that this age group will be an important clientele both now and in the future.
Residents have expressed a need for access to technology, with over half of patrons surveyed having no other access to a computer besides the library.

Patrons also desired emphasis on community information and referral and books on tape. (Patron Survey) A Spanish collection is also needed to meet the growing Spanish-speaking population.

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is well-located within the Brook ﬁ eld neighborhood, adjacent to an elementary school and co-located with a senior center at Brookﬁ eld Park/future East Oakland sports complex.
Although it is well-located, the current 4,250 SF is too small to accommodate the library needs; an expansion within the building or addition to the building would allow the library to remain in this central location.

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 28,350 vol. 30-32,000 vol
Seating 18 seats 35-40 seats
Computers 8 computers 25-30 comp.

Storytelling 20 spaces 30-45 spaces
Program Room 0 seats 0 seats
Group Study 0 seats 12 seats
Teen Area 0 seats 15 seats
Building Size 4,250 SF 7-8,000 SF
Example: collection and display
Potential Expansion at Existing Site

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
Most Brook ﬁ eld Library patrons hail
from the immediate neighborhood,
probably due to the geographic barriers
of the I-880 freeway and BART and
railroad tracks.
There are, however, a number of patrons
who come to the Brook ﬁ eld Library
from 98th Ave. and below to the city
limits near 107th Ave. In the future,
these patrons will probably continue
to use the Brook ﬁ eld Library as their
closest library, but also the new 81st Ave.

Library, which will also be relatively
close and a much larger facility.

Library
Brookfield
Park/
Senior
Center
future East
Oakland Sports
Complex
9255 Edes Ave
1 DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
(proposed future facility location)

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

EXPANSION

BROOKFIELD

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000.................................. 8,601
2020.................................. 9,141
GROWTH................................ 6%

BROOKFIELD BRANCH

NETWORK
Neighborhood Library

BROOKFIELD
4,250 SF
Expansion
7,000-8,000 SF
Community Library
81st AVENUE BRANCH
0 SF
New Construction
21,500 SF

Patrons also desired emphasis on community information and referral and books on tape. (Patron Survey) A Spanish collection is also needed to meet the growing Spanish-speaking population.

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 28,350 vol. 30-32,000 vol
Seating 18 seats 35-40 seats
Computers 8 computers 25-30 comp.

Library, which will also be relatively
close and a much larger facility.

Library
Brookfield
Park/
Senior
Center
future East
Oakland Sports
Complex
9255 Edes Ave
1 DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
(proposed future facility location)

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 22,732
2020................................ 30,095
GROWTH............................... 32%
CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ BRANCH

NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries
CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ
Complete/Service Upgrade
15,000 SF

MELROSE
5,300 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
Community Library

SAN ANTONIO
0 SF
New Construction
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries
Recently Completed
In 2004 the new Chávez Library moved into a new expanded facility within the Fruitvale Transit Village
Reduction of the circulation/service desk space to addommo- date more public space for collection or computers.
Implement new efficient service models such as self-check ma- chines, and additional service improvements such as self pick- up of holds and rough-sorting of return items by patrons Estimated Project Cost of $100,000
Components Existing at New Ch ávez
Collection 49-50,000 vol
Seating 58 seats
Computers 20 comp.

Storytelling 60 spaces
Program Room 50 seats
Group Study 0 seats
Teen Area 20 seats
Building Size 15,000 SF
New Chávez Library’s Teen Area New Chávez LibrarySelf-Check at new Chávez Library

FRUITVALE
BART

TRANSIT

VILLAGE

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The new Chávez Branch Library is located in the heart of the city’s Spanish- speaking neighborhoods. It is a city-wide resource for Spanish language materials and provides neighborhood library services to Spanish and English speakers alike.
The large number of families in this area and young median age indicates the need for family and youth-oriented services and materials. Emphasis was placed on computer access (over half of patrons surveyed use the library as their only access to a computer), information and referral, and books on tape by current patrons. (Patron Survey)

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The library is located within the Fruitvale BART Transit Village. This multiple-use complex is adjacent to the BART transit station, which includes several public bus routes, and includes the non-pro ﬁ t Unity Council, a childcare facility, and the Fruitvale Senior Center, in addition to the library.
The new library includes an innovative teen area, dedicated children’s storytime area, program room and outdoor activity area, and self-check out for materials.

LIBRARY PATRONS
Patrons are coming from throughout
the immediate area, especially along
the transit corridors of Fruitvale and
International Boulevards.
The convenience and accessibility of the
new library will draw the patrons using
the Transit Village for transportation or
shopping needs. Some are patrons who
previously could not access the branch
due to transportation difﬁ culties.

MoyaFotografx MoyaFotografx

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

COMPLETE - SERVICE UPGRADE
3301 East 12th St

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 22,732
2020................................ 30,095
GROWTH............................... 32%
CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ BRANCH

NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries
CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ
Complete/Service Upgrade
15,000 SF

MELROSE
5,300 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
Community Library

SAN ANTONIO
0 SF
New Construction
16,000-19,000 SF

Storytelling 60 spaces
Program Room 50 seats
Group Study 0 seats
Teen Area 20 seats
Building Size 15,000 SF
New Chávez Library’s Teen Area New Chávez LibrarySelf-Check at new Chávez Library

FRUITVALE
BART

TRANSIT

VILLAGE

MoyaFotografx MoyaFotografx

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

COMPLETE - SERVICE UPGRADE
3301 East 12th St

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
DIMOND

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 33,080
2020................................ 35,142
GROWTH................................ 6%

DIMOND BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries
LAUREL
0 SF
New Construction
8,000-12,000 SF

MONTCLAIR
3,800 SF
Renovation
Community Library
DIMOND
10,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

Expansion on Existing Site
Addition to the second story of the building over parking lot to increase square footage as needed for quiet areas, technology lab, group study, etc. (while retaining parking below)
Remodel existing space and addition to incorporate self-service strategies such as self-check machines, self pick-up of holds; and rough-sorting of return items by patrons
Parking on ground level under addition to remain unless odditional land for parking can be acquired.

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 72,147 vol. 72-79,000 vol
Seating 32 seats 90-110 seats
Computers 10 computers 50-60 comp.

Storytelling 20 spaces 20-30 spaces
Program Room 75 seats 75-125 seats
Group Study 0 seats 12-18 seats
Teen Area 0 seats 20-25 seats
Building Size 10,000 SF 15-19,000 SF
otential Second Floor Expansion
Existing Front Facade of Dimond

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Dimond Branch has the sixth highest circulation of materials within the Oakland Public Library system, and materials (books, CDs, etc.) were by far the top priority for those responding to the patron survey, followed by videos and information and referral.
The Dimond neighborhood has a signi ﬁ cant number of families as well as mature users; this indicates the need for family and youth-oriented services, materials, and spaces, as well as spaces to accommodate a variety of ages. There are not enough computers to accommodate community needs; further, the lack of separation of existing computers from quiet reading areas and the inability to hold computer training is both a source of conﬂ ict and a service limitation in the current facility.

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is well-located at the center of the Dimond commercial district and close to other community amenities such as Dimond Park and neighborhood schools.
However, the current facility is too small to accommodate library service needs of the community. An expansion of the current facility will allow the library to remain in its central location.

