[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 24, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1840-E1841]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             THE REOPENING OF THE BURLINGAME PUBLIC LIBRARY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 24, 1997

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, it is my distinct privilege and honor to pay 
tribute to the Burlingame, CA, Public Library, one of the finest 
community institutions in our country. To me and to the thousands of 
Bay Area residents who have had the pleasure of using this outstanding 
facility, the importance of the Burlingame Public Library cannot be 
measured merely by its diverse collection of 239,000 books, nor its 400 
periodical subscriptions, nor the beautiful Tuscan-style building which 
has housed these items since the days of the Great Depression; rather, 
the library is seen by all of us in terms of the memories amassed under 
the shadow of its beautiful tapestries. It is a place where our 
children learned to read, our high school students researched their 
first school reports, and our eyes were opened to limitless 
intellectual, educational, and creative pleasures.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute not only to this 
establishment's storied past, but to its glowing future. On October 4, 
1997, more than 85 years after the people of Burlingame joined together 
to build their first public library, and after 8 years of dedicated 
planning, a new Burlingame Public Library will be dedicated by a 
justifiably proud and delighted community. The new structure will 
maintain the charm and elegance of the initial structure, while 
offering state-of-the-art facilities in line with the 21st century 
information age.
  The grand tradition of the Burlingame Public Library came into being 
in the early 1900's as Burlingame experienced an influx of new 
residents from San Francisco and from other parts of the country. The 
creation of a new, free library in 1912 was one of many milestones in 
the town's growth. The library's first home was a former church 
building at Primrose and Bellevue, but this small structure was soon 
made obsolete by the continued growth of Burlingame's population. In 
1930, construction began on a new Burlingame Public Library.
  Designed by Col. E.L. Norberg, a longtime Burlingame resident, the 
new building was erected in a romantic style which evoked images of 
Tuscan villas and monasteries. Norberg's beautiful creation would serve 
Burlingame for over six decades as a cultural and literary center, a 
community gathering place, and a second home to thousands of students 
exploring its first rate academic collections. As Burlingame grew so 
did the library, and new additions were dedicated in 1960 and 1972. By 
the mid-1980's, the success of the Burlingame Public Library prompted 
calls for even more significant improvements to the building's 
structure, foundation, and technological facilities.
  With the full support of the community, the process of planning and 
organizing the library's reconstruction soon began in earnest. This 
operation was led by Burlingame's skilled city librarian, Mr. Al 
Escoffier, along with an able library board, a wonderful staff, and 
untiring volunteers. Financial backing came from throughout Burlingame, 
most notably from two devoted sources: The Friends of the Library, 
which has been raising funds for the library for over four decades, and 
the Burlingame Library Foundation, organized in 1994 to collect moneys 
for furnishings and technology in the new space. These dedicated groups 
provided vital assistance during years of preparation and design study.
  Group 4/Architecture, Research and Planning, Inc., one of northern 
California's most distinguished architectural firms, was selected to 
formultate a plan for the new library. The product of its labors was 
masterful, a blueprint for renovation that would merge the timeless 
beauty of Norberg's original composition with

[[Page E1841]]

the requirements for expansion and modernization. Group 4's 
construction partners, Richard Sampson Associates, Inc., of Pleasanton 
and Dennis J. Amoroso Construction Company, Inc., of San Francisco 
joined to make this outstanding plan a reality.
  Today, after 8 years planning, 17 months of construction, and an 
investment of $10 million, the splendid Burlingame Public Library is 
about to be reopened to the community. The building's original style 
has been maintained, as the two 1930's wings remain intact and other 
important details, such as the authentic wood windows and solid oak 
tables and chairs, are still there. While the essence of Norberg's 
creation will continue to be a Burlingame landmark for generations to 
come, the new library has nearly doubled in size, from 26,100 to 47,300 
square feet, and its foundation has been reconstructed to flex in a 
seismic event. It will offer over 50 computer terminals to speed and 
simplify information access for both children and adults. The new 
library will even have available a new service, self check out, which 
will make taking out books as easy as obtaining money from an ATM 
machine and make lengthy lines at check-out counters obsolete. It is 
truly a community institution for the 21st century.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my collegues to join me in congratulating the 
people of Burlingame on the opening of their new library, and in 
commending the tireless community activists who brought this dream to 
fruition.

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