New Fontana library draws thousands

Article Date: April 22, 2008

By Mary Bender, The Press-Enterprise

Fontana: The facility issues 2,417 cards and checks out 6,915 items the first two days.

Thousands of people who attended the grand opening of Fontana's Lewis Library & Technology Center on Saturday wasted no time signing up for library cards and putting them to use.

The San Bernardino County Library branch issued 1,927 library cards on Saturday and 490 more on Sunday, said Regional Manager Leonard Hernandez.

Books an other materials checked out during opening weekend totaled 4,633 items on Saturday and 2,280 on Sunday, Hernandez said. Patrons seemed to like the library's self-checkout machines: 2,437 items were processed through them on Saturday, and 1,758 on Sunday.

Authorities estimated at least 8,000 people attended Saturday's daylong celebration, based on the number of tote bags given away, Hernandez said.

On Monday, when the library opened at 10 a.m., "there were probably 100 people waiting at the doors to get in," Hernandez said. "We had quite a few ladies who said they walk on the path system in Fontana. They said they'll be stopping in to check out books."