LIBRARY PATRONS
The Dimond Branch draws patrons from
its own neighborhood from both sides
of I-580; the Fruitvale Avenue access
across this freeway appears to mitigate
the geographic barrier of the freeway.
The location of the Dimond Branch on
the transit corridors of MacArthur and
Fruitvale makes the library convenient to
a wide spread of users arriving via bus,
automobile, or other means, including
those from outside the immediate
neighborhood using the Dimond Branch
as their Community Branch.
Over three-quarters of survey
respondents said the Dimond Branch was
“Very Convenient,” with only 4% rating
it “Somewhat or Very Inconvenient.”
Example: Technology Lab

COMMUNITY LIBRARY

EXPANSION
3565 Fruitvale Ave
1 Expansion on Existing Site
Potential acquisition of nearby property for parking would allow for a more efficient and potentially effective expansion of this branch.
Estimated Project Cost of $11.9-14.9 M, including budget for land Development of a nearby Laurel Library will also help ease pressure on the Dimond Library

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
DIMOND

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 33,080
2020................................ 35,142
GROWTH................................ 6%

DIMOND BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries
LAUREL
0 SF
New Construction
8,000-12,000 SF

MONTCLAIR
3,800 SF
Renovation
Community Library
DIMOND
10,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 72,147 vol. 72-79,000 vol
Seating 32 seats 90-110 seats
Computers 10 computers 50-60 comp.

COMMUNITY LIBRARY

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

EASTMONT

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 25,371
2020................................ 26,799
GROWTH................................ 6%

EASTMONT BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

ELMHURST
3,220 SF
Renovation
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
3,800 SF
Renovation
Community Library

EASTMONT
9,200 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries
New Construction on or near Eastmont Town Center Site
One-story new library
Location along street or corner of the Eastmont Town Center mall site or other accessible/visible location to increase visibility and access
Estimated Project Cost of $14.8-18.5 M for 19,000 SF of new construction, including budget for land
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 38,651 vol. 60-65,000 vol
Seating 32 seats 90-110 seats
Computers 8 computers 50-60 comp.

Storytelling 20 spaces 20-30 spaces
Program Room 35 seats 75-125 seats
Group Study 0 seats 12-18 seats
Teen Area 10 seats 20-25 seats
Building Size 9,200 SF 16-19,000 SF
Existing Library in Eastmont Town Center Potential expansion elsewhere in area Example: Teen area

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
There is a high number of youth in this and surrounding neighborhoods, as well as a large portion of working families. This indicates the need for youth-oriented services and activities at this branch. Focus groups have also indicated a need for a strong focus on teen services. Emphasis placed on computer access, information and referral, and books on tape. The adjacent Computer Center could provide an excellent partnership opportunity. (Patron Survey)

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is geographically well-located in relation to the diverse neighborhoods it serves, as shown through the patron survey and by mapping current circulation data.
Although the library is geographically central, its location in the middle of the Eastmont Town Center makes it hard to ﬁ nd from outside of the building and the street. The lack of signage from the street further aggravates this problem. Moving the library to a free-standing site with better visibility in the area would increase visibility and accessibility to the library while retaining its central location to the community.

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
The Eastmont Branch has a large draw
of patrons from throughout the eastern
part of Oakland.
Over 90% of current patrons surveyed
responded that the Eastmont Library
was either “Somewhat or Very
Convenient.”
These results, and the location of the
Eastmont Town Center along major bus
lines (25% of current patrons access the
library by bus), indicate the facility will
be accessible as a Community Library to
both those within and from outside the
immediate neighborhood.

COMMUNITY LIBRARY

RELOCATION
7200 Bancroft
1 FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

EASTMONT

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 25,371
2020................................ 26,799
GROWTH................................ 6%

EASTMONT BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

ELMHURST
3,220 SF
Renovation
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
3,800 SF
Renovation
Community Library

EASTMONT
9,200 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

COMMUNITY LIBRARY

RELOCATION
7200 Bancroft
1 FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
81ST AVENUE BRANCH

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000.................................16,809
2020................................. 17,904
GROWTH.................................7%
81ST AVE BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
3,800 SF
Renovation

ELMHURST
3,220 SF
Renovation

BROOKFIELD
4,250 SF
Expansion
7,000-8,000 SF

Community Library
81st AVENUE BRANCH
0 SF
New Construction
21,500 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
Joint-use Public Library/School Library located at OUSD Site at 81st Ave. & Rudsdale Ave.
New library building at the corner of the Woodland/Encompass Academy school site
OUSD land/City of Oakland building
Shared parking with school
Proposition 14 State Grant received
Project Cost Funded through State Prop. 14 grant for $6.5M with local match of $3.5 M, plus on-going fundraising
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 0 vol. 65,000 vol
Seating 0 seats 130 seats
Computers 0 computers 60 comp.

Storytelling 0 spaces 30 spaces
Program Room 0 seats 190 seats
Group Study 0 seats 12 seats
Teen Area 0 seats 25 seats
Building Size 0 SF 22,0000 SF
School Site Plan with Public Library Site 81st Ave Branch Floor Plan

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The neighborhoods surrounding the 81st Ave. Branch have a very high portion of working class families and a fairly young median age, indicating a need for services in support of children, teens, and young families. A fairly low average median household income also indicates a need for job resources and continuing education support.
Survey results from the King and Elmhurst Libraries indicate a great need for computer access – almost half of these library users do not have access to a computer outside the library, and users from both libraries ranked computer access as their top priority for library services – as well as for information and referral and collection materials, such as books and books on tape. While these two facilities will be renovated to better respond to these needs, the limited size of both existing facilities means residents will need the new 81st Ave. Branch to supplement these branches as their Community Library.
The two new elementary schools being constructed by the Oakland Uniﬁ ed School District, ACORN Woodland School and Encompass Academy, are modeled to provide services to students, parents and community members, providing an excellent opportunity for the 81st Ave. Branch to become a centerpiece of this cluster of community services.

LIBRARY PATRONS
The location of the 81st Ave. Library
along a major bus route on 81st and two
blocks from International Boulevard, a
major transit corridor, means the library
will be accessible by public transit
as well as by automobile and other
means.
The 81st Ave. Branch Community
Library will serve patrons who also
use the Elmhurst, King, and Brookﬁ eld
Neighborhood Libraries, as well as those
living too far from those branches.

COMMUNITY LIBRARY
NEW
1 FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
81ST AVENUE BRANCH

ELMHURST
3,220 SF
Renovation

BROOKFIELD
4,250 SF
Expansion
7,000-8,000 SF

Community Library
81st AVENUE BRANCH
0 SF
New Construction
21,500 SF

COMMUNITY LIBRARY
NEW
1 FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

ELMHURST

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 21,087
2020................................ 22,605
GROWTH................................. 7%

ELMHURST BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

ELMHURST
3,220 SF
Renovation
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
3,800 SF
Renovation
Community Libraries
81st AVENUE BRANCH
0 SF
New Construction
21,500 SF

EASTMONT
9,200 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
Renovation to New Service Model
Existing facility cannot be significantly expanded due to site constraints
Renovate existing facility to incorporate physical improvements needed, including increased security of site and providing necessary support spaces such as public restrooms, and
potential outdoor storytime/seating area.
Potential focus of branch on either children and teen services, including homework support, or tool library and jobs/small business resources
Estimated Project Cost of $1.9-2.5 M
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 25,941 vol. 15-28,500 vol
Seating 25 seats 15-25 seats
Computers 8 computers 10-30 comp.

