Children's Library Groundbreaking Ceremony

Fun for kids marked the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Children's Library section at the .

Children got an opportunity to mingle, paint and enjoy snacks as city leaders and staff gathered to celebrate Beverly Hills' dedication to its youth.

"We have so much to be proud of," Mayor Barry Brucker said during the event held last week. "We are a city that loves its kids, loves its library and believes in literacy." 

While the new children's area of the library is undergoing renovations, kids' materials have temporarily been relocated to the second floor. Construction is expected to be completed in 12-18 months.

"The project is very important...[the children's library] will be much safer, both from being able to supervise the children, as well as having spaces that are safer," said Assistant Director of Community Services Nancy Hunt-Coffey, who also serves as director of the Beverly Hills Public Library. "It will provide more technology and study rooms for kids, and just a better overall utilization of the space."

Board of Education member Noah Margo attended the event with his daughter, Reese, a Beverly Vista kindergartner.

"We'll revitalize the interest in the younger community to spend more time here at the library," Margo said of the renovations. "Hopefully it'll carry up to the older ages as they move to the other section of the library and enjoy what books have to offer." 

Also in attendance was Willa Libaw, one of the stars in the city's Imagine Your New Library video. Her parents, Beverly Hills residents Leslie and Oliver Libaw, are excited for what the children's library has in store for their daughter.

"It's important for kids to know that books are important," Oliver Libaw said. "It should be a central part of their lives and it shows that [the city] takes that seriously."

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