As so many devoted local library users know, the South Pasadena Public Library was closed for re-carpeting from August 13th through 19th. The massive undertaking was truly a remarkable achievement and one that will make the facility more attractive and accommodating for many years to come. The project was cooperatively funded by the City of South Pasadena, the Friends of the South Pasadena Library and the Carole Kretzer Estate. In case you didn’t know, Carole was a longtime Library volunteer and Friends member. The project was coordinated by the Library and Building Maintenance staffs, together with employees from Premier Carpet and American Workforce.  With its completion, the entire main floor now features carpeting squares. During the week-long effort, which also included an interior design makeover, all of the furnishings and equipment on the first floor needed to be moved twice. Many thousands of books and other materials needed to be moved back and forth as well.

In addition to a large portion of the carpeting, the Friends also pitched in to make other important expenditures, such as the temp laborers, the time-saving “change order” carpet cuts that eliminated the need to move the entire collection, and food and beverages to help keep the troops strong and somewhat refreshed.

The Library re-opened right on time to the public on Monday, August 20 at 11 a.m. On Tuesday, August 21, a brief Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony was conducted for the community at the request of the Library Board of Trustees. On hand were City Manager, Lilian Myers, all City of South Pasadena Department Heads; Superintendent of Schools, Brian Bristol; The Library staff was well represented, as were the Library Board of Trustees and the Friends who, not surprisingly, provided cookies and lemonade. Also in attendance were many other members of the general public and VIPs, including Councilmember David Sifuentes, Mayor Pro Tem Philip Putnam, and Mayor Michael Cacciotti, who offered his welcoming remarks. The South Pasadena Juggling Club performed a demonstration. By special request, Yukie Partos juggled books, an activity that the project team had been busily doing the preceding week. Walter Zooi and South Pasadena Music provided a wonderful musical interlude in the form of a duet by guitarist Almer Imanovic and flautist Jessica Pierce, a couple who perform at music festivals around the world under the name Alma Nova.

Then it was time for the giant scissors to do their trick on the ribbon, as a herd of visitors rushed in to experience the improved library ambience. A special surprise was revealed in the form of a 7-foot stuffed bird and his new display cabinet. Awston the Ostrich, a giant Steiff stuffed animal was revealed. He’d been languishing in semi-retirement upstairs for years, after being too well-loved by uncountable numbers of children. Awston had just returned from being professionally cleaned and repaired by Dreamland Toys. The company also designed and built an impressive new display cabinet for him. Discussions are underway to add descriptive materials to it. In 1982 then then-City Librarian Jean Jones and her husband MacDonald donated the rare bird to the Library. Now patrons will again be able to see the giant symbol of South Pasadena as soon as they enter the Library.

After the Library’s brief, well-attended ceremony concluded, it was quickly back to business as usual.