Storytelling 0 spaces in children’s area
Program Room 30 seats 30 seats
Group Study 0 seats 6-12 seats
Teen Area ? seats TBD
Building Size 3,220 SF 3,220 SF
xample: Job training resources
Example: Expanded Technology

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Although the circulation for this branch is comparatively low but rising, the general location of the branch within the neighborhood is vital in serving students and others who cannot walk to other locations due to safety concerns in the neighborhood as a community resource and workspace. The community has a high need for computer access, student and homework support, literacy and alternative collection formats such as books on tape, as well as job training and skills. Information and support for entrepreneurs, community information and referral services are also important in this community. (Patron Surveys, Focus Groups, Staff Interviews)

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is located off of International Boulevard and is accessible to the immediate neighborhood. However, the location along a side street raises safety concerns due to its lack of visibility from the major streets. The City has been working on addressing these safety concerns. The facility currently has many inadequacies, such as the lack of public restrooms and inadequate technology infrastructure. Although the building cannot be expanded to accommodate all the needed library services, these and other service model issues, need to be addressed in its renovation.

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
The library serves mainly the Elmhurst
neighborhood, with few patrons coming
from beyond this area, potentially
because of the limited services available
at the facility or because of safety
concerns in the neighborhood.

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

RENOVATION
1427 88th Ave
1 81st Ave.

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

ELMHURST

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 21,087
2020................................ 22,605
GROWTH................................. 7%

ELMHURST BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

ELMHURST
3,220 SF
Renovation
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
3,800 SF
Renovation
Community Libraries
81st AVENUE BRANCH
0 SF
New Construction
21,500 SF

EASTMONT
9,200 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

RENOVATION
1427 88th Ave
1 81st Ave.

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

GOLDEN GATE

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
*Includes Emeryville
2000................................ 22,866
2020................................ 29,773
GROWTH.............................. 30%

GOLDEN GATE BRANCH

NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

GOLDEN GATE
4,260 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
Neighborhood Library
HOOVER
8-12,000 SF
New Construction

Community Libraries

WEST OAKLAND
8,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
Renovation to New Service Model
Existing facility cannot be expanded due to historic nature and site constraints
Potential acquisition of nearby land for parking
Development of outdoor areas for expanded use
Renovate facility to incorporate self-service strategies such as self-check machines, self pick-up of holds; and rough-sorting of return items by patrons
Estimated Project Cost of $1.2-1.6 M, including budget for land
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 28,175 vol. 28-30,000 vol
Seating 45 seats 40-45 seats
Computers 12 computers 20-25 comp.*
Storytelling 20 spaces 20 spaces
Program Room 75 seats 75 seats
Group Study 0 seats 0 seats
Teen Area 4 seats TBD
Building Size 4,260 SF 4,260 SF
xample: new service model displays
Example: new service model collection

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Golden Gate Library serves as the Neighborhood Library for both the Golden Gate neighborhood of Oakland and the City of Emeryville, which has an agreement with the City for provision of library services. Golden Gate needs both computer access and collection, including traditional formats and videos and children’s books; information and referral were also strongly desired in the patron survey. (Patron Survey)
Demographics show that the Golden Gate and surrounding neighborhoods have an average or lower than average household size, indicating that library services should address all age groups and family types: children, teens, and adults, families and individual services.
Special linguistic groups include East Indian and Northern Ethiopian languages. Special focuses of the branch are materials for these groups, as well as a focus on jazz programs that are much loved in the community.

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is a recently renovated Carnegie library, and is in good condition and a source of community pride to residents. The facility is, by the nature of its layout, somewhat in ﬂ exible for current library needs, but has been renovated to include a computer lab.

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
Patrons of the Golden Gate Library hail
from throughout the neighborhood, as
well as some users from throughout
western Oakland, especially those
close to streets with transit access, such
as Adeline.
Library users in the neighborhood also
frequent the West Oakland, Temescal,
Main, and Asian Libraries.
Over 90% of existing Golden Gate
patrons found the library to be
“Somewhat or Very Convenient”, with
the other portion of patrons potentially
ﬁ nding the lack of parking what makes
the library inconvenient.
Although mapping was unavailable for
the City of Emeryville, patrons from this
city use the Golden Gate Library.

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

COMPLETE - SERVICE UPGRADE
5606 San Pablo Ave
1 *Could be through laptops in the program room

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

GOLDEN GATE

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
*Includes Emeryville
2000................................ 22,866
2020................................ 29,773
GROWTH.............................. 30%

GOLDEN GATE BRANCH

NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

GOLDEN GATE
4,260 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
Neighborhood Library
HOOVER
8-12,000 SF
New Construction

Community Libraries

WEST OAKLAND
8,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

COMPLETE - SERVICE UPGRADE
5606 San Pablo Ave
1 *Could be through laptops in the program room

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

HOOVER BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Library

GOLDEN GATE
4,260 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
Neighborhood Library
HOOVER
8-12,000 SF
New Construction

Community Library

WEST OAKLAND
8,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

HOOVER LIBRARY

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY
NEW
SERVICE AREA POPULATION*
2000................................ .11,921
2020................................ .13,308
GROWTH............................... 12%
*To be determined depending on
branch location

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
This area of the city has significant residential development, and is expereriencing additional development that is increasing the density of the neighborhood. Residents in this neighborhood include both families and more mature residents, and services should include both formal and life-long educational support, literacy, and community resources. A new library in the Hoover library would serve the northwest portion of West Oakland. Bounded by I-980, I-580, I-880, and West Grand Ave., this neighborhood has signiﬁ cant geographic limitations to travel, especially for young children and the elderly. A neighborhood library in this area would help to supplement an expanded West Oakland Library.
The site selection for Hoover should be coordinated with the development strategy for the West Oakland site to ensure the balance of library space and services needed in this area is met.
Depending on its location, this facility could also help to supplement service to the Golden Gate area and Emeryville.

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping shows that current residents use:
The majority of patrons are currently
using the West Oakland Library.

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 0 vol. 45-55,000 vol
Seating 0 seats 45-55 seats
Computers 0 computers 16-25 comp.

Storytelling 0 spaces 20-30 spaces
Program Room 0 seats 25-40 seats
Group Study 0 seats 10-16 seats
Teen Area 0 seats TBD
Building Size 0 SF 8-12,000 SF
New Construction
Locate new Neighborhood Library in a location convenient to the area’s residents (automobile and public transportation as well as pedestrians and bicyclists).
Although a location has yet to be determined, a location that supports neighborhood revitalization should be prioritized. One-story facility with parking or joint-use with other community services
Estimated Project Cost $9-11 M for 10,000 SF building, including budget for land
1 Example: Study/Work RoomExample: Teen Area (from Chavez) Example: Collection and seating

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

HOOVER BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Library

GOLDEN GATE
4,260 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
Neighborhood Library
HOOVER
8-12,000 SF
New Construction

Community Library

WEST OAKLAND
8,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

HOOVER LIBRARY

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping shows that current residents use:
The majority of patrons are currently
using the West Oakland Library.

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 0 vol. 45-55,000 vol
Seating 0 seats 45-55 seats
Computers 0 computers 16-25 comp.

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 16,849
2020................................ 17,787
GROWTH................................ 6%
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
3,800 SF
Expansion
4,200-4,700 SF

ELMHURST
3,220 SF
Renovation
Community Libraries
81st AVENUE BRANCH
21,000 SF
New Construction
21,500 SF

EASTMONT
9,200 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 30,413 vol. 20-33,000 vol
Seating 45 seats 45 seats
Computers 6 computers 14-30 comp.

Storytelling 40 spaces 40 spaces
Program Room 0 seats 0 seats
Group Study 0 seats 0 seats
Teen Area 0 seats 12-18 seats (inc. in
seating above)
Building Size 3,800 SF 4,200-4,700 SF
Renovation to New Service Model
Existing facility cannot be significantly or efficiently expanded due to site constraints
Renovate existing facility to incorporate physical improvements needed, including increased security of site and additional capacity for technology, as well as user comfort (natural light, etc.). May include small expansion of building.
Renovate existing facility to incorporate self-service strategies such as self-check machines and material displays
Estimated Project Cost of $1.2-1.6 M *
* Some of the funding for this project is currently available.

