LOS ALAMITOS, CA – Shelves rendered empty, boxes taped shut, and doors closed tight, both staff and attendees alike feel the heavy weight of a safe community space temporarily shutting down.

On Feb. 27, 2023, the Los Alamitos-Rossmoor Public Library, a branch of the wider OC Public Library system, temporarily closed its doors. Expected to reopen sometime in 2024, the Rossmoor Library will undergo renovations over the course of the next year. For now, the staff will be scattered across OC Public Library branches throughout Southern California.

Although the branch will be closed for a while, the renovations promise new improvements to the branch as a whole. The construction will include expanding the current program room as well as largely expanding the current teen area. There will be more comfortable seating and more areas to plug in laptops for studying.

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Savannah Feiner

The Rossmoor Library teen space sits empty and dormant following closure.

The library renovations also come with new lighting and structure changes to ensure that the building is ADA (American Disabilities Act) compliant. The lights will also have more sustainability features.

Even though the new renovations are exciting, many will miss the library during its year of closure.

“It’s very bittersweet because I made so many great connections with the community,” said teen program coordinator Savannah Feiner. “But I’m also hopeful for the future and the new space we’ll be having and also welcoming new teens to the library and offering all the amazing services we have.”

For now, any holds can be picked up at the Seal Beach Library branch, and any remaining materials that need to be returned can be placed into the book drop on the side of the building.

While the Rossmoor library branch remains closed, here are a few local libraries that you can visit in the meantime: Garden Grove Tibor Rubin Library, Seal Beach Library, Fountain Valley Library, Westminster Library, Cypress Library, La Palma Library.