The Great Castro Valley Book Pass & Library Opening

Community members, politicians, artists, book lovers young and old all showed up for the grand opening of the new Castro Valley Library that was preceded by the Great Castro Valley Book Pass. Halloween weather did play a trick on us with fog rolling in after brief glimpses of sunlight on Saturday morning. We were not deterred as we cheerfully drank coffee, ate bagels and donuts prior to passing some 300 books from the old library to the new facility.






The tough part of course was not to get distracted by the many interesting books that passed along Redwood Road. If there was a lull in the book pass it provided us with an opportunity to see how many unique Halloween costumes we could spot in the crowds.
There was Bee A Reader and the Dictionary with legs.

Families took the opportunity to enjoy the opening of the new library that has been twenty years in the making. Dignitaries came in force to support the effort. Smiling faces could be found all along the route. Diligent workers came early to help with registration, librarians and dignitaries actively participated as we joyfully celebrated a 20 year effort to get our spacious and bright place for books. We are equally excited about all the new parking spaces available at the entrance to the building. We had long outgrown the parking spaces available at the old library.





















































Our Children's Librarian passes a book across the new bridge with design work for the sculptural fence and bridge railing done by artists David Duskin and David Whippen.













Marion and fellow book passer making the stretch. Wouldn't you know she's a quilter too!








Eden Aoba Taiko Drummers got the party started before the official opening ceremonies.








The Library Manager starts the opening ceremonies. The Tree of Knowledge wall sculpture by Eric Powell can be seen at the entry to the building.





Marion is one of several artists commissioned in the framed works category.

Play On! and Keeping Step are shown in the background in one of the quiet area of the facility.
Marion had an opportunity to meet Senator Ellen Corbett and Alameda County Supervisor Nate Miley. Congresswoman Barbara Lee also came to extend her good wishes.

I'm happy to say these pieces were very well received and it's wonderful to see them displayed in such a beautiful setting.





Our new library has a Teen Room with a door that provides privacy. The art on the wall Etched Constellations, by Nancy Mizuno Elliott and Norman E. Moore is fabricated from acrylic sheets, LEDs, painted aluminum and glass is 9" x 20.


We Castro Valley residents are delighted with the new facility that has a cafe, multiple meeting rooms, a bank of computers and large open spaces for adults and children. Art is exhibited through and includes a mural The Free-Form Flight of Lifelong Learning by Jos Santos in the Children's Room, Main Reading Room art by Andre Caradec and Robert Fukuda, framed pieces including pastel on paper works about Lake Chabot by Mark Mertens, another Castro Valley resident, watercolor work depicting everyday people by Karen Frey and mixed media discarded book collage work by Lisa Kokin.

I can say the library journey has been worth the wait.