Scotts Valley library staff prepares for new branch

The grand opening of the new Scotts Valley Branch Library is just around the corner. On June 18, the 13,000-square-foot library will open on Kings Village Road, across from Cavallaro Transit Center and down the street from the Scotts Valley Community Center.
The present branch, in the Kings Village shopping center will close May 18, and in the meantime, the library has announced temporary changes to its borrowing practices.
As the move approaches, library workers are eager to settle into the new space.
“They’re very excited about it,” branch manager Gail Mason said. “It’s a whole new way of serving the public. We’ll have the ability to bring more programs and increase what we provide for people.”
Mason noted that the library will add borrowing of Blu-Ray discs, a media wall, a teen game area and new materials.
n Beginning May 16, there will be an extended loan period of six weeks for materials checked out from the existing branch. The book drop there will remain open until May 31.
n Beginning May 1, Scotts Valley users should choose a different branch to pick up any requested items. If a requested item becomes available while the Scotts Valley branch is closed, the default pickup location will be the central branch in downtown Santa Cruz.
n On May 10, the Scotts Valley branch will no longer be allowed as an option to pick up materials requested via the website.
n The library’s summer reading program begins June 13. Scotts Valley staff will distribute materials two to three hours each day at the new branch on Kings Village Road until the library opens officially June 18. Library users can check www.santacruzpl.org for more details in June.
The Scotts Valley branch opening will be a bright light during a tumultuous year for the library system in the county. In March, after months of discussion and debate, library leaders decided on a service model that will keep all 10 branches in Santa Cruz County open.