Example: Expanded teen space Example: study spaces and technology

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, or King Library, serves the surrounding neighborhoods as far as Foothill Boulevard and to either side of International Boulevard.
This area has a relatively low median household income and high number of families, indicating, along with community input, a need for children's services and school support, literacy, and other community programs. Technology access is important to this community, with almost 60% of current patrons surveyed using the library as their only access to computers; computer access was the top ranked service that patron surveys emphasized, followed by collection and information and referral. (Patron Survey)

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is well-located for students as it is adjacent to the Lockwood Elementary and Havenscourt Junior High School, and other nearby parochial schools. It is also very visible to other community members at its location on a corner on International Boulevard. Despite its central location, the existing facility is land-locked on its current site, and unable to expand as needed to meet community needs.

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
The King Library serves patrons up
to the Melrose service area at Foothill
Boulevard, and serves patrons from
both sides of International Boulevard
generally down to about 80th Avenue,
but as far as the southeastern city
boundary.
This patron mapping indicates that those
using the King Library will be able to
access the 81st Ave. Branch as their
Community Library resource, while the
King Library is retained for those with
mobility issues, such as the children at
surrounding schools, who cannot easily
travel even the short distance to the 81st
Ave. Library.

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

EXPANSION
6833 International Blvd
(proposed future facility location)
1 FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 16,849
2020................................ 17,787
GROWTH................................ 6%
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries
MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.
3,800 SF
Expansion
4,200-4,700 SF

ELMHURST
3,220 SF
Renovation
Community Libraries
81st AVENUE BRANCH
21,000 SF
New Construction
21,500 SF

EASTMONT
9,200 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

Example: Expanded teen space Example: study spaces and technology

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

EXPANSION

LAKEVIEW

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 39,768
2020................................ 41,970
GROWTH................................ 5%

LAKEVIEW BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

LAKEVIEW
3,800 SF
Expansion
5,800-6,300 SF

PIEDMONT AVENUE
1,700 SF
Expansion
5,000-10,000 SF
Community Libraries

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF
DIMOND
10,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 40,113 vol. 40-44,000 vol.

Seating 40 seats 40-45 seats
Computers 4 computers 12-16 comp.

Storytelling in children’s area in children’s area
Program Room 25 seats 25-30 seats
Group Study 0 seats 0-6 seats
Teen Area 0 seats TBD
Building Size 3,800 SF 5,800-6,300 SF
Addition to existing facility
Renovate the existing facility, including structural, technology, accessibility (ADA), as well as upgrades to glazing and ventilation to mitigate noise and exhaust pollution
Add 2,000-2,500 square feet to this facility to accommodate additional library service needs (including technology, quiet reading areas, teen area, and public restrooms, etc.).
Addition should be sympathetic to historic structure

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
The Lakeview Library draws heavily
from the surrounding neighborhoods,
especially the Grand Lake, Valdez,
and upper Eastlake neighborhoods and
Western Piedmont City. Over 50% of
patrons surveyed walk to the library,
indicating its convenient location to
these neighborhoods.
In addition to its strong neighborhood
use, the Lakeview Library enjoys
patronage from throughout the city,
and is a centerpiece to the amenities
of Lake Merritt, such as the children’s
playground, Children’s Fairyland, and
lake activities.
Although mapping was unavailable for
the City of Piedmont, these residents
are using the Piedmont, Rockridge,
Montclair, and Lakeview Libraries.

Potential Expansion to Existing Facility

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Lakeview Library serves as the Neighborhood Library for the Grand Lake, Downtown, Valdez, and Eastlake neighborhoods. This area has a high number of single-person households; the library should provide materials for these patrons as well as children’s and teen services as many families visiting the lake and nearby amenities frequent this library location. Its circulation statistics support this range of age use.
Collection in a variety of formats, including books on tape/CD (to support the large commuter population), videos/DVDs, and traditional formats; technology access; and reference and information referral are all important services at this library. (Patron Survey)
Residents have expressed a desire for support for formal and life-long learning, through both spaces and programs. (Focus Group)

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is extremely well-located at the head of Lake Merritt, making it accessible to surrounding neighborhoods and to those visiting the Lake. It also has historic value as a Miller-Warneke design. Although it is well located, the existing facility is too small to accommodate library service needs of the community. An expansion of the current facility and dedicated library parking will allow the library to remain in its central location. There are also concerns that Measure DD changes that move El Embarcadero closer to the Library may negatively impact the Library with increased noise and pollution.

Example: Increase space for all ages
550 El Embarcadero

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
1 Potential addition of exterior program space would help to increase the library’s capacity
Designate additional parking spaces to the library if possible Estimated Project Cost $4.2-5.3M
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

EXPANSION

LAKEVIEW

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 39,768
2020................................ 41,970
GROWTH................................ 5%

LAKEVIEW BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

LAKEVIEW
3,800 SF
Expansion
5,800-6,300 SF

PIEDMONT AVENUE
1,700 SF
Expansion
5,000-10,000 SF
Community Libraries

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF
DIMOND
10,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 40,113 vol. 40-44,000 vol.

Seating 40 seats 40-45 seats
Computers 4 computers 12-16 comp.

Potential Expansion to Existing Facility

Example: Increase space for all ages
550 El Embarcadero

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
LAUREL

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000.................................12,239
2020................................. 13,542
GROWTH...............................11%

LAUREL BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Library
LAUREL
0 SF
New Construction
8,000-12,000 SF
Community Library
DIMOND
10,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 0 vol. 45-55,000 vol
Seating 0 seats 45-55 seats
Computers 0 computers 16-25 comp.

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Laurel neighborhood had a library in the past, which was closed in 1981 in the aftermath of Proposition 13. This site is no longer owned by the City.
The community proﬁ le for the Laurel and Redwood Heights neighborhoods is similar to the Dimond neighborhood, but growth from the development of the Leona Quarry site and other inﬁ ll may change these demographics.

Emphasis on materials and spaces for all ages will be needed in this library.
English, Asian, and Spanish languages should be emphasized at this new Neighborhood Library. Currently there are a fair number of area residents utilizing the Asian Library for these resources, showing a demand for these materials.
A new library in this area of the City would serve the Laurel and surrounding Hills neighborhoods, including Redwood Heights, Leona Quarry, Sequoyah Heights, and Oak Knoll

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
Residents in the Laurel neighborhood
are currently using the Dimond Library,
Asian Library and Main Library which
they will continue to use as their
Community Library and central library,
even after a new Neighborhood Library
is built.

Example: Self-service and efficient Example: new materials display

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY
NEW
Laurel
(location TBD)
Laurel Redwood
Heights
1 FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
LAUREL

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000.................................12,239
2020................................. 13,542
GROWTH...............................11%

LAUREL BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Library
LAUREL
0 SF
New Construction
8,000-12,000 SF
Community Library
DIMOND
10,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

Components Existing Proposed
Collection 0 vol. 45-55,000 vol
Seating 0 seats 45-55 seats
Computers 0 computers 16-25 comp.

Example: Self-service and efficient Example: new materials display

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

MELROSE

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 39,822
2020................................ 41,970
GROWTH................................ 5%

MELROSE BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

MELROSE
5,300 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ
15,000 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
Community Library

SAN ANTONIO
0 SF
New Construction
16-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 26,678 vol. 26-29,000 vol
Seating 41 seats 40 seats
Computers 4 computers 15-20 comp.

