By Lillian Ashworth
A new chapter begins for the Stanton Library after its eight-month-long renovation process has come to an end.
The branch is back in circulation, reopening on Tuesday morning, June 3, ready to serve members of the Stanton community and anyone with an OC Public Libraries card.
In addition to new lighting, enhanced automation and fresh ventilation systems, the library — which is part of the OC Public Libraries System — was reorganized to include more shelving space for books and expanded areas for children. It had been closed since October.
“We really want to encourage parents to come bring their kids,” county librarian Julie Quillman said. “We work really hard to promote early literacy, but in a super fun way.”
In addition to bringing in more books and improving the children’s area, the Stanton branch now features a “Library of Things,” where patrons can check out games, puzzles, sewing machines, craft supplies and even a mini projector.
“Libraries are the heart of a community,” said Caitlin Fouratt, a frequent visitor to the Stanton Library. “They are a place where people can come and get not just books anymore, but things, activities and games.”
Fouratt moved to Stanton two years ago with her children, Magda and Arlo.
With the busyness of their move and the lack of air conditioning in their new home, the three often visited the library to escape the heat and spend some time reading. When the library closed, Fouratt and her children relied on school libraries to get their books.
“We used to come every couple of weeks to swap out our books,” Fouratt said. “And then it closed, and we’ve been sort of library-less since, so we’re really excited that it’s open again.”
The library held a reopening ceremony on Tuesday, right outside its doors facing Cedar Street and Stanton City Hall.
County Supervisor Doug Chaffee presented a book, “How to Hug a Porcupine” by Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis, to be donated to the library’s shelves. He also highlighted the importance of community libraries in a digital world.
“A library is more than just a building; it’s a central community resource that provides equitable access to information, technology, education and a safe place for all,” Chaffee said.
Other city officials were present at the ceremony, including Library Advisory Board delegate John Warren and Stanton Councilmember Gary Taylor. Their remarks were followed by a ribbon cutting, and attendees were then welcomed into the library.
The Stanton branch is one of five undergoing renovations in the OC Public Library system, alongside the Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, Garden Grove and La Habra branches. Their renovations will be similar to Stanton’s, including more energy-efficient systems and similar color schemes.
Improvements are partly funded by the California State Library Building Forward Grant, a state-funded grant aimed at addressing maintenance needs and improving energy efficiency amongst California’s public libraries. Stanton was awarded funding from the grant in its first round in 2022 to update its building systems.
And while the recent round of renovations focused on critical maintenance, the branch also took the opportunity to address patrons’ feedback, including improving its layout and giving the library a fresh coat of paint.
“We would never have chosen to have this many closed at once because we know how important they are to the community,” Quillman said. “But because we got that grant, we did have to close them all at once to make that deadline.”
The Stanton branch was able to open sooner than the others due to the previous work that had been done in 2020.
Dana Point is expected to reopen at the end of this summer, and Aliso Viejo is expected next in the early fall.
The Stanton branch is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.