Aptos
Center of Community
The diverse and distinctive community of Aptos has long embraced its library as much as a center of community as for its role in meeting the community’s literary thirst/needs. As the community has grown and evolved, library usage has repeatedly exceeded its various locations—beginning with the original 1944 branch—a testament to how well-loved and used it has been. Today, the Aptos Library, one of 10 branches of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries system, is a cherished place to meet and connect and to build and sustain community. Read more.
Reflecting, Supporting, and Enhancing Community
Developed through a competitive design-build process with extensive user input, plans for the rebuilt library call for a sensitive and responsive 12,000 square foot civic facility that will honor, reflect, and serve its community. The rebuilt library will include dedicated spaces configured and equipped to meet the specialized needs of children, teens, and adults, together with a community-oriented, multi-purpose conference room and three study rooms. Interior spaces will be organized under two, simple gabled wings with an inviting and welcoming entry plaza. The overall design features a brighter, more inviting interior with increased natural lighting, as well as better integration with and access to outdoor reading gardens and patios. Interior and exterior finishes will reflect unique community sensibilities and character, as well as the surrounding natural environment.
Architectural renderings by Anderson Brulé Architects
The $470,000 campaign will help fund:
- A new children’s room with learning resources to help establish and nurture the roots of lifelong discovery and learning
- A teen’s area to meet the unique needs and preferences of this individualistic, emerging new generation of library users
- Enhanced furniture and lighting throughout the library to create a more earnestly inviting, comfortable, and satisfying user experience
- Upgraded technology to support increased digital access, as well as to better support the quest of users seeking to bridge the digital divide, find employment, and connect with vital services
- Conference and community program rooms, as well as three study rooms to support increased community-centric activities and use
- Special collections, interior art, and display spaces to enrich and expand user experience
- New outdoor patios and reading gardens for children, teens, and adults that expand the possibilities for meeting, studying, relaxing, and contemplating
Realizing the Promise with Your Support:
For more information about how your gift can help realize the full promise of this library, and to learn about gift recognition opportunities, please contact:
The Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries
Janis O’Driscoll, Board President; 831-427-7716; president@fscpl.org
Bruce Cotter, Executive Director; 603-337-5656; bruce@fscpl.org