Storytelling 30 spaces 30 spaces
Program Room 31 seats 31 seats
Group Study 6 seats 0-6 seats
Teen Area ? seats 5-10 seats
Building Size 5,300 SF 5,300 SF
Renovation to New Service Model
Existing facility cannot be expanded due to nature of historic building and site constraints
Renovate existing facility to incorporate physical improvements needed, including increased security of site and additional capacity for technology
Potential acquisition of nearby land for parking
Potential reconfiguration of space to increase space for children’s, English as a Second Language (ESL), teens, and computers

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Melrose community has a high rate of working class and young families and, similar to the Fruitvale neighborhood, needs services for children and teens as well as parent resources. Current circulation shows an almost even split between adult and youth users of materials; this is expected to continue in the future.
Spanish and English languages are spoken in the local neighborhood, with additional Spanish materials and programs provided at the Chávez branch, to serve the community needs.
Emphasis was placed on computer access: almost a third of patrons have no other access to computers. Collection, including books and videos, and information and referral services were also emphasized. (Patron Survey)

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is located between Foothill Boulevard and Bancroft Avenue, both of which have public transit access, but is not easily accessible beyond its immediate neighborhood.
The existing facility is a recently renovated Carnegie library, and is in good condition and a source of community pride to residents.

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
Melrose draws its patrons mainly from
the immediate neighborhood. Safety
issues of the Melrose Library and
greater accessibility to surrounding
libraries may be reasons for the use of
alternative libraries.
Melrose neighborhood residents also
use the Chávez and King Libraries for
their neighborhood services, as well as
the Main Library.
Over 50% of patrons surveyed walk
to the library, indicating its convenient
location to the immediate neighborhood
but not to those outside the immediate
neighborhood.

Example: new materials display Melrose Neighborhood Library use

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

COMPLETE - SERVICE UPGRADE
4805 Foothill Blvd
1 Renovate existing facility to incorporate self-service strategies such as self-check machines, self pick-up of holds; and rough-sorting of return items by patrons. Estimated Project Cost of $1.9-2.4M, including budget for land DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

MELROSE

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 39,822
2020................................ 41,970
GROWTH................................ 5%

MELROSE BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

MELROSE
5,300 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ
15,000 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
Community Library

SAN ANTONIO
0 SF
New Construction
16-19,000 SF

Example: new materials display Melrose Neighborhood Library use

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

MONTCLAIR

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 21,112
2020................................ 24,386
GROWTH.............................. 16%

MONTCLAIR BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

MONTCLAIR
3,800 SF
Renovation

PIEDMONT AVENUE
1,700 SF
Expnsion
5,000-10,000 SF
Community Libraries

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF
DIMOND
10,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 45,261 vol. 45-47,000 vol
Seating 30 seats 30 seats
Computers 5 computers 10 comp.

Storytelling in children’s area in children’s area
Program Room 0 seats 0 seats
Group Study 0 seats 0 seats
Teen Area 0 seats TBD
Building Size 3,800 SF 3,800 SF
Renovation to New Service Model
Existing facility cannot be expanded due to site constraints Renovate existing facility to incorporate physical improvements needed, including additional capacity for technology (wi-fi) and an improve heating system
Increase A/V and popular materials in collection
Renovate existing facility to incorporate self-service strategies such as self-check machines, and self pick-up of holds
Potentially develop outdoor seating patio to expand seating capacity
Estimated Project Cost of $.3-.4M
Example: Marketing New Materials
Example: Increased Technology

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Montclair Library serves the Montclair Village neighborhood of Oakland, which is separated from other areas of Oakland by Highway 13.

This neighborhood has an above average median age, indicating a large proportion of mature residents. The median household size indicates that there are also a fair number of families in this neighborhood. Circulation statistics indicate that the library is used equally for adults and youth materials; the library will need to continue serving all age groups in the future as well to serve both younger families and seniors. Emphasis was placed on collection including books on tape and videos, computer access, and information and referral. (Patron Survey)

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is well-located on Mountain Boulevard, one of the major streets in the Montclair Village commercial area, and is well-recognized architecturally in the community.
Although it is well-located, the existing site is completely impacted, and the building has already been expanded as much as possible on its existing site. Renovation to include more efﬁ cient use of space within the existing facility will allow for inclusion of needed service improvements.

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
The Montclair Library draws patrons
from throughout the Oakland Hills
area of the city, both above and below
Highway 13, as well as patrons from the
City of Piedmont.
Montclair residents currently use both
the Rockridge and Dimond branch
libraries as well, and both of these
libraries, especially with the proposed
expansion of the Dimond Branch, will
continue to supplement library services
to this neighborhood in the future.
Although mapping was unavailable
for the City of Piedmont, patrons
from Piedmont use the Piedmont Ave.,
Rockridge, Montclair and Lakeview
Libraries.

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

RENOVATION
1687 Mountain Blvd
1 If land were to become available, an expansion to accomodate adult and quiet seating areas, and allow for the expansion of computers in the existing space would help serve the community’s need for more seating space at this popular neighborhood library.

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

MONTCLAIR

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 21,112
2020................................ 24,386
GROWTH.............................. 16%

MONTCLAIR BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

MONTCLAIR
3,800 SF
Renovation

PIEDMONT AVENUE
1,700 SF
Expnsion
5,000-10,000 SF
Community Libraries

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF
DIMOND
10,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Montclair Library serves the Montclair Village neighborhood of Oakland, which is separated from other areas of Oakland by Highway 13.

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

OAK KNOLL LIBRARY

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY
NEW

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................... 6,345
2020...................................7,270
GROWTH...............................15%

OAK KNOLL BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries
LAUREL
0 SF
New Construction
8,000-12,000 SF
Community Library
DIMOND
10,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF
Community Library

EASTMONT
9,200 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF
Main Library
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120-160,000 SF

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
Patrons living the area are currently
using the Main, Dimond, and Montclair
libraries.
Although usage outside of the city
limits was not able to be mapped,
residents responded in focus groups
and meetings that they also use the San
Leandro Library.

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Residents surroudning the former Oak Knoll Army Hospital have expressed a desire for library services in this area of the City in various community meetings in the area.
A new library in the Oak Knoll area would, along with the new Laurel Library, serve the Oak Knoll, Seqouya Heights, Grass Valley, and Shefﬁ eld Village areas of Oakland. As other services may also be needed in this area, joint-use and partnerships for providing service should be examined.

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The proposed facility for this library is the Club Knoll, a former of ﬁ cer’s clubhouse from the former Oak Knoll Army Hospital. While it is currently in a state of major disrepair, the developer of the Oak Knoll is interested in partnering with the City to ensure that this valuable resources is saved.

However, while the developer may be a source of captial improvement funds, they are not able to contribute to on-going operational costs.

Components Existing Proposed
Collection - TBD
Seating - TBD
Computers - TBD
Storytelling - TBD
Program Room - TBD
Group Study - TBD
Teen Area - TBD
Building Size - 5-8,000 SF
Rehabilitate the Club Knoll building at the former Oak Knoll Army Hospital into a community facility that includes library services.
Examine various operating models and partnerships to match the needs of the community with the resources offered at the facility.
Project Cost by developer
Interior of Club Knoll
Collection and Seating resources

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

OAK KNOLL LIBRARY

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY
NEW

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................... 6,345
2020...................................7,270
GROWTH...............................15%

OAK KNOLL BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries
LAUREL
0 SF
New Construction
8,000-12,000 SF
Community Library
DIMOND
10,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF
Community Library

EASTMONT
9,200 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF
Main Library
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120-160,000 SF

However, while the developer may be a source of captial improvement funds, they are not able to contribute to on-going operational costs.

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

PIEDMONT AVENUE
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 39,681 vol. 55-65,000 vol
Seating 18 seats 40-55 seats
Computers 6 computers 16-25 comp.

