San Diego Public Libraries

Potential Donors Tour New Central Library

SAN DIEGO -- The leader of the fundraising effort for the new Central Library in the East Village said Wednesday that two potential multimillion-dollar donors have taken tours of the site and could be ready to pledge funds soon.

"We're talking to a $20 million donor who is talking about (putting) their name on the library," Mel Katz of the San Diego Public Library Foundation told members of the City Council's Rules Committee. "We're talking to a $10 million donor who is interested in the courtyard."

Katz said feedback from the prospective donors after the tours has been "fantastic," and he is "optimistic" that he will be able to announce the major donations when he updates the committee again in three months.

The donations would be for Phase II of construction, which includes the interior and an auditorium, scheduled to begin in January.

So far, the foundation has raised $4.8 million of the $32.5 million required for the second phase. That's $1.3 million higher than the last fundraising report in March.

The city is trying to pay for the project without general fund contributions. If fundraising comes up short for Phase II in the next six months, work on the library would be halted until the goal is reached, Katz said.

In Phase I of construction, which dealt with the building's exterior, framing and infrastructure, the foundation raised $32.4 million in private funds, including $20 million from a donor who wished to go unnamed. Private backers have also chipped in $10 million for library operations once it opens.

Additionally, the Centre City Development Corp. -- the city's downtown redevelopment arm -- paid $80 million toward construction, and the state librarian and San Diego Unified School District kicked in $20 million each. A charter school overseen by the district will occupy two floors of the nine- story building.

Katz said the building will be far more than a library. With the auditorium, it will also be a community, meeting and cultural center, he said.

"It's on time, under budget, and scheduled to open in July 2013," Katz The following are comments from our users. Opinions expressed are neither created nor endorsed by 10News.com. By posting a comment you agree to accept our Terms of Use . Comments are moderated by the community. To report an offensive or otherwise inappropriate comment, click the "Flag" link that appears beneath that comment.

San Diego Public Library now lends out eBooks wirelessly ...

San Diego Public Library now lends out eBooks wirelessly

By Elizabeth Marie Himchak

Checking out books for your latest electronic gadget has recently become easier at San Diego Public Library.

The city’s library system now has OverDrive with the Media Console app that lets patrons anywhere wirelessly download eBooks on Mac and Windows computers and mobile devices including Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, iPad and Windows Mobile.

The app is available for free at http://sdpl.lib.overdrive.com.

This is the library’s latest way to make its expanding digital collection more accessible to its more than 639,400 patrons, according to Marion Moss Hubbard, library spokeswoman.

While it is not possible to determine the exact number of patrons downloading digital materials due to there being various sources, librarian and eBook titles selector Peter Miesner said it is more than 10,000 patrons.

The library has contracted with OverDrive and NetLibrary to provide thousands of titles for its eCollection. There are a few eVideos (movies) available, but eAudio (music) has yet to become available, he said. Accessing directions are at www.sandiego.gov/public-library/.

“The library continually looks for ways technology can better serve the community,” said Deborah Barrow, SDPL director. “Technology is extremely important for bridging the digital divide, promoting literacy and providing students with the resources they need to succeed now and in the future.”

Miesner said the library is responding to requests from patrons increasingly buying eReaders and other devices. According to library records, since the 2010 holiday season, there has been a 12 percent increase in eCollection users.

The collection includes everything from the latest in popular fiction to financial how-to and career books.

Before the wireless app became available, patrons had to connect devices to computers, Miesner said. This included 17 eReaders Sony donated to the library system last year for patrons to check out in three-week intervals.

Hubbard said three eReaders were assigned to the Rancho Bernardo branch, adding last month the waiting list to borrow one of the devices there had more than 40 patrons. The other eReaders are at the Central (downtown), City Heights/Weingart, Mission Valley and North University Community libraries.

The fiscal year 2010 budget included $3,795,631 in collection expenditures, Hubbard said, adding the eBook expenditure was $40,078.

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