Knabe Announces $5 Million to Move Library Plans Forward

Plans for the new Diamond Bar Library are moving ahead after County Supervisor Don Knabe and County Librarian Margaret Donellan Todd announced a commitment of $5 million dollars from the county for the new facility.

Knabe made the announcement as glasses raised at the Friends of the Diamond Bar Library's annual Wine Soirée fundraiser Sunday evening.

Children's Librarian Julie McCasland, who has been at the Diamond Bar branch of the Los Angeles County Library for seven years, said that discussion of the new builing began in her second year there.

"I'm very excited," McCasland said. "It means more books, more movies, more computers, and special computers for toddlers and pre-schoolers. It will also mean own activity room and more space to do more things."

The new plans will more than double the space of the current library and address a long-standing problem of parking at the current facility, which only has 35 spaces.

"It's very exciting," Library Manager Jesse Lanz said, "it's very clear that the current building is very small."

The new library will be located in the first floor of a building purchased by the city last September, which will be home to a new city hall on the second floor by the end of this year.

At a parks and recreation meeting in late February, assistant .

McCasland said she hopes the added space and parking will help to boost attendance at events and library programs.