Friends of the Aliso Viejo Library

Organization description, the Friends of the Aliso Viejo Library

 The Friends of the Aliso Viejo Library is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization created to raise funds for the support of the Aliso Viejo Library. The organization is made up entirely of volunteers who value and appreciate the library’s mission of empowering and enriching the community it serves.

 Formed prior to the completion of the Aliso Viejo Library in 1997, the group started the incorporation process in 1999 and was accepted as a 501(c)3 organization in 2000, one year before the City of Aliso Viejo incorporated in 2001. The original board created a culture of professionalism and community service that continues to this day. The mission of the Friends is to support and enhance the value of the Aliso Viejo Library to the residents of the City of Aliso Viejo.

 The Friends have renewed their commitment to this mission and have taken on additional board members to spearhead new ways to enhance the library. The organization plans on working with businesses and strengthening partnerships within the community to better facilitate supporting the library and providing funding for programming and materials.

 The Friends organization raises funds through book sales and individual fund raisers to support library programs such as the annual summer reading program and cultural and educational programs, as well as purchase additional information resources for the library to offer to the community, and to enhance the physical space in order to create an inviting and attractive third place for the residents of the City of Aliso Viejo.

  Needs and Objectives Statement: 

The Aliso Viejo Library is one of the busiest branches of OC Public Libraries and is also the only library with a café, The Neighborhood Cup, on premises. The library has seating for 160 for community members who wish to utilize the building for reading, studying, or researching. In addition to these activities, the need for space for tutoring students and for collaboration on community or work projects is on the rise. The library has limited space to offer for group use as they need to use outdoor spaces so they may speak without bothering others.

 In 2009 library attendance rose by 26% over the 2008 number, an unprecedented increase. With 386,414 visits in 2009 and 396,327 visits in 2010, and the 2011 attendance shaping up to match this trend, the need for more seating in the library has reached a critical point. Prior to the summer of 2010, the library had not reached seating capacity on any day of the year. Since this time the library continues to reach capacity consistently during the summer months, and on peak weekends during the school year.

 Aliso Viejo is a young community both in number of years incorporated – it incorporated in 2001 – and in the age of its residents. According to the most recent census, 25.9% of the population is under 18, and a huge 43.6% of the population is aged 18-44. The library serves this youth and works with nearby schools, such as Aliso Niguel High School, located less than a mile from the library, nearby Soka University, and various community groups such as the Boys and Girls Club and Mom’s Clubs. The library is a natural meeting place for parents and students alike.

The library offers free wireless Internet access during open hours. With much of schoolwork and business communication and productivity utilizing web access, the library is one of the few places where community members can go for free to access the Internet using their own computer or device. There is a clear need for more seating in addition to more spaces where two or more people can collaborate or receive individual instruction without disturbing those studying or researching.

 Patrons are unable to utilize the adult reading patio. It is a 3,641 sq ft outdoor space located next to the magazine and newspaper lounge that would be ideal for both seating and offering programs to the community. The patio has no shade covering and receives full sun the entire day. The furniture in the patio has deteriorated to be unusable in the thirteen years since the library opened. The weather in the summer and fall months is warm averaging around 85 degrees Fahrenheit, the sunlight reflecting off the cement increases the ambient temperature, and the wireless signal does not penetrate the cement block walls. As a result this space is rarely used by the community. The Friends of the Aliso Viejo Library want to enhance this unutilized space and incorporate it into the existing attractive design of the building to meet the growing needs of the library and community.

To meet this goal, the Friends have met with OC Public Libraries Facilities to collaborate on a design that both enhances the space and matches the original architect’s vision for the building.

 Friends of the Aliso Viejo Library Board of Directors, 2011-2012