[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17584-17585]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     THE REOPENING OF THE SAN MATEO LIBRARY--A 21ST CENTURY MARVEL

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 7, 2006

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, every now and then there are events in the 
life of a city that are so monumental they alter the very core of the 
city and its people. Today, the city of San Mateo, California, which is 
in my Congressional District, is proudly reopening its public library 
and I am certain that this new library, a true modern marvel, will 
change San Mateo for the better.
  Today's event is the culmination of seven years of hard work, 
including close to 50 community meetings, years of fund-raising, and 
two years of construction. However, I can say with complete confidence 
that it was all worth it.
  Mr. Speaker, this new library is the monument to learning that the 
citizens of San Mateo desire and deserve. This 90,000 square foot 
modern marvel is three times larger than the old library, contains 
75,000 additional books, 10 times the number of computers, and a 
wireless internet connection throughout the building. Despite its 
towering size, the building was designed in an environmentally friendly 
manner. In fact 98% of the original building was recycled during the 
demolition process. The new library utilizes natural light and the 
latest technologies; including automated window shades that rise and 
close based on room temperature to create a ``green building'' that is 
expected to save the city 40% in energy costs.
  Mr. Speaker, while the library of the past was mainly used to borrow 
reading material,

[[Page 17585]]

today's 21st century library is intended to be a focal hub of the 
community and the new San Mateo library has been expertly designed in 
that fashion. The library will boast a teen lounge, a multi-media 
collection, a story time amphitheater in the children's section with 
stories told in English, Spanish and Chinese languages, as well as a 
cafe operated by a local vendor. In addition because the Bay Area is 
the pinnacle of our nation's biotech industry the library will include 
a Biotechnology Learning Center, which will be staffed by its own 
biotech librarian and will include seminar rooms and specialized 
reference materials. Of course the library will also continue to 
provide more traditional offerings, such as adult literacy programs, 
research training for elementary school age students, and Internet 
classes for the general public.
  The roots of the San Mateo library were planted in 1883 when members 
of the Ladies Guild of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church decided to create 
``a reading room or place of resort where people could pass their 
leisure time socializing and improving their minds by reading good 
books and periodicals''. Today, more than 100 years later the citizens 
of San Mateo have once again shown incredible foresight to create a 
citadel of culture and a place where its residents can ensconce 
themselves in an educational environment.