The Santa Barbara Public Library received over $1.4 million in grants from the California State Library for infrastructure improvements, library officials announced Tuesday.
The grant is part of the California State Library's $439 million Building Forward Library Improvement Grant Program, the largest investment in public library infrastructure in California history, according to the press release.
The library was awarded $1.4 million to support the construction of the ADA elevator and to install fire suppression systems at Central Library. The Eastside library received $40,000 for a backup battery power system. This would help the library and Franklin Center become a resiliency hub for the community in times of emergencies.
“Libraries provide critical needs to the community, and the investment in these facilities will ensure we can continue to make our spaces accessible and able to provide needed services during states of emergency, as SBPL did during the Thomas Fire and Montecito mudflows,” said Library Director Jessica Cadiente.
In addition to Santa Barbara Public Library, public libraries in 172 cities across 34 counties in California also received grants to renovate and improve facilities.
