Goleta City Council Accepts $4.2 Million State Library Grant
Goleta Valley Library to Undergo Facility Improvements

The Goleta Valley Library will receive much-needed facility improvements thanks to a $4.278 million dollar California State Library grant. The Goleta City Council officially authorized the City to accept the grant at last night’s December 19, 2023, Goleta City Council meeting. The funding will be used to improve the library’s facility at 500 N. Fairview Avenue where it has called home for more than 50 years. The remaining $1.069 million of the $5.348 million project is funded by a gracious donation of $250,000 from Friends of the Goleta Valley Library, County Library Per Capita funds, Library Special Tax Funds, and the City’s General Fund.

The City was notified in October that its grant application had been accepted in the second round of awards for the Building Forward Library Facilities Improvement Program.

The Goleta Valley Library provides essential services to the City of Goleta as well as the unincorporated County areas of the greater Goleta Valley, Isla Vista, Hope Ranch, and Gaviota. The Library circulates more than 660,000 materials and hosts an average of 260,000 patrons annually. The funding is earmarked exclusively for Library-related infrastructure, supporting critical maintenance needs, safety improvements, energy-efficiency, and physical access.

The grant funds will go towards the following improvements:

- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Restrooms Upgrade
- Modernizing and Replacement of HVAC Systems
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Path of Travel
- Life Safety System Improvements
- LED Lighting Retrofits
- Doors/Windows Replacements and Upgrades
- Fascia Repair and Exterior Paint

The City is currently soliciting proposals for architectural and engineering services for the project. Council will consider awarding the contract for design services in spring of 2024. The project must be completed by mid-2027 per grant requirements.