I am the person who writes the content for the Palos Verdes Library District's Peninsula Friends of the Library website. As some of you know, I spent a few days in the Palm Springs area last week and visiting local libraries while traveling is a hobby of mine.
"Last week my girlfriends and I spent a few days in Indian Wells, CA and one of the things I always do when traveling is to go visit one or more of the local libraries. Our Palos Verdes Library District is a wondrous place, but I’ve never met a library I didn’t like. I usually include my write-ups on the Peninsula Friends of the Library website, but I promised to share this write-up with Ellen November who is hosting a new blog for PVLD called Ellen’s Go Libraries as well.
I had an ulterior motive for visiting in addition to looking all around the premises of this spectacular modernistic library carved right into the desert. I use a self-help art method called SoulCollage and I knew they had a used book library shop and I needed some old magazines to tear up.
The library was designed and built by MSR Ltd. and features shelving shelving for 125,000 books and recordings, and seating for 160 people in the library itself. Their public meeting room seats 350 and can be broken into three smaller rooms. A small conference room for 20 is adjacent. There is parking for 220 cars and a lovely outdoor garden space for special events. There is also a small gourmet café right next to the indoor Library Book Nook.
After a few stops to ooh and aah over some bookish bronze sculptures, we went right to the Library Book Nook. This room was staffed with friendly volunteers, many wonderful books and media of every ilk, and used magazines for 10 cents each. My friends were in a hurry and I didn’t have a car so a more leisurely visit will come on my next trip to the desert.
While we were there the community room had a movie playing for children—it was during spring break after all. They have a very ambitious schedule for the space in the library’s Spring Program’s brochure. If I lived out there the library would undoubtedly be my home away from home, just like the Palos Verdes Libraries are.
One interesting fact I found in researching the Rancho Mirage Library was that the Friends of the Library group disbanded in 2010 and a foundation was established that oversees all library fund-raising including the Book Nook. In addition to funding special programs at the library, the Foundation also operates the Book Nook with over 3,000 volumes and a myriad of other items. The volunteers there were so friendly and helpful. My friends had to drag me out.
This is a library you won’t want to miss when you are visiting the Palm Spring area next time."
If you are a library visitor everywhere you go like I am, be sure to visit Ellen’s Go Libraries and send her your stories. What is your very favorite library in all the world? What has been the most unusual you have visited?
