FAIR OAKS, CA (MPG) - The Fair Oaks branch of the Sacramento County Public Library at 11601 Fair Oaks Boulevard has closed for renovations until mid-June, said Ashley Trew, its public services manager, announcing its first major refresh since opening to the public in 1976.

“The Fair Oaks branch has had some minor updates over the past 10 years, but nothing to this extent,” Trew said.

Some library staff members will move to the nearby Sylvan Oaks or Orangevale branches during the temporary Fair Oaks Library closure.

“The Fair Oaks branch is home to nine career staff members, all of whom will be temporarily redeployed to other library locations, or who will voluntarily take time off during the closure,” she said.

Library locations at 8820 Greenback Lane, Suite L in Orangevale, and the Sylvan Oaks Library at 6700 Auburn Boulevard in Citrus Heights are open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm to handle the needs of library patrons in the area.

When the Fair Oaks Library branch reopens in June, library patrons will see entirely new personal computers and workstations, fresh paint throughout, new furniture and freshly installed carpet throughout the building as its summer reading programs will kick off.

“We’re investing around $550,000 in the physical renovations and $200,000 worth of new materials in the library collection,” she said.

“The Sacramento County Summer Reading Program begins on June 1,” she said. “Sign-ups will begin on May 15 online, or in-person at any of our other locations.”

The popular “Lunch at the Library”, which offers free lunch to children during the summer school break, will also begin on June 13^th at the Sylvan Oaks and Orangevale branch locations, she said.

When the Fair Oaks library reopens, young families will also discover the designated Kid’s Area will be enhanced with an abundance of new play materials which will focus on early development and interactive play.

“These items may not arrive in time for the June re-opening, but they should arrive throughout and be put in place for the summer,” Trew said.

One of the most popular collections at the Fair Oaks Library branch is what’s described as the “library of things.” The “things” will be on the move during the temporary closure, but still accessible.

The “library of things” allows library patrons to access big-ticket items that they might not have the budget, space, or desire to purchase, she explained.

“The collection as a whole was recently expanded as a result of a community survey which we conducted in 2022,” she said.

During the upcoming closure, all of the “things” which were typically found in the Fair Oaks branch as well as all other general regular library holds will be housed at the Sylvan Oaks Library in Citrus Heights.

These special collection items, paired with the Sacramento County library’s wide range of free resources provide the freedom and flexibility for most patrons to experiment in areas that interest them.

For example, if you’re interested in learning to play the acoustic guitar, you can sign one out through Sacramento County library’s ArtistWorks program and borrow one.

Patrons who might want to learn to sew, can follow a tutorial on Craftsy and borrow a sewing machine for their next home project.

Home chefs are also in luck with digital recipes from the New York Times Cooking collection available to browse, and a KitchenAid Mixer and even a cake pan are available for checkout to meet their baking needs.

Library users who may want to take a LinkedIn course in photography this summer can also borrow a digital camera.

For library card renewal or general account information, call the Sacramento County Library at 916-264-2920 during business hours. Library materials can also be renewed by phone at 916-264-2952.

Patrons who may be physically unable to visit nearby locations such as Orangevale Library or Sylvan Oaks Library in person, may be able to visit the Sacramento County Library virtually at: www.saclibrary.org/ and instantly stream music, movies or download eBooks, audiobooks, digital magazines and newspapers.

“Sacramento Public Library was one of 20 public library systems that surpassed 1 million digital checkouts in 2021, and has surpassed one million digital checkouts already this year,” Trew said. 

“We’ll be so excited to welcome the community physically back into the Fair Oaks library in mid-June,” Trew said.