More than 500 community members joined Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa, Councilmember Bernard C. Parks, City Librarian Fontayne Holmes, Library Commission Vice President Dr. Julie Mendoza and other dignitaries for the opening of the first “green” library in South Los Angeles—the new Exposition Park – Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Branch Library—at 3900 S. Western Ave., on Monday, August 18, at 10 a.m.
The new Exposition Park Regional Branch is the first building in the Eighth Council District to meet the U. S. Green Building Council’s Gold LEED standards for environmentally sustainable design. The “green” features include low-flow plumbing and irrigation to reduce water use by 30% and high-efficiency mechanical and lighting systems to reduce energy consumption by 27%. In addition, recycled materials comprise at least 10% of the building, designed by Tetra Design, Inc.
Also, the new branch library hosts a 44-kilowatt solar photovoltaic “power plant,” one of many owned and operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The system has 480 solar panels and produces more than 57,500 kilowatt-hours per year, enough energy to serve about 10 households annually.
The new 14,500-square-foot facility replaces a branch facility built in 1974 and provides 50% more space for books, computers and patrons and includes special areas for children, teens and adults, a multipurpose meeting room, a study room, a storytelling area and a parking lot.
The new branch also houses the Los Angeles Public Library’s 19th Adult Literacy Center, which offers free programs, tutoring and materials to improve the reading, writing, math and other literacy skills of the estimated one million Angelenos suffering from illiteracy.
“This new library serves as a vital resource for students, families and the entire community,“ Villaraigosa said. “Libraries serve as important community centers, where everyone can come together to share great literature, 21st century technology and the love of learning.”
Councilmember Parks, in whose district the Exposition Park Regional Branch is located, supported the library’s relocation from Vermont Avenue and assisted in securing the additional construction funds to ensure it would be built to Gold LEED standards.
“The new Exposition Park - Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Library meets the long-term best interest of the area with its location next to Martin Luther King Jr. park and elementary school,” Councilmember Parks said. “Like both Dr. King and Dr. Bethune, these public facilities will continue to expand opportunities for generations of this community’s youth.”
Originally called the University Branch, the library was renamed in 1973 in honor of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, an educator, racial justice activist, advisor to U.S. President Herbert Hoover and founder of the now Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, FL.
A mural of Bethune surrounded by her primary interests—family, music and education—is featured prominently in the new library. Renowned artist and avid library user Charles White painted the 5-by-7-foot mural in 1978 and the artwork hung in the previous branch building. The mural, which attracts people from around the world, underwent conservation treatment by Aneta Zebala before its installation in the new branch.
Also, on a 36-foot-long wall in the library’s storytelling area, Project Artist Cha-Rie Tang created a forest mural with three-dimensional glass pictures and copper green tiles. The artwork is a combination of several art techniques including painting, stained glass, dye sublimation, sandblasting, stenciling and copper etching.
The new Exposition Park Regional Branch’s initial funding was provided by savings from Proposition DD, a 1998 bond. Prop. DD rebuilt 28 branches citywide, and its successful management resulted in cost savings that funded construction of four additional branch projects. Prop DD, together with an earlier bond, funded the largest and most ambitious library infrastructure improvement project in the nation, in which the Los Angeles Public Library rebuilt more than 90% of the city’s libraries and completed the project on time and under budget.
The Los Angeles Public Library serves the largest urban population of any library in the country. Its Central Library, 71 branch libraries, six million books and state-of-the-art technology provide everyone with free and easy access to information and the opportunity for life-long learning. For further information, visit the Library’s Web site at www.lapl.org.
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EXPOSITION PARK – DR. MARY MCLEOD BETHUNE
REGIONAL BRANCH LIBRARY:
A LEED GOLD STANDARD BUILDING
The 14,500-square-foot Exposition Park – Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Regional Branch Library used the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) new construction rating system developed by the U.S Green Building Council. There are four certification levels (Certified, Silver, Gold, Platinum) awarded according to achievement as evaluated by points using the LEED scorecard. The following outlines design measures were employed to attain Gold certification in the construction of the library:
1. Landscape & Exterior Design to Reduce Heat Island: Additional shade trees and less thermal-absorbing “white concrete” pavement and “white coating” on the roof were used to reduce the heat absorbed by the site during the day and radiated at night. This helps avoid raising the ambient temperature and disturbing the microclimate of the surrounding park.
2. Water Use Reduced by 30%: The installation of low-flow plumbing fixtures as well as highly efficient landscaping irrigation system will reduce water consumption by 30%.
3. Optimize Energy Performance: The building is designed to be 27% more energy efficient than a standard building, by utilizing efficient mechanical systems, double glazing with high efficiency glass coatings, and naturally lit reading rooms with automatic light fixture dimming.
4. Recycled & Environmental Safe Content: At least 10% of the materials and products used in this project were from recycled materials; rapidly renewable materials were also used such as bamboo flooring and cotton Insulation; and low volatile organic compound content paints and coating.
5. Regional Materials: At least 10% of the total materials used to construct the library were from sources within 500 miles of the project site, thus reducing the greenhouse gases emitted by transporting materials over greater distances.
6. Solar power: The building has a 44-kilowatt solar photovoltaic “power plant” owned and operated by LADWP. The system has 480 solar panels and produces more than 57,500 kilowatt-hours per year, enough energy to serve about 10 households annually.
7. Transportation Alternative: The library is located close to community transportation such as the bus line and train station.
8. Additional Commissioning: An independent commissioning agent has been retained to verify that the building systems are calibrated and performance meets the LEED requirements. The commissioning agent will also provide maintenance personnel with training and will be available for re-commissioning and verification services.
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