UNIQUE TO GILROY LIBRARY
Read your way to a free day at Gilroy Gardens. Yoshimura
was especially proud of the association between the Gilroy
Library and Gilroy Gardens Family Theme Park. On any day
that Gilroy Gardens is operating, bring proof of your Gilroy
residency, your library card, and five check-out receipts from
five different dates using the same card, and you get into the
park free. Every eligible member of a family can enter after
they have each collected their own five receipts.
Fatheads rejoice. Fans of the now silent KFAT radio
station can check out the LP albums that the disc jockeys
used on their programs. These albums were gifted to the
library by the station, and contain the hand-written notes the
disc jockeys made on the album covers.
On the second floor of the spacious library, you will find
a separate group study room for homework or discussion
sessions and a quiet room, where the rule is one person-
one table. And the fun doesn’t stop within the walls of the
library, it spills out into the courtyard on the north side of the
building. An open space with benches for spectators provides
a venue for musicians and entertainers to cater to kids and
adults alike.
MORGAN HILL PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Morgan Hill Library, located at 660 West Main Avenue,
is nestled at the base of El Toro. In 2007, it nearly doubled its
square footage by moving into its custom-built space. One of
Morgan Hill’s destinations for education and learning, it’s home
to an ever-expanding host of holdings, which Community
Librarian Heather Geddes works hard to keep as current
as possible.
Library members can make use of several program and
meeting spaces, an onsite bookstore where Friends of the
Morgan Hill Library sells used books, and numerous desks for
studying, many with computer and Internet access.
The kids’ section is announced by a bold and bright space
mural, and the newly reorganized teen section is highlighted
by colorful desks and chairs. There are also quiet seating
arrangements for all ages in the back of the library beside
periodicals like magazines and newspapers. The western side
of the library opens onto a sweeping view of El Toro.
There are numerous local art pieces and sculpture, inside
and out. The newest addition is a breathtaking, 20-foot tall,
“Harmony Tree,” installed by the City of Morgan HIll, lights
up at night. The popular community space has always looked
for new and creative ways to meet the community’s needs,
according to Geddes. They feel the best way to do so in the
near future will be through another expansion. They’ve hired
local architects Weston Miles to draw up the plans and hope
to break ground in the next couple of months, with the
renovation expected to take about a year.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
Geddes says they will be focusing the bulk of their work
on their children’s area, adding in more interactive elements,
possibly a magnet wall, to make it a “destination space,” and
more play spaces so that parents who want to enjoy the library
can get the best of both worlds.
In addition they’ll be adding a new program room and
meeting space and are considering a revamp of the lobby and
entranceway, as well.
The library plans to remain open through the expansion,
though some programs may be temporarily curtailed as
program rooms undergo renovation.
PHYSICAL HOLDINGS
The library is rich in physical holdings. People can find books,
of course, paper, digital, audio, in several languages and large
type; numerous periodicals including magazines, comics,
newspapers, research journals and more; DVDs that Geddes has
worked to expand the numbers of contemporary and block-
buster movies for kids and adults; and musical CDs.
ONLINE PROGRAMS
As much as a member can access in the brick and mortar
walls of the library itself, Geddes emphasizes that with a Santa
Clara library card, the entire library catalogue can be ac-
cessed from home or in the library. “Everything you can find
physically in the library is available online,” she said. Not
only can you receive content from the Morgan Hill library,
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