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(0 2 )0 -12 Existing Public Library: 1. The current gross square footage of the existing public library(s) being replaced is: > 0 SF Ano existing public library bdW,, enter T. Existing School Library: (Co- located Projects Only) 2. The current gross square footage of the existing school library(s) being replaced is: > SF #no existing school Abnry tecAW,, enter "A. Library Facilities Master Plan Describe the relationship of the proposed project to other existing or planned library facilities for the jurisdiction. The Redwood City Public Library, through its Main Library and two branches, serves Redwood City's current population of 75,402 residents. The Redwood City Public Library was founded in 1865 with funds raised by private subscription for a reading room located on Main Street. In 1889 a Library association was formed to establish a public Library supported by municipal and private funds. A 1900 city ordinance established a free library, and a new library building was built in 1906 on the comer of Broadway and Jefferson with City funds and a grant from the Carnegie Foundation. A larger library building was constructed in 1938 on the comer of Jefferson and Middlefield Roads to accommodate the Library collection, which outgrown the 1906 building. In 1988, the historic landmark, Fire Station No. 1, provided the facade and the framework for the new Main Library building. That now shares a plaza with Redwood City's City Hall in the heart of downtown Redwood City. The 47,000 square foot facility houses the Vollmayer Local History Room, the Project READ Literacy Program, and a Community Meeting Room seating at least 100. Funds from a private donation were used to construct the Schaberg Community Library on the campus of Roosevelt Elementary School in 1957. The Schaberg Community Library is scheduled for renovation during the 2002 -2005 Redwood City Public Library Strategic Plan timeframe. The Fair Oaks Community Library opened in 1974 as a part of the City's Fair Oaks Community Center. It serves the Spanish- speaking community in the unincorporated Fair Oaks area. In 1995 the Fair Oaks Library moved to a larger facility shared with the San Mateo County Human Services Agency. This facility now operates in partnership with the Joint Powers Authority of San Mateo County Public Library. A library in Redwood Shores has been envisioned for some time as completion of the'system' within Redwood City - serving the geographically disenfranchised peninsular community across the divisive barrier of Highway 101. The library could serve to more fully connect this community to the rich resources and history of quality service provided by the Redwood City Public Library. Specific service and facility oriented improvements to the existing libraries in Redwood City, planned for in the 2002 -2005 Library Strategic Plan and applicable to the planning of the Redwood Shores Community Library, include the following: improve facilities for offering computer classes at all locations, provide space for informational exhibits on topics of interest or controversy, install cable access in community rooms, redesign public notice spaces, redesign signage for navigability, renovate Schaberg for accessibility and youth activities, provide adequate and convenient parking, incorporate a cafe in the Main Library, work with Community Development to promote appropriate activities on the Main Library plaza, and open a Teen Homework Center at Main. Collectively, these improvements seek to support attainment of the following goals for service priorities established in the Strategic Plan: Teach Redwood City residents the skills to find, evaluate and use information effectively, provide a place to foster civic engagement in the library, market the Library as a gateway to all community activities, make libraries safer, friendlier, and more comfortable for people to use, and actively support the efforts of students from pre- school through college. The staff, through the planning process for the Redwood Shores Community Library, has identified a number of concepts that can be integrated into the current operations and service delivery at the Main Library and both branches. The cooperative agreements with the school districts that serve the Redwood Shores community will serve as models for further collaboration with the school districts that serve the populations at Main, Schaberg and Fair Oaks. Version 1.3 (5/30/02)