Oroville library’s new vibe

The Oroville branch of the Butte County Library has undergone a transformation over the past nine months that has resulted in a drastic difference in the environment. The once rather dreary, dimly lit, claustrophobic room has been replaced by a bright, inviting space with new carpeting, shelves and a living-room-like hangout area.

It began with a special 55-inch, multitouch informational screen that was purchased last September. The educational tool was bought with funds from a Proposition 50 CALFED Watershed Program grant to facilitate public education about the water system, climate and geology of the North State. Several people can use the touch screen at one time to discover facts about our local waterways, including current water levels, the status of the seven local watersheds, and how those watersheds can be protected. The information is kept up-to-date by the Butte County Water and Resource Conservation Department.

“The screen has become a great resource for class projects and library tours,” said branch librarian Sarah Vantrease.

Then, about three months ago, the library received a special donation of two microfilm readers after its machine broke down and was deemed unfixable. The majority of the funds for the new readers came from three longtime community members, Nick and Gina Ellena and Nancy Brower.

The newer machines are a far cry from the antiquated one library-goers were accustomed to using, which could take hours, requiring the user to scan through each page. The new machines are still compatible with microfilms featuring documents dating back to the 1850s, but are linked to the Internet and offer key-word searches.

“Users can find the articles they want and email them to themselves via the Internet,” Vantrease said.

On April 1, bigger changes began to take place at the library. A portion of the carpet had inadvertently been kicked up, and upon investigation it was discovered that there was asbestos in the carpet glue. The decision was made to temporarily close the building to eradicate the asbestos and at the same time make improvements to the facility.

The library was closed for about six weeks while remodeling work was completed. New flooring and carpeting were installed, and the tall metal bookshelves were replaced with shorter, wooden, earthquake-secure ones. The aisles between the shelves were widened, leaving room for patrons to more comfortably peruse selections.

Regular patrons will notice a few other changes as well, including the children’s area, which has been updated and expanded and swapped spots with the media section.

The public computers have been rearranged so library visitors can work individually or in small groups. There are also “cubby” tables available for study. Additional computers, study tables and bookshelves are expected to be installed in July.

Vantrease said she’s pleased with the library’s new setup and referred to a seating area near the shelves of newly arrived books as the “living room.”

In addition to the new equipment due in July, the library also is planning to replace the blinds in the front window with window tinting. This is expected to improve the appearance of the library while making the environment more pleasant by reducing glare and protecting the books from the sun, Vantrease said.

For those who do not have time to spend in the library, an updated computer system has been implemented that is more user-friendly and even allows members to go online to request specific books be purchased for the library. The books will be reviewed and a decision will be made within a week of the request.