Escondido library thriving at temporary mall site during construction

What started out as a necessity to allow construction on an aging building has become an unexpected boon for the Escondido Public Library.

The public has embraced the temporary library site in storefronts at the North County Mall. Foot traffic has remained similar to what it was at the downtown location, and the number of library card registrations has jumped from about 550 to about 650 a month, Library Director Rino Landa said.

“We’re getting patrons and users that might not have been at the library in a while,” he said. “It’s reminding them of the value that the library brings to the community.”

The city’s permanent 45,000-square foot library was built in 1980. It was closed in April with operations moving to the mall at 272 E. Via Rancho Parkway in late May.

The move will allow for modernization of the 45,000-square-foot building at 239 S. Kalmia St. in downtown Escondido. The work includes some necessary repairs to roofing and windows as well as the creation of flexible public spaces, including a food vending area, maker’s spaces, study pods and collaboration areas.

“The library is an incredible resource for our community that ties our present to our past,” Councilmember Christian Garcia said. “The team there provides so much knowledge and information to our community, and this is providing them what they need to be their best.

When the library was designed, the expectation was to create as much space as possible for the physical collection with little concern about useable space, Landa explained. Now, public libraries serve more of a community function and need spots designed for a wider variety of needs.

These needs include adapting to the increase in remote work and virtual schooling by providing spaces that can be used for those online needs, said Robert Rhoades, assistant director of community services.

“The library is going to provide space to meet with clients or study groups,” he said. “All of these things are in concert with the trends that we’re starting to see in society, and that’s what we’re trying to keep up with.”

The work at the library building is being paid for with $10 million the city secured from the California State Library through the Building Forward Library Infrastructure Program Grant. An additional $311,445 in Library Trust Funds will be used for items excluded from the grant, such as furniture, fixtures and equipment. The Escondido Library Foundation also donated up to $105,000 to buy furniture and equipment for the children’s library.

The library is expected to return to its downtown building next summer. It will be an inviting space that encourages people to hang out, Landa said.

“I think people will be really shocked and surprised by how much brighter and open it’s going to be,” he said.

Work at the site also includes solar panels that will be installed in the parking lot and a mural on the building honoring the creation story of the Kumeyaay Nation.

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, there were dozens of people enjoying the library space in the mall, including families reading to children, book club members adding to their to-be-read lists, residents looking for their next show to watch and students working on their homework.

The mall space has been such a hit that some say they hope the city will consider keeping a library presence there even after the move.

“I hope they keep a branch here in the mall,” Escondido resident Jennifer Wilcoxson said. “It just seems like a brilliant idea, and I think it’s convenient for a lot of people.”