Storytelling in children’s area in children’s area
Program Room 0 seats 25-40 seats
Group Study 0 seats 8-16 seats
Teen Area 0 seats 10 seats
Building Size 1,700 SF 5-10,000 SF

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
*Includes City of Piedmont
2000................................ 19,174
2020................................ 19,966
GROWTH................................ 4%
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Under-building parking
Library
Surface
Parking
Julia Morgan Bldg
Library
Piedmont Ave. Existing and Potential Site 40th St. and Piedmont Ave. Section 40th St. and Piedmont Ave. View

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
A much loved library, with highest circulation per square foot of library, and 6th highest circulation in city.
Children's services and the large number of schools, as well as enrichment learning for adults are an important focus of this branch; the gay and lesbian collection is also an emphasis.
Residents have expressed a desire for support for formal and life-long learning, through both spaces (program room, group study spaces) and programs. (Focus Group)
Emphasis was placed on adult programs, collection, including books and videos, computer access, and information and referral. (Patron Survey)

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is well-located within the heart of the walkable Piedmont Avenue community and commercial district.
The existing facility is much too small to accommodate residents' needs, including collection, seating, computers, programs; there is no space for programs, group study, etc. The facility is leased from a private entity.

Expansion at the Current Site
Second story expansion at existing site if property can be ac- quired from current landowner.
Any expansion should retain the atmosphere and, as possible, the architecture of the current building as it is treasured by the community.
Additional expansion is desired if additional land can be ac- quired.
Estimated Project Cost of $5.7-7.1M, including budget for land

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
The Piedmont Avenue Library draws
patrons extensively from the immediate
area as well as some patrons from
throughout the city, mainly above
Fruitvale Avenue.
Piedmont Avenue neighborhood
residents use many libraries, including
Piedmont, Rockridge, Lakeview, Asian,
and the Main Library.
Although mapping was unavailable for
the City of Piedmont, these residents use
the Piedmont, Rockridge, Montclair, and
Lakeview Libraries.

PIEDMONT BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

PIEDMONT AVENUE
1,700 SF
Expnsion
5,000-10,000 SF

TEMESCAL
4,260 SF
Implement New Service Model

MONTCLAIR
3,800 SF
Implement New Service Model
Community Library

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

EXPANSION
160 41st St
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)
Piedmont Ave.

Existing Library
Potential Site
1 2 New Construction at 40th St. and Howe St.
Locate new Piedmont Ave. Library in the heart of the Piedmont Ave. shopping district and close to the existing facility
Locate on a City-owned parking lot at 40th and Howe
Replace all or increase existing parking with underbuilding parking and/or park- ing deck with some spaces reserved for library-only use Tie into the Key Route "Plaza" and incorporate into building and relate architecturally to adjacent Julia Morgan building
Estimated Project Cost of $10-12.3M

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

PIEDMONT AVENUE
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 39,681 vol. 55-65,000 vol
Seating 18 seats 40-55 seats
Computers 6 computers 16-25 comp.

Storytelling in children’s area in children’s area
Program Room 0 seats 25-40 seats
Group Study 0 seats 8-16 seats
Teen Area 0 seats 10 seats
Building Size 1,700 SF 5-10,000 SF

PIEDMONT BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

PIEDMONT AVENUE
1,700 SF
Expnsion
5,000-10,000 SF

TEMESCAL
4,260 SF
Implement New Service Model

MONTCLAIR
3,800 SF
Implement New Service Model
Community Library

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

EXPANSION
160 41st St
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)
Piedmont Ave.

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

ROCKRIDGE

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000.................................. 9,026
2020.................................. 9,598
GROWTH................................ 6%

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

MONTCLAIR
3,800 SF
Implement New Service Model

PIEDMONT AVENUE
1,700 SF
Expansion
5,000-10,000 SF

TEMESCAL
4,260 SF
Implement New Service Model
Community Library

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 75,464 vol. 75,000-83,000 vol.

Seating 78 seats 70-80 seats
Computers 14 computers 14-34 comp.*
Storytelling 35 spaces 35 spaces
Program Room 110 seats 110 seats
Group Study 0 seats 10-12 seats
Teen Area 6 seats 15-25 seats
Building Size 15,200 SF 17-18,000 SF
Renovation to New Service Model
Existing facility cannot be expanded due to site constraints Renovate existing facility to incorporate physical improvements needed, including improved HVAC system and additional ca- pacity for technology, including wi-fi and computers
Define teen area and add acoustic control; add group study areas
Renovate existing facility to incorporate self-service strategies such as self-check machines, self pick-up of holds; and rough- sorting of return items by patrons.
Estimated Project Cost of $3-3.9M
Example: Self-Service Holds and Checkout
Example: Increased Technology

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Rockridge neighborhood is a diverse mix of ages and family households, and its services and materials should re ﬂ ect the diversity of the community.
Residents have expressed a desire for support for formal and life-long learning, especially through collection materials for children, books on tape, and videos, as well as reference and referral information. (Patron Survey)

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is well-located in the Rockridge neighborhood and is convenient to BART and bus transit as well as those walking, bicycling, or driving to the library.
The existing building is one of the newest libraries in the city. Its size meets Community Library guidelines, and only minor adjustments will be needed to ensure it is as ef ﬁ cient and customer-friendly as possible, including a dedicated teen area, installing wi-ﬁ , and the addition of laptop computers to allow the library to offer computer training/classes when desired. Facility issues include HV AC problems and visual observation of some second ﬂ oor spaces.

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
Rockridge Library currently draws
patrons from both its immediate
neighborhood and surrounding
neighborhoods, indicating that it is
already functioning well as a Community
Library resource.
Almost 100% of patrons found the
Rockridge library to be convenient,
and almost half of users walked to the
library.
Although mapping was unavailable
for the City of Piedmont, patrons from
Piedmont utilized the Piedmont Ave.,
Rockridge, Montclair and Lakeview
Libraries.

COMMUNITY LIBRARY

EXPANSION
5366 College Ave
1 DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
*Additional computers may be laptops

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

ROCKRIDGE

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000.................................. 9,026
2020.................................. 9,598
GROWTH................................ 6%

ROCKRIDGE BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

MONTCLAIR
3,800 SF
Implement New Service Model

PIEDMONT AVENUE
1,700 SF
Expansion
5,000-10,000 SF

TEMESCAL
4,260 SF
Implement New Service Model
Community Library

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 75,464 vol. 75,000-83,000 vol.

COMMUNITY LIBRARY

EXPANSION
5366 College Ave
1 DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
*Additional computers may be laptops

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

SAN ANTONIO

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000.................................40,907
2020................................ 43,495
GROWTH................................. 6%
New Facility in Multi-Purpose Service Center near 23rd Ave One-story new library in mixed-use facility that includes other family and social services
23rd Ave Corridor Plan being done by Urban Ecology. EBALDC (East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation) examining potential development scenarios
Estimated Project Cost of $16-20M for stand alone library, potential grants/subsidies available to project if in conjunction with non-profit(s)
Example: Study/Work RoomExample: Teen Area (from Chavez)

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of patrons to other Oakland
libraries shows:
San Antonio residents currently utilize
the Chávez, Asian, and Main Libraries
for library services.
A central location for the new San
Antonio Library, such as along
International Boulevard, would ensure
that this library will be convenient as a
Community Library resource.

