'Let's go look at the library': With nearly $10 million renovation complete, Auburn Library reopens

They kept the ceremony short Saturday morning. Speeches were brief, the ribbon was cut with one quick snip, and Amy Boese, Placer County's new director of library services, enthusiastically gave the next order: "Let's go look at the library." With that, a crowd of about 200 cheered and briskly walked up the steps and inside the renovated and modernized Auburn Public Library at 350 Nevada St., reopening after 18 months and wrapping up a nearly $10 million project. Several area officials attended, including Placer County Supervisors Cindy Gustafson, Shanti Landon and Anthony DeMattei, Auburn Mayor Kelley Davis and several recognizable residents. Standing out, though, were the kids. From infants to teens, they were everywhere, starting with the ribbon cutting and later doing crafts in the expanded children's activity area inside the bright, well-lit library. Gustafson and Landon gave short speeches and teamed up to cut the ribbon surrounded by kids. "First, the crowd here today was amazing, and to be able to bring some of the children who will utilize this library well into the future into the ribbon cutting … is just a super-fantastic sight to see," said Daniel Chatigny, county executive officer. Katie Bergen of Grass Valley sat at a new table holding her infant while reading with her toddler. It was her first visit to the Auburn Library. "It's beautiful and lovely. There's a lot of books, a lot of options, a lot of open space, which is really nice," Bergen said. "It looks like a huge selection of books." Chatigny said it "took a village" to complete the 18-month project, from state and county contributions to the "support of the community to get this project started and finished," mentioning the project managers, contractors and library staff, who found an alternative location during the renovation. "To keep services going was a real great community benefit," Chatigny said. He described the renovation as "a little bit of everything" – bathroom remodels, elevator repair, new HVAC, new flooring and furniture and new paint "top to bottom. It was a complete remodel," said Chatigny, who saw the library after it was gutted and later saw the finished product before books put on the new shelves. "The space looks amazing," he said. "The services and benefits to the community that use it with the electrical, the information technology and the networking, the elevator and the restrooms, it's going to be a great community space." Inside, people stood in lines holding stacks of books to check out. Others dressed for the occasion. One woman wore a dress with a book pattern. Former county supervisor Jim Holmes showed the Auburn Journal his book-pattern socks. "I love it, I love it," Boese said. "The energy and the excitement of the Auburn community has really been amazing. All of the reasons there are so many here today and all the reasons people are excited to be here are why I'm here in Placer County. I can feel the energy and commitment in the community supporting the library." Boese recently became the county librarian after serving as assistant director for the library in Merced County. As part of the ceremony, she accepted a donation of $130,583.17 from the Friends of the Auburn Library and thanked the group. "Their ongoing support, advocacy and commitment to this library and the community have been invaluable, especially during a time of transition," Boese said. Boese also thanked the Department of General Services and several others for their roles, including Jennifer Costa, Shawna Howard, Scott Breschi, Keith Chambers, Kelly Heikila, Sophie Bruno, DGS Building Maintenance, project architect HGA and general contractor DG Granade Construction. Boese didn't arrive in Placer County in time to see the old library, but she saw plenty of pictures. "I can tell you this is a beautiful space," she said. "The bones of the library are the same, but it was a 1970s building. It was low and dark and it was full of 50 years worth of exciting library activities, so it was a cool thing. So clearing out some of the history but keeping the bones of the building and putting everything back, but in a way that can be more useful for the next 50 years."