Central Branch Library - 2022 Grand Reopening
The Central Library Renovation Campaign: Our Next Chapter...
The Central Library, built near the civic center in 1959 to replace the former Carnegie Library, now boasts an additional 5,200 square feet to accommodate 100-person capacity areas for children and teens, a computer lab and digital LED wall, a Veterans Resource Center, and a 144-person community meeting room following a full-scale renovation that broke ground in October 2020.
“The Central Library before us today is a result of many years’ worth of planning and thoughtful decision making by our City Council, our staff, the Whittier Public Library Foundation, and others who made it their mission to prioritize this renovation for future generations of Whittier,” said Mayor Joe Vinatieri. “Getting here was no easy feat and it serves as a great example of Whittier’s collective power when we come together for the greater good.”
In partnership with the Whittier Public Library, the Foundation raised over $1.5M from the community to help upgrade the 60-year-old Central Library into a modern place for the future. Those funds contributed the following.
- Community Room
- Homework Center
- Children’s Furnishings
- Children’s Story Area
- Conference Room
- Library Electronic Portal
- Veterans Resource Center
- Local History Room
- Computer Lab
- Teen Lounge
- Teen Study Room
- Makerspace
