Ocean Park Branch Library to Close for Upgrades Next Month

By Lookout Staff

January 29, 2019 -- The Ocean Park Branch Library, Santa Monica's oldest library building, will close for one month to make needed structural improvements to the century old structure.

The Classical Revival style building at 2601 Main Street, will close temporarily from Monday, February 18 to Monday, March 11 for upgrades that will focus on the building's plumbing.

Ocean Park Branch Library (Courtesy City of Santa Monica)

The lawn in front of the library will also be inaccessible during the closure, City officials said.

The library, which held a year-long centennial celebration last year, is one of the few Carnegie-endowed structures still functioning as a public library in Southern California.

Library materials can still be returned at the book return on Norman Place or at any Santa Monica Public Library location .

Items on hold at the Ocean Park Branch will be available for pick up at the Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd.

Library patrons should use the Main Library or the Fairview, Montana and Pico Branch Libraries.

The Main Library, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard, is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.

Branch Library hours are Monday through Thursday from noon to 9 p.m.; Friday from noon to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Branches are closed on Sundays.

The Ocean Park Book Group meeting on March 2, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. and the Westside Writers’ Mingle on March 6, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. are relocated to the Fairview Branch, 2101 Ocean Park Boulevard.

Opened on February 15, 1918, the Ocean Park Branch Library was built to accommodate the overflow from the Main Library Downtown, which had grown from 800 donated books when it opened in 1890 to some 20,000 books.

The branch building was designated a historic landmark by the Santa Monica Landmarks Commission in 1977, and children and teen sections were added in 1984, increasing its size to 8,434 square feet. The building's interior was renovated in 2011,.

For more information call (310) 458-8600 or visit www.smpl.org.