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The San Antonio neighborhood was served by the Miller Library in the past, but this facility was closed in 1975; this building is not adequate for use as a library today given the great needs of this neighborhood. A new San Antonio Library would serve both the extremely densely populated San Antonio neighborhood as well as the underserved Eastlake/ lower Eastlake neighborhoods.
The San Antonio and Eastlake neighborhoods have a mix of residents, with a large Vietnamese and Hispanic population in the service area. The San Antonio Library will need to provide Asian, Spanish, and English language materials and services.
Potential joint-ventures with non-pro ﬁ ts or the school district may help increase accessibility and availability of social and community services to this underserved community.

COMMUNITY LIBRARY
NEW
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 0 vol. 60-65,000 vol
Seating 0 seats 90-110 seats
Computers 0 computers 50-60 comp.

Storytelling 0 spaces 20-30 spaces
Program Room 0 seats 75-125 seats
Group Study 0 seats 12-18 seats
Teen Area 0 seats 25-30 seats
Building Size 0 SF 16-19,000 SF

SAN ANTONIO BRANCH

NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries
CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ
15,000 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
ASIAN
8,500 SF
Expansion
10,500-12,000 SF

Community Library

SAN ANTONIO
0 SF
New Construction
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

2 1
Example: new materials
New Stand-alone Library Facility in Eastlake/San Antonio area Locate new Community Library at a site convenient to the area’s residents (automobile and public transportation as well as pedestrians and bicyclists).
One-story facility with parking
Estimated Project Cost of $16-20M, including budget for land

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

SAN ANTONIO

COMMUNITY LIBRARY
NEW
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 0 vol. 60-65,000 vol
Seating 0 seats 90-110 seats
Computers 0 computers 50-60 comp.

Storytelling 0 spaces 20-30 spaces
Program Room 0 seats 75-125 seats
Group Study 0 seats 12-18 seats
Teen Area 0 seats 25-30 seats
Building Size 0 SF 16-19,000 SF

SAN ANTONIO BRANCH

NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries
CÉSAR E. CHÁVEZ
15,000 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
ASIAN
8,500 SF
Expansion
10,500-12,000 SF

Community Library

SAN ANTONIO
0 SF
New Construction
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

TEMESCAL

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 17,654
2020................................ 18,636
GROWTH................................ 6%

TEMESCAL BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

TEMESCAL
4,260 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade

GOLDEN GATE
4,260 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade

PIEDMONT AVENUE
1,700 SF
Expansion
5,000-10,000 SF
Community Library

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 28,150 vol. 28,-31,000 vol.

Seating 24 seats 24 seats
Computers 7 computers 15-24 comp.*
Storytelling 25 spaces 25 spaces
Program Room 75 seats 75 seats
Group Study 0 seats 0 seats
Teen Area ? seats TBD
Building Size 4,260 SF 4,260 SF
* Additional computers will be laptops for use in the program room.

Renovation to New Service Model
Existing facility cannot be expanded due to nature of historic building and site constraints
Renovate existing facility to incorporate physical improvements needed, including additional capacity for technology and language (Tigrinya and Amharic) materials
Potential reconfiguration of Tool Library area to increase space on lower level
Potential acquisition of nearby land for parking, which would help both the Temescal Library and the Tool Library

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Temescal neighborhood has a lower than average household size, indicating a large number of non-family households; it also has a higher median age than other areas in the city. Its current circulation indicates that almost two-thirds of library use is for adult materials. Emphasis was placed on collection, including traditional and books on tape, to accommodate commuter and other populations; computer access (17% of those surveyed used the library as their only point of computer access); and information and referral services. (Patron Survey) The special service of the Tool Lending Library at this facility is particularly loved and utilized by residents throughout the city, and should be retained and, if possible, expanded at a second location.

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is well-located on Telegraph Avenue at Claremont Avenue, and is extremely visible within the community, although its lack of parking is an issue for some residents.
The existing facility is a recently renovated Carnegie library, and is in good condition and a source of community pride to residents. It cannot be expanded to accommodate further service needs due to site constraints and the historic nature of the building.

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
Temescal Library patrons come from
throughout the Temescal neighborhood
up into Berkeley. Although Highway
24 runs through the neighborhood, it
is elevated throughout most of this area
and does not impose a great geographic
barrier.
Temescal residents also use the
Rockridge, Golden Gate, Piedmont,
and Main Libraries.
Although mapping was unavailable for
Berkeley, some patrons from Berkeley
use both the Rockridge and Temescal
branches.

Temescal’s much-loved Tool Library Example: Variety of comfortable seating

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

RENOVATION
5205 Telegraph Ave
1 DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED” Renovate existing facility to incorporate self-service strategies such as self-check machines, self pick-up of holds, etc.
Estimated Project Cost of $1.1-1.4M, including budget for land DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

TEMESCAL

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
2000................................ 17,654
2020................................ 18,636
GROWTH................................ 6%

TEMESCAL BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

TEMESCAL
4,260 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade

GOLDEN GATE
4,260 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade

PIEDMONT AVENUE
1,700 SF
Expansion
5,000-10,000 SF
Community Library

ROCKRIDGE
15,200 SF
Expansion
17-18,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 28,150 vol. 28,-31,000 vol.

Temescal’s much-loved Tool Library Example: Variety of comfortable seating

NEIGHBORHOOD LIBRARY

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

WEST OAKLAND
SERVICE AREA POPULATION*
2000................................. 15,366
2020................................ .18,846
GROWTH.............................. 23%
*To be determined depending on
Hoover branch location

WEST OAKLAND BRANCH

NETWORK
Neighborhood Library

GOLDEN GATE
4,260 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
Neighborhood Library
HOOVER
8-12 SF
New Construction

Community Library

WEST OAKLAND
8,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
* Implement new service model
at all libraries
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 48,092 vol. 60-65,000 vol
Seating 58 seats 90-110 seats
Computers 5 computers 50-60 comp.

Storytelling 30 spaces 30 spaces
Program Room 200 seats 75-125 seats
Group Study 0 seats 12-18 seats
Teen Area 3 seats 15-25 seats
Building Size 8,000 SF 16-19,000 SF
Expansion/Renovation of Existing Building
Library recently gained control of entire two-story building Expansion of facility needed to accommodate needed library services and allow for more effective delivery of services Existing two-story library will not be as efficient as new one- story building
Second story to accommodate Second Start Literacy in near- term, and potentially long-term use of space
Estimated Project Cost of $11-14M for expansion/renovation due to the extend of renovation needed
New Construction at Existing Site
New one-story library on site of existing facility may be more cost effective for construction and for operational efficiency Parking to be accommodated on site
Second Start Literacy to be accommodated in new facility Estimated Project Cost of $11-14M for new construction West Oakland Site Context
Example: Teen Area/Computers Example: Study/Work Room

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
Although the West Oakland Library
draws patrons from downtown and
beyond, the majority of patrons hail
from the West Oakland neighborhood
itself.
The majority of West Oakland
neighborhood residents utilize the
West Oakland Library, but also use the
Temescal, Main, Asian, and Piedmont
Libraries.

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The West Oakland neighborhood is geographically isolated by the I-880, I-980, and I-580 freeway; the neighborhood itself is diverse in many ways, including age, culture, education, and others, and is transitioning in many ways.
Residents in this neighborhood include both families and more mature residents, and services should include both formal and life-long educational support, literacy, and community resources. There is also a strong desire for increased teen services in this area.
Emphasis was placed on three services: on technology access–over a quarter of residents have no other access to a computer; collection, including books and videos; and information and referral. (Patron Survey)

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is well-located in the West Oakland neighborhood along Adeline Street, a major transportation corridor for automobiles and buses in the neighborhood. It is also adjacent to Defremery Park and the Ralph Bunche Middle School.
Although it is well-located, the existing facility has a number of physical deﬁ ciencies that need to be addressed through either renovation of this building or new construction at the same location.

COMMUNITY LIBRARY

EXPANSION
1801 Adeline St

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
MIDDLE
2 1

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

WEST OAKLAND BRANCH

NETWORK
Neighborhood Library

GOLDEN GATE
4,260 SF
Complete/Service Upgrade
Neighborhood Library
HOOVER
8-12 SF
New Construction

Community Library

WEST OAKLAND
8,000 SF
Expansion
16,000-19,000 SF

COMMUNITY LIBRARY

EXPANSION
1801 Adeline St

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
MIDDLE
2 1

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
MAIN

SERVICE AREA POPULATION
Citywide Population (inc. Emeryville
and Piedmont):
2000.............................. 417,279
2020.............................. 467,784
GROWTH.............................. 12%
Neighborhood Population:
2000................................ 11,646
2020................................ 15,888
GROWTH.............................. 36%

MAIN BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

LAKEVIEW
3,800 SF
Expansion
5,800-6,300 SF
ASIAN
8,500 SF
Expansion
10,500-12,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF

AAMLO
African American Museum
and Library at Oakland
17,000 SF Museum and African
American Special Collection
(Citywide Service)

* Implement new service model
at all libraries

New construction with existing facade used as interior walls All renovation options preserve historic facade and historic elements of the building
Costs outlined in Main Library at Kaiser Feasibility Study Other Site in Downtown Area
New construction or renovation
New Construction at existing site
New building at existing site with underground parking Henry Kaiser Convention Center Site
Renovate the Arena side of the Henry Kaiser Convention Center into a new Main Library
Retain Calvin Simmons Theatre as Theatre and meeting room uses
Costs outlined in Main Library at Kaiser Feasibility Study Renovate Existing Building. Several Options, including:
Renovation of existing building with new atrium by removing inner core
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 389,981 vol. ~600,000 vol.

Seating 266 seats 325-360 seats
Computers 51 computers ~250 computers
Storytelling 60 spaces 60-80 seats
Program Room 121 seats 480 seats (multiple rms)
Group Study 0 seats 30-40 seats
Teen Area 41 seats 6-7,500 SF
Building Size 82,000 SF 120-160,000 SF
Potential Main Library at Kaiser CenterPoten

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
Residents from all of Oakland utilize the
Main Library, with heavy use by those
living around Lake Merritt and in the
immediate downtown area.

1. NEIGHBORHOOD NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES
The Main Library serves both its immediate neighborhoods of downtown and Lake Merritt residents as well as residents throughout the city. The Main Library also serves as a civic focal point for the downtown area and city. Technology access, reference and research, and collection–especially books on tape and videos, were all indicated as important services for the Main Library to provide. (Patron Survey)
Oakland History and other special services are seen as vital services for the Main Library to provide. An updated in-depth and popular collection that supports users at the Main and the neighborhood branches is needed at this facility. (Focus Group, community meetings).

2. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The existing facility is well-located in the downtown area, although the lack of parking is a signiﬁ cant issue for some patrons. The existing building is vastly undersized given the community and library system support services needed. The facility is also very inef ﬁ cient to operate due to its design with a solid core in the middle of the facility that is not accessible to the public and numerous circulation corridors.

MAIN LIBRARY

RELOCATION
125 14th St
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)
2 4
1 3

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”
MAIN

MAIN BRANCH NETWORK
Neighborhood Libraries

LAKEVIEW
3,800 SF
Expansion
5,800-6,300 SF
ASIAN
8,500 SF
Expansion
10,500-12,000 SF

MAIN LIBRARY
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF

AAMLO
African American Museum
and Library at Oakland
17,000 SF Museum and African
American Special Collection
(Citywide Service)

* Implement new service model
at all libraries

LIBRARY PATRONS
Mapping of existing patrons shows:
Residents from all of Oakland utilize the
Main Library, with heavy use by those
living around Lake Merritt and in the
immediate downtown area.

MAIN LIBRARY

RELOCATION
125 14th St
DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS (CONT’D)
2 4
1 3

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND

LIBRARY AT OAKLAND
AAMLO

CITYWIDE SERVICES NETWORK
AAMLO
African American Museum
and Library at Oakland
17,000 SF Museum and African
American Special Collection
(Citywide Service)
Main Library
82,500 SF
Expanded Services and Facility
120,000-160,000 SF
Other City Services include
Second Start Adult Literacy (at
West Oakland) and special
collections at various library
branches (tool library, Asian
collection, etc.)
659 14th Street
The Charles S. Greene Library was built in 1902 and renovated and opened to the public as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland in 2002. Although minor facility improvements are needed, this facility is complete.
Facility improvements needed include upgrading the public el- evator and improvements to climate control in work spaces. Increased storage of materials, potentially in an improvement Main Library where they might be accessible to the public, are needed as AAMLO’s collections and archives are increased. Estimated Project Cost of $.3-.5M
Components Existing Proposed
Collection 12,000 vol. 12-14,000 vol
Seating 28 seats 28 seats
Computers 10 computers 10 comp.

Meeting Room 20 seats (2 rms) 20 seats (2 rms)
Museum second floor second floor
Building Size 17,000 SF 17,000 SF

1. EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
AAMLO combined the resources of both the Northern California Center for Afro-American History & Life and the City of Oakland in 1994, and moved to its current facility in downtown Oakland at the Charles S. Greene Library.
AAMLO serves as both a reference and archival library, with a collection of 12,000 volumes, and as a museum. The ﬁ rst ﬂ oor houses the public ly accessible reference library and archives, while the third ﬂ oor, which is workspace and storage, is not open to the public. The second ﬂ oor is the museum.
The archive collections include prominent African Americans who played important roles in the history of Northern California and Oakland. These include archives of C.L. Dellums, Annette Starr Bruce Hudson, Frederick M. Roberts, Morrie Turner, Royal Towns, as well as the NAACP and others.

Collections include photographs, journals, prints, video/ﬁ lms as well as an object collection (stored off-site).
AAMLO also continues to collect and archive materials for current ﬁ gures important to area African American history, including the collections of Ron Dellums and Barbara Lee. In this way, the collections of AAMLO are Second Floor Museum
Grand Opening of AAMLO
expected to continue to grow to serve as the premiere resource of Northern California African American history.

EXISTING FACILITY/SERVICES
The Charles S. Greene Library was originally built in 1902 as a Main Library through Carnegie funding. It was designed by Flaville and Bliss and served as the Main Library until 1951. It was designated as a National Landmark in 1981 and was later renovated to house AAMLO, which opened in 2002.
The existing facility is in good condition, and continues to be improved to function better as both museum and library. On-going improvements include the need for an upgraded elevator.
Other improvements needed include an upgrade to the elevator (this upgrade was not done at the time of the renovation); the existing elevator is not reliable under heavy use, which are generally the times when public users require it for accessibility.
There is no room for growth of the collections or archives on-site; AAMLO is already utilizing off-site storage for its object collection and others. Any further growth of the collection must be accommodated elsewhere; potential expansion at an improved Main Library near (but separate from) the local history collection could have exciting synergies for the public.

Exhibit at AAMLO

FACILITY SUMMARIES
Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries Oakland Public Library Master Facilities Plan – Facility Summaries

DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OPTIONS
“HOW TO MEET THE NEED”

AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND

LIBRARY AT OAKLAND
AAMLO

Meeting Room 20 seats (2 rms) 20 seats (2 rms)
Museum second floor second floor
Building Size 17,000 SF 17,000 SF

Exhibit at AAMLO

Rules & Legislation CommitteeMarch 26, 2026

Rules & Legislation Committee
March 26, 2026