ADAMS SQUARE LIBRARY SITE PICKED.

Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Staff Writer

GLENDALE - Library officials have picked out a location to build a small storefront branch in the Adams Square neighborhood, and today they will host a community meeting where residents can talk about the proposal.

Studies have shown the area in southeast Glendale, now served by a bookmobile, needs its own library. The population is increasing, many residents are children and many hold library cards, said Nancy Hunt-Coffey, Glendale's director of libraries.

Library officials want to lease 2,200 square feet of storefront space at an Art Deco building owned by Neighborhood Legal Services at Chevy Chase Drive and Adams Street.

``It's this wonderful, richly historic building that's really well-placed in the center of the community down there,'' Hunt-Coffey said.

The City Council on Tuesday will discuss the proposal. Councilman Bob Yousefian said the council has talked before about opening a library in the area.

``It has some needs and there is opportunity for us to also provide some services,'' he said. ``Is that location the best location? I don't know; I wasn't so crazy about it last time.''

Yousefian said he is waiting to see what Glendale Community College does with its satellite campus in the area. There had been talk of the college opening a library, in partnership with the city, that could be used by both students and residents.

It would cost $735,000 to renovate the Neighborhood Legal Services site for a library. The branch would have two full-time staffers and some part-timers.

Leasing negotiations have not begun, pending a decision from the council, but Neighborhood Legal Services would continue to use the building and lease part of the building to the city for its library. The organization, which provides free legal services to the poor, bought the building in 2003, and is completing a renovation paid for in part with $200,000 in federal funds.

``We are a nonprofit and we have felt we need to have some tenants to help pay the cost of operating,'' said Neal Dudovitz, executive director. ``So for us, we cannot think of a better tenant.''

Hunt-Coffey said she wants a full-size library to be built in the area in five to 10 years. The city's five branch libraries each cover about 5,500 square feet, and the city also has a Central Library and the Brand Library & Art Center.

Alex Dobuzinskis, [phone]

alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com

IF YOU GO

A community meeting on southeast Glendale's library service needs will be held at 7 p.m. today at Chevy Chase Baptist Church, at 1209 E. Garfield Ave. Information: [phone].

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