The Coast News, June 14, 2013

A6 THE COAST NEWS
JUNE 14, 2013
The Del Mar began serving the city one year after the inception of the San Diego County Library system. Originally located in a strip mall that is
now Del Mar Plaza, the facility has been at 1309 Camino del Mar since 1996. Photos by Bianca Kaplanek
Library has storied history
By Bianca Kaplanek
DEL MAR — As the San
Diego County Library system
celebrates its 100th year, the
Del Mar branch is marking an
almost-centennial milestone
of its own.
In 1914, the tiny library
opened in a strip mall that is
now Del Mar Plaza.That same
year, just a few blocks away,
St. James Catholic Church
began serving parishioners
that, at one time, included
Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Bing
Crosby and Jimmy Durante.
No one would have
guessed 99 years ago the
house of worship at 1309
Camino del Mar would one
day become the house of
books.
After the church relocated
to Solana Beach, the building
was sold and became a
restaurant in 1966. A few
decades later it was home to
an insurance company before
the city bought it for the
library, which, at the time, was
located in the trailer that is
now City Hall Annex.
Books, periodicals and
patrons were officially welcomed
in 1996. Through the
years the library has undergone
a few more transformations,
however, the original
church lights still hang from
the ceiling.
Many may recall an open
patio on the south side of the
building, which was designed
“with a vision of people sitting
outside reading in the
ocean breeze,” Pat Freeman,
president of Friends of the
Del Mar Library, said.
“That’s a great visual but
in reality it didn’t work,”
Freeman said. “Birds pooped
on it, the street was noisy and
kicked up dust and car fumes
and the ocean breezes were
sometimes gale winds.”
When the old roof needed
to be replaced to comply
with new laws, a decision was
made to enclose the patio at
the same time. That project
was completed nearly five
years ago and the new room is
now used for everything from
baby yoga and Zumba classes
to Homework Helpers, bridge
and Friends of the Del Mar
The library has increasingly become a place where people bring their
computers because it offers free W-Fi and is always quiet.
Claire McEvoy of Solana Beach discovers a new computer game during
her first visit to the Del Mar Library.
Library meetings, making it
obvious this is not your grandparents’
library.
The most recent project
— a collaboration between
local artists Pat Welsh and
Betsy Schulz — was upgrading
the concrete wall that
faces Camino del Mar. The
mural was constructed using
brick, terra cotta tile, black
rocks and found objects that
include railroad spikes, horseshoes
and a piece of the
Berlin Wall
The facility has also “evolved”
to keep pace with
ever-changing technology.
Although a library card is still
needed to check out books,
the system is automated and
patrons can now download ebooks.
“One of the biggest
changes is the library is now a
place to come to use your
computer,” Freeman said.
“There are lots to use here
but people bring their own
because there’s free Wi-Fi and
it’s quiet and pleasant.”
Programs offered at the
Del Mar Library are as varied
as the titles on the shelves.
There is baby-lap story time,
with age-appropriate games
and songs for 6- to 18-montholds.
Preschoolers can enjoy
story times, crafts and magic.
For Tweens there is
Prodigy Players, a children’s
play featuring two fractured
fairy tales, and science classes.
Teen programs include
books talks with treats, art
classes and Homework
Helpers, during which Torrey
Pines High School students
provide assistance to students
in preschool through grade
seven.
For teens and adults the
library offers nutrition and
cooking information, art and
foreign language lessons.
Family activities include
Love on a Leash, which allows
youngsters to improve their
skills by reading to therapy
dogs, and Saturday family
films.
And of course there are
the tomes. Because it is part
of the county library system,
the Del Mar branch has
access to millions of books,
magazines and newspapers
that can be checked out and
returned to any one of the 33
branches.
Friends of the Del Mar
Library helps keep the latest
and most popular books available
by purchasing them with
the guarantee that they
remain at the facility for six
months before becoming part
of the general county collection.
In addition to buying
books, Friends of the Del Mar
Library has provided financial
support for nearly every
aspect of the facility, including
raising money for construction
upgrades, funding
programs and purchasing furnishings.
“We support whatever
the library does,” said
Freeman, who has been with
the group since its inception
in 1982.
Freeman is especially
proud of “The Wave,” a statue
by James Hubbell that was
donated to the library and has
sat at the entrance since 1996.
The Del Mar Library is
run by five full- and part-time
employees and more than 20
volunteers.
“We couldn’t do anything
without our volunteers,”
librarian Gretchen Schmidt
said. “They’re essential to our
operation.”
Ninety-nine years later,
with myriad free books, programs
and lessons, the library
remains one of the best deals
in town. Books can be
checked out for three weeks
at a time and renewed 50
times unless someone else is
waiting to check out a title.
Youngsters can settle an
overdue penalty by “reading
off” their fines in 30-minute
intervals. Adults, although
they have tried, can’t participate
in that program, but they
can catch a break on Fine-
Free Fridays.
To help honor the county’s
100th anniversary, Del
Mar scheduled a centennial
celebration June 13 that was
to include music by acoustic
guitarist KEV, refreshments
and remarks by Supervisor
Dave Roberts, Del Mar Mayor
Terry Sinnott and José
Aponte, director of the San
Diego County Library.