The rebuilding and expansion of the Almaden branch library and community center on Camden Avenue and the creation of the Vineland Branch library Blossom Hill are direct benefits of a bond measure passed by voters in 2000.

The first project of the $212 million branch library bond—which will be spread over 10 years and provide for six new and 14 expanded branches throughout San Jose—is the new 24,000-square-foot Vineland Branch, which is due to open in January 2004.

The current staff and the entire collection of books from the Almaden branch will pack up on Dec. 13 and move its operation to the Vineland branch, which will host its grand opening on Jan. 17.

"You'll see the same faces, but lots of new books," said Suzanne Rostamizadeh, head librarian at Almaden. "People will be delighted with the services and facilities."

Rostamizadeh will move with the collection to become the head librarian of the Vineland Branch, leaving behind the Almaden branch, which will be demolished beginning sometime in June 2004 and rebuilt to open in 2006.

The leveling of the existing building also means the community center, currently occupying about 5,000 square feet, will be displaced until the new facility, which plans for more than 43,000 square feet for the center and 20,000 square feet for the library, is complete.

A new, temporary home for the community center and its services still has not been found.

"We are vacating this building as of April 1," said Olympia Washington, the community center's recreation specialist. "It will most likely be within three miles of where we're [now located]."

In spite of the relocation and expectations that the temporary facility may be smaller than the present space, Washington believes the inconvenience will be overlooked.

"A lot of people are very excited that we are getting a new, state-of-the-art facility," she said. "We're in a kind of a rinky-dinky-type facility now. In the new building, the staff will have space that can really service our community."

The long-awaited Vineland branch—the land was purchased by the city more than 15 years ago—and the rebuilt Almaden branch will have many similar features, including: community rooms that will available for meetings or other public use; group study rooms that will be located away from quiet study areas to allow for discussions; storytelling areas; and technology centers.

A section of Parma Park, located next to the library, will be taken up to accommodate the growth of the combined Almaden branch library and community center, which is still in the design stage.

"We'll still have Jake's Play Lot," Washington said.

Jake's Play Lot is a safe play lot named in memory of 2-year-old Jake Thomas Eby, who frequented Parma Park and was accidentally hit and killed by a car.

The community center, which currently offers 40­45 senior programs a month and 85­95 classes each session, expects to be limited in space, services and class offerings until the new facility opens.

"I think we will see some effect," Washington said. "The size of the new, temporary facility may dictate that we may lose some of the curriculum. I'm hoping we'll be able to maintain our client base."

She's counting on the new digs to more than make up for the inconvenience.

"Once we get that [new] facility, we can really service our community," said Washington, who envisions more youth programs, a senior nutrition program, more classes, and the ability to rent out some of the meeting rooms to Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops and other community organizations.

Through about eight community meetings, the residents had a great deal of input into what the facilities would offer, said Rich Desmond, director of branch library development.

"This facility has something for everyone," he said. "The community center will include tiny tot classrooms, a patio, a gymnasium, cardiovascular and dance rooms. And the second story will include classrooms, game room, computer room and a cooking classroom."

Appealing to the technology-savvy locale, the Vineland branch will entice little ones with interactive furniture.

"It looks like a little fort for toddlers," said head librarian Rostamizadeh. "It has a lot of manipulatives, lots of gears and things that move back and forth."

Staying with a Silicon Valley theme, both the new Vineland branch and the rebuilt Almaden branch will feature an Internet café.

"It will be just a little bit hipper," said Desmond.

While surfing the net, Desmond said people will be able to get a soft drink and a little snack there.

Adding to the creature comforts will be a living room reading section that will invite patrons to cozy up near the fireplace on overstuffed chairs.

Parents and children will have an opportunity to steal away with one of the new books in the "wonderful, interesting collections," Rostamizadeh said.

"In addition to having our story hours, we'll have window seats for kids to curl up with a good book," she said.

The Vineland branch, located on the site of the former Almaden Winery and Vineland School, is the first of the new buildings courtesy of the bond measure.

Each bond measure project with a budget of $500,000 or more—the Vineland branch cost is about $9.6 million and the Almaden combined facility cost is about $26.5 million—must set aside two percent of its total cost for public art.

The artist for the Vineland branch, Deborah Mersky, created two pieces. One is called the "Wonder Wall," which will be located in the children's area. It is an intricately cut metalwork of botanical images and magical and exotic animals that can be found in books.

The other, with silver-leafed patterns embossed on glass fashioned after the old winery, will be located in the reading area.

"It really is something that has to be seen," said Rostamizadeh, who added that people are excited to see the artwork and the new facilities. "We have customers who live in the area who said they want to cut a gate in the fence to just walk through to us."