Yuba County Library awarded $6 million grant
The Yuba County Library has been awarded a $6 million grant from the California State Library to fund a number of improvements including, new group study rooms, modernized broadband and WiFi, and separate spaces for young children, kids, and teens.
“We’ve been incrementally improving the building for the last decade to conform to the changing needs of the community, but this funding will help us take a step into the future,” Community Development and Services Agency Director Mike Lee said.
The grant will cover other facility improvements as well including new fire sprinklers, roof replacement, ADA compliant restrooms, LED lighting, solar panels, staff workspaces, and interior signage. The 25,000 square-foot building – located at 303 Second Street in Marysville – has not seen significant improvements or structural changes since it was built in 1976.
A “needs assessment” report was completed in 2019, which identified several life safety, critical maintenance, and significant modernization projects to be addressed over the coming years. The initial budget was $1.4 million, though the estimated project needs soon far exceeded the initial anticipated funds. Since 2019, roughly $450,000 of County funds have been invested in this project. The grant funding will cover the rest of the project needs, with no matching funds required from the county.
“The library team is very excited to see this project come to fruition, as the library is a valuable community resource,” Administrative Services Officer Sandeep Sidhu said. “The vision of how we move forward is for the next generation, who we hope will be just as excited about having a space of their own.”
The Yuba County Library doesn’t just offer physical books to read: it hosts robust programming including Story Time, First 5 play groups, trivia, social media challenges, cooking classes, art contests, stuffed animal sleepovers, and more. The library is open Tuesday through Saturday (noon – 6 p.m. during the week, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday).
Construction is expected to start sometime next year.