SANTA MONICA—Planning and design began in the spring for the new branch library in the Pico neighborhood.  The proposed site is a 7,500-square-foot building in Virginia Avenue Park, located at Pico and Cloverfield Boulevard.The library will bring much desired programming to the new location and the surrounding neighborhood.

Starting on August 16, the Santa Monica Public Library commission commenced their community outreach program. The process is two-fold, comprised of community surveys available through September 17, as well as a series of workshops held throughout the coming months.

The surveys, which can be taken in either English or Spanish, ask residents a variety of questions to gauge community feedback on the Pico library.  The survey asks about community members’ lives and their library needs, if they will use the new location and what specifically they would use it for.  On a scale of importance, residents of the Pico neighborhood measure different library features such as “Career Guidance,” “Teen Area,” “Children’s Programs” and other services.

The workshops aim to instruct community members about the Pico location and gather vocal feedback on the library; the sessions will engage and educate residents.  For more information, please visit the Pico library website at smpl.org/pico/library.htm.