Tehama County Library – Red Bluff, California
The Tehama County Library moved from the historic Kraft Library into a repurposed grocery store building in 1986, and even though staff and patrons missed the classic historic ambience, the larger space allowed for an expansion of services and programs, including a children’s story hour.
The library needed to be relocated again in 2014 to enable the construction of a state-funded re-entry facility as a result of the AB 109 realignment of criminal offenders. After reviewing 26 sites, it was determined that a complete remodel of the Red Bluff Daily News building would allow the County to preserve a part of local history, while incorporating modern technology and patron-friendly features. With a generous McConnell grant and over $300,000 in gifts from the community, this dream became reality.
Many innovative spaces and programs have been incorporated into the new library, including study rooms, community meeting rooms, teen space, and, of course, the children’s storytelling area.
“What an honor it has been to share my love of reading with the children in our community the past 30 years. I have watched children attend my story time and then years later come back with their own little ones. As a little girl, my mother introduced me to the library, and so began our weekly outings to get books, just the two of us. What an amazing gift it has been to watch children begin their own love of stories within the pages of a book. I will always treasure our story hours, and getting to be Miss Sally,” said Sally Ainsworth, Children’s Librarian/Library Manager.
“As a child, I spent many hours at story hour with Tehama County Children’s Librarian ‘Miss Sally.’ It was so exciting to return to the library to work with Miss Sally, this time managing the construction of the new Tehama County Library in Red Bluff. My great interest and dedication to the project was influenced by the fact that my young son, Isaac, now attends the weekly story hour with Miss Sally. Isaac’s excitement and joy participating in these weekly adventures reminds me just how important this is to his learning and development.” Tom Provine
