Library Visit

Cerritos Public Library
http://clio.ci.cerritos.ca.us/

I visited this city library located at 18025 Bloomfield Ave., Cerritos, CA 90703.

It is a somewhat impressive three story building with a titanium skin covering 60% of its outside surface.

The present facility opened its doors in 2002 and displays around 300,000 items for the public use.

Several areas can be identified within library.

MAIN STREET

Avenue that runs from building entrance all the way to back. Upon entering building, you will see to your left the 15,000 gallon saltwater aquarium. Behind aquarium is CHILDREN’S area. In front of aquarium and on the other side of escalators is “OLD WORLD”.

As you walk down “Main Street” you will see “Local History Room” to your right and “Circulation and Reservation” desks to your left. Next to the “Local History Room”, you will find the “Friends of the Library” bookstore. Last area in ‘Main Street” is “The Great Room”.

CHILDREN’S

Contains all the Children’s book collections. There is also a “Little Theater” and an “Art Studio”. Replicas of a 40 ft. long Tyrannosaurus Rex, a lighthouse, Rainforest tree, Space Shuttle for children’s enjoyment.

OLD WORLD

You will see a replica of a turn of the 19th century library together with collections of leather bound classic books.
The “New Books” and “Large Print” collections also reside here,

GREAT ROOM

There are around 15 Internet Stations, current magazines, periodicals, paperback novels located here.

YOUNG ADULTS

Fiction, Cliffs Notes, paperbacks, magazines, graphic novels are located here.

MEDIA ROOM

All DVDs, VHS, cassettes, CDROMS, CDs are located in this room.

Level two of Library has:

21st CENTURY

Adult Non Fiction, Reference collections, study rooms, 86 computer stations are located here. There is also access to the Mezzanine where Adult Biographies, and Fiction collections are. Language books (Fiction and NF) are also here, plus the not so recent magazines and newspapers, and finally the microfiche and microfilm archives.

The third level of this impressive building has conference and training facilities.




Books, DVDs, VHS, Cassettes, CDROMS are available for check-out to the public.

Services I noticed are free Internet access, reservation of study rooms, request for books on hold, option to request a book from another library in addition to standard item check outs and check ins.

Cerritos Public Library uses Library of Congress classification system. It is a city public library.

For reference, you have Librarians at reference desk, Reference books shelves, data bases accessible via computers.

I liked the abundance of reference resources you have at hand. I did not like that entire building was quite noisy. The general feel I got is being in a shopping mall, and not a library.