NEW LIBRARY TO OPEN NOV. 17.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer

CANYON COUNTRY - After three decades in a small brick building along an alleyway, the Canyon Country Library is closing today, with the grand opening of a new larger branch scheduled for Nov. 17.

Over the next three weeks, a crew of librarians and others will finish boxing the books and other materials for a move just one block west to the new $5.1 million Canyon Country Jo Anne Darcy Library.

``People are so excited about this,'' patron Ellen Liebanski said Thursday as she guided her two grandchildren toward the children's book section. ``This library is way too small, and the area's growing so fast.''

The challenge in the coming weeks is to box the books in an orderly manner then move them to the new stacks.

``You have to be organized,'' said Gerri Matthews, the community library manager coordinating the move. ``It's almost like moving your home - you have to know where everything is packaged when you get there or you'll never find anything.''

The work is tough, Matthews said.

``We have to bend and stoop and stretch,'' she said. ``Some of the shelves are as high as 90 inches, some are only 40 inches.''

But the work is worthwhile.

On Thursday, small groups were peeking through the windows of the new 17,000-square-foot library, with its facade of pale gold tones and stone.

``It's beautiful,'' Liebanski said. ``It so much easier to get to, and there's so much more room.''

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Photo:

(color) Library aide Kelly Fryar and librarian Stephanie Yamashita tag books in preparation for next week's move to the new Canyon Country Library.

Shaun Dyer/Staff Photographer