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Eastmont Branch Groundbreaking:
A Good Beginning
Originally appeared in the 7/97 issue of 'Off the Shelf'
It was a warm morning on Thursday, May 29, as everyone gathered to
celebrate the official groundbreaking for the new expanded Eastmont Branch
Library. Located on the second floor of the Eastmont Town Center, formerly the
Eastmont Mall, the new branch will take up 9,240 square feet, making it one of
the largest branches in the system. It represents the dedicated vision and hard
work of residents and Library supporters throughout the community.
This wasn't the first opening celebration for the Eastmont Branch. On Sunday,
December 2, 1943, the branch was first established at 7830 MacArthur Boulevard.
Located on one of Oakland's main traffic arteries and bustling shopping
districts, the new branch had great visibility. However, commercial development
was not the main reason for establishing a library in this area. It was the
nearby five elementary schools and one high school, Castlemont, that encouraged
the Board of Library Directors to recommend that a branch be established in the
Eastmont community. The city of Oakland already had nineteen branch libraries
open ten years before the Eastmont branch library's founding. Those nearest to
the residents of Eastmont were Lockwood (re-established as the M.L.K., Jr.
branch), Melrose, Elmhurst, and Gibson Branch (no longer open). None were easily
accessible to Eastmont residents or their children and this inaccessibility was
the reason Eastmont neighborhood mothers started petitioning as early as 1934 to
get a local branch library in their area.
One of Oakland's smallest branches, the Eastmont library was located in first
one, then another, storefront until it relocated to its present home in Eastmont
Town Center, at 73rd and MacArthur Boulevard, in early 1983. The current
booth-like library, a 17-by-29 foot enclosure located inside the center, is said
to be the only mini-library west of the Mississippi. The mini-branch is not only
more accessible to the community, it also boasts an impressive 9,000 titles, a
few more titles than before its move into Eastmont Town Center.
Mayor Elihu Harris, Vice-Mayor Nate Miley, members of the F.O.P.L. board,
library commissioners, library staff and members of the general public cheered
as the ribbon was cut and photos were taken. They had a lot to cheer about. The
new branch will contain 23,310 volumes, including 12,582 children's and young
adult books. Special features include a children's storytelling area, computer
center, periodicals reading area, patron lounge and adult literacy program. It
will also be handicapped accessible. Funding for both branch operations and
collections is already secured.
After the program everyone was invited to the nearby Golden Agers Senior
Center for hospitality co-sponsored by the Friends of the Oakland Public
Library. As the punch and cookies disappeared, everyone looked forward to
Fall 1997, when we would all be back once again to open the new and very
expanded Eastmont Branch Library.
-- Terry Preston/Wanda Sabir
(Please note that this story may not reflect current staff assignments at
this branch.)
Go here
for current information about the Eastmont Branch Library.
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