City Heights/Weingart

In the short time period in which I've been visiting different library branches and experiencing the facilities and opportunities available in them, the most apparent conclusion or overarching theme I've deducted from the different branches is that the San Diego Public Library system really molds itself to fit the needs of the different communities it serves and of changes characteristic of 21st century life. No branch that I have visited thus far, however, embodies this idea more than the City Heights/Weingart branch library.

Though in past decades known as one of the most neglected communities within San Diego, in recent years the local community in City Heights, assisted with funding from various government agencies as well as private benefactors and philanthropic foundations, has unified to revamp the communities' public infrastructure and resources. This development has centered around the City Heights Urban Village, a redevelopment project complex with public parks, retail stores, restaurants, affordable housing, a police station, and the Weingart branch library.

The library is a large branch at nearly 15,000 square feet, an apt size to serve what it, according the City Heights Initiative (more information below), the most densely populated community within San Diego. According to KPBS, around the library has around 239,000 patrons annually, and it ranks fourth in the entire SDPL system for public computer usage.

My favorite part of the library is the open feel and natural light coming from the second level. The library has a second level that feels like a loft with lots of seating areas, individual study spaces, and group meeting rooms.


,


For more information, check out the City Heights Initiative website:
http://cityheightsinitiative.org/