Thousands attend library opening

Article Created: 04/19/2008 10:54:50 PM PDT

By Lauren McSherry, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

Before the 10 a.m. unveiling, about 3,000 people gathered at the entrance to the library at 8437 Sierra Ave.

The $65 million, 93,000-square-foot facility features a NASCAR-themed teen center, a coffee bar and a simulated orange grove in the 12,000-square-foot children's library named for Martin Luther King Jr.

In his address to the crowd, Mayor Mark Nuaimi praised library donors and government officials for helping fund the construction of the library. The state agreed to provide $14.9 million and donors have contributed more than $15 million.

"This is Fontana," he said, "and you're not going to outdo Fontana."

Behind him, cannons loaded with confetti were poised to go off to mark the library's first hour of official operations.

Josie Gonzales, a San Bernardino County supervisor whose 5th District includes part of Fontana, praised the city's accomplishment.

"It's a great day in Fontana - another milestone, another place for us to come together," she said in addressing the crowd.

Fontana resident Maria Gonzales brought her family to the ceremonies - and to return a couple of books.

Maria Gonzales and her husband were impressed by the turnout.

"We weren't expecting so many people," she said. "We thought it was going to be a small crowd."

The library will be home to more than

100,000 books and more than 200 computers with Internet access.

The Fontana branch of the county library system opened in 1914. A year later, the library had 170 books and 92 patrons, but it was only open twice a week, said Susan Hildreth, state librarian.

"Fontana has come a long way," she said.