The Hearn Community Hub, showing the Fire Station (left) and new Roseland Regional Library (center right) to be built in Phase 1, and the new Cultural Community Center (far right) to be built in Phase 2.

The Campaign for Roseland

We’re raising $3.6 million to provide the collection, furniture, fixtures and equipment to bring alive the inside of the new Roseland Regional Library. Together, we’re building a 21st century library system. A new Roseland Library is the next step

Join Us!

Help us fund an abundance of resources and programs to meet the needs of the Roseland community–free and accessible to everyone.

CREATING OPPORTUNITES TOGETHER

Welcoming places for children and families

The opportunity for children and families to spend quality time together in a safe and welcoming place was a top priority in the community feedback we heard over the past three years. The building design and resources in our new library will give patrons of all ages spaces and materials that enrich their experiences. The library will have spaces for children’s exploration and play; where children and families can share books; quiet study rooms; flexible maker spaces; and meeting rooms. The community also expressed excitement about outdoor activity spaces with outdoor seating and spaces for car shows, fairs, festivals, and pop-up markets.

Collections to honor our diverse cultures

The expanded Roseland Regional Library collection will be tailored to meet the needs of the Roseland community, with a large percentage of Spanish and bilingual Spanish-English materials for all ages. Resources will cover local history, provide school curriculum support, and offer titles by and about Latinx, Indigenous, New American, and other people who are unique and relevant to Roseland. The media collection will include movies, music, audiobooks, and video games. The collection will offer park passes, Toolkits, graphic novel collections, and storytime kits. The online digital collection will provide access to research databases, eBooks, eAudiobooks, digital magazines, streaming movies, music, and TV shows in Spanish and English.

Technology to bridge the digital divide

A formidable barrier to opportunities can be access to the internet, the availability of the tools needed to gain that access, and fluency in how to use technology. The resources planned for the Roseland Regional Library will meet these challenges. There will be a ChromeBook lending program and abundant access to the internet through our WiFi hotspot lending program. The Library’s flexible floor space will make possible a computer lab, which will serve as a center of collaboration, creativity, and learning, as well as a technology-enabled makerspace for innovation and workforce development activities; a sound studio for multimedia projects; and digital

Partnerships to open doors

A priority that emerged in our community outreach was the need for resources in workforce development, immigration, and citizenship. To deliver opportunities in these areas, using an asset-based community development model, the Library will host a Roseland Ayudante program to connect library staff to a robust network of skilled consultants, coaches, and agencies, in order to create a navigator-style portfolio of resources. There will be pathways to enter the workforce, to build on dreams of a career, even to launch small business enterprises. The Library will partner with existing agencies to provide immigration services, including citizenship classes, ESL classes, and other services for new Americans.

Growing sustainability

Recent reports underscore Southwest Santa Rosa as a current and emerging resilience hotspot. A Greenbelt Alliance report states: “This region is home to organizers and powerful social movements who address underlying inequalities for predominately Latinx homeowners and farm workers.” Stephanie Manieri from Latino Service Providers adds: “There is a misconception that Latinos need to be educated about the environment. We know how to do this because we were the original caretakers of the land.” The Roseland Regional Library will play a lead role in supporting these efforts. We also plan a learning garden and a variety of programs to support resiliency, healthy eating, