Temecula Library

Escondido Public Library. (Tomasito photo)

There are two libraries in Temecula--both almost brand new. 

The building of the one nearest  our apartment is really impressive--a City Set on a Hill on a steep hilltop overlooking the Ronald Reagan Sport Park (photo above).

We love libraries and one of our first acts in any new town is to visit the public library and get a borrower's card.

Our new library is about a half hour hike from our apartment, which makes it just about right for some good exercise. I say hike instead of walk because we live at the bottom of the hill--and the library is at the top.

The collection is so-so--not nearly the books, CDs or DVDs of our Escondido library--but lots  more public computers--which seems to serve the needs of the local people pretty well though, oddly enough, there are NO magazines about the world of  computers.

There are rows of free PCs--even a row (in the spacious Children's Section of course)  for little kids--and I mean little kids-- pre-readers. For these tykes they have colorful machines with blocky keys and the toddlers seem absolutely intent on whatever  they are doing with their fingers which translates onto lively pictures on their monitors--just like Daddy I suppose.

In fact this library seems ideal for children and child-like adults. It is a sort of a friendly "isn't this fun?" sort of a bookish place.

There was not much evidence of the used-to-be popular writer I was looking for: Hermann Hesse--no Glass Bead Game, or Journey to the East for example, but they did have Siddhartha.

Since the library is so new, the restrooms are absolutely modern and clean and the staff is very friendly, welcoming and efficient.

This library is a part of the Riverside County system and materials from the other county libraries can be ordered for the patrons.

There are comfortable seats for reading or just sitting and admiring the splendid valley view.

Its nice.

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