The delayed opening of the renovated Campbell Library is expected to have long-term community benefits.
The City of Campbell was awarded a $500,000 grant from Silicon Valley Clean Energy to build an all-electric facility after plans for the new library had already been approved. Modifying the plans to accommodate an all-electric system has pushed the library’s grand opening, originally set for this winter, up by as much as a year.
“While this change added to the timeline as the grant was awarded after the building plans were developed, it is one that provides long-term benefits to the residents of Campbell as fully electric buildings reduce energy costs and are environmentally friendly,” said Diane Roche, director of marketing and communications for the Santa Clara County Library District.
Once open, the remodeled library will feature floor-to-ceiling windows, meeting rooms for public bookings, and a large community room with “state-of-the-art technology,” Roche wrote in an email.
The children’s room will feature a collection of new books and other materials, as well as the Dreamy Downtown early learning play space for children ages 0-10. Roche said the play space will be “filled with the alphabet, sight words, numbers, interactive elements, an area dedicated to babies and prewalkers and other elements of Campbell that residents will recognize.”
Teens will have their own dedicated space with materials to match their interests and seating areas for study groups. Adults will have access to a new collection of reading materials, and laptops and charging devices will be available for patrons to use in the library.
The upstairs Overlook is designed to be “a flexible, welcoming space to read, relax, work or study,” Roche said, “with comfortable seating, a browsing collection and windows that look out over the Orchard Green.”
Roche said a new opening date has not yet been determined, but winter 2026 is the expected timeframe. In the meantime, Campbell residents can continue to utilize the Campbell Express Library at the Campbell Community Center.
“The Campbell Library has been in the making for a while, but all good things take time,” Roche said.