There are two things everyone must have when they visit the new San Diego County Encinitas Branch Library

1. A library card
2. Awesome powers of concentration

The latter comes in handy because—no matter how engrossing the book you’re reading, or how pressing the deadline for the project you’re working on—it’s mighty hard to not be distracted when you look out one of the big picture windows along the back of the room and see an amazing ocean view. The setting has already proven to be very popular; on this recent weekday afternoon, several people have snagged prime tables and chairs to read, write or have quiet conversations. In one corner of the main room, Irene Brummett is relaxing in an oversized armchair, feet resting on an ottoman, while reading her Amelia Grey paperback. She finally abdicates her window seat only because it’s near dinner time and she’s hungry.

“I love the peaceful feeling and the view,” Brummett says of the library, adding that she’s visited five times in the two weeks since it opened February 23. “It’s my home away from home.”

Library and city officials hope all residents share that sentiment. Instead of being simply a place to check out the latest best-seller or hunt down old newspaper articles for a research paper, the goal is to create a community gathering spot at the 26,798-square-foot facility. During an ideal week, children can attend story times. Teens can use the study rooms, or perhaps play video games after school. Adults can attend concerts, lectures and other special events. And anyone can enjoy the sunset out on the deck while surfing the Web on their laptop, thanks to free WiFi access.

Downtown Encinitas hasn’t had a library since 2004, when the old one was closed and apparently it’s a service that has been sorely missed. Opening day was a big draw, with a full slate of live music, children’s activities and informational discussions about the new, $20 million facility—not to mention all the people having their picture taken in front of those picture windows. During the opening weekend, 998 library cards were issued and 4,235 items were checked out the first day, says Sandy Housley, branch librarian. “It’s been beyond our wildest expectations.”

It marked a satisfying chapter in the library’s history, which has been filled with twists and turns worthy of any page-turner. The city’s former library—a 4,300-square-foot, circular structure built in 1966—was deemed too small after Encinitas’ incorporation in 1986. In 1996, the city created a library development fund and after much study the City Council decided in 2000 to build the new facility on a two-acre parcel: The site of the old library and adjacent land that would be purchased from the San Dieguito Water District.

But there was opposition from some residents who believed there was a better site, near Quail Gardens Drive. Anne Omstead, a former city councilwoman and current co-president of the Friends of the Encinitas Library, was part of that group. “The other site was cheaper—the city already owned it—and it was seven acres, so in the future if we needed more library space we would have had the capability to expand. It would have had more parking, and it was more central, on the [east] side of the freeway.”

The issue was put to voters, who rejected the Quail Gardens Drive site plan even though the ballot measure stipulated a new library would be built there within 18 months. “What we didn’t get, but was made totally clear, was that the community didn’t care what it cost—they wanted that ocean view,” Omstead says. “And they got it, and it’s gorgeous, and you can’t argue with that.”

They got more than just the view—the ocean is the dominant architectural theme of the new library. Architect Manuel Oncina says the shape of the roof is inspired by the shape of waves. The interior colors—sea-like blues, greens and grays—are muted and organic. The children’s section curves like a nautilus shell, and the Special Collections area has a clam shell-like shape.

Oncina says he also drew upon Encinitas’ earth-friendly ethos. The air conditioning system consumes 28 percent less energy than standard systems. The carpeting is made from more than 50 percent recycled materials and renewable cork flooring was also used. On an aesthetic level, the color of the concrete on the library’s exterior was matched to the color of the soil it sits on; the rough-hewn texture comes from wood planks that were spaced along the building’s form when the concrete was poured and later removed. And when browsing the stacks, make sure to look at the end panels on the bookcases—bear grass covered with acrylic glass.

“One thing that satisfies me greatly is that people really love libraries,” says Oncina, who has designed more than a dozen of them. “People are excited when something is new, but if they keep going back to the library and enjoying it, that would mean something to me.”

To make that happen, Housley, her staff and community members are developing programs for all ages, ranging from musical performances to March’s city-wide “The Big Read,” a month of events that were tied to the book To Kill a Mockingbird. There are also several Encinitas-centric elements at the new library: Local artists’ work is showcased in the Community Room and in display cases in the library entry and the Special Collections area features themes of interest to residents. “Right now, it’s all about the ocean. We’ve taken everything we can find in our collection—books, DVDs—and put them in there to highlight them,” says Housley, who adds that other themes will be art and horticulture, with each one rotating after six months. The library also has $200,000 to spend on new materials, half of that amount raised by the Friends and then matched by the county. Plus there are the regular library services and other amenities in the new building (see right).

Those involved with the library already see it as more than the sum of all those parts. “This will create a new, much-needed community space,” Mayor Jerome Stocks said on opening day,

“It adds to the identity of Encinitas.” Omstead agrees.

“It’s the crown prince of the entire library system,” she says. “This library, I predict, will be the throbbing heart of Encinitas.” •