Invitation to the Grand Opening
It was an exciting two years, driving by the land on Camden Avenue where our "old" library and
community center used to stand and watching as the new building rose. Of course it seemed
like opening day would never arrive, but after several date slippages, the day finally
came! On May 13, 2006, many hundreds of Almaden residents and other interested observers
crowded around the front entrance area, with a band playing and balloons flying, to listen to the
dignitaries thanking the citizens who voted in the bond measure which allowed the city
to construct a number of new libraries and community centers around San Jose. The Almaden
facility has the distinction of being the first of the new buildings to combine the two
functions, Library and Community Center.
After the opening speeches, when the yellow ribbon was cut, people rushed into the building and gasped with awe as they looked up at the "Spectral Cloud" by Ray King, the elegant dychroic glass chandelier hanging from the lobby ceiling. The number of visitors that day made it impossible to conduct group tours, but there were docents acting as hosts in each room in the Community Center and the Library to introduce everyone to the new facility.
The two Almaden weekly newspapers had articles describing the building and the Grand Opening Day:
Almaden Resident: "A Novel Approach:
Almaden Branch Library and Community Center is a first in San Jose" by Sarah Holcomb, May 11, 2006.
Almaden Times: "The wait is over;
Hundreds attend Almaden Branch Library and Community Center grand opening ceremony" by Jeff Frazee, May 18, 2006.
The Library was in full operation from opening day on, but the Community Center classes and functions moved into
the building gradually as the necessary furniture and equipment arrived and was installed. By mid-July, the level
of activity in the building was extremely busy, from early morning exercise class through the seniors luncheon and
library patrons constantly checking out books and media, enjoying Summer Reading Club, and meeting in the Teen Room
and Program Room, to the end-of-day meetings in the Community Room and classrooms upstairs. If you haven't
yet been to this center of Almaden activities, please come on over and see everything that is going on and all that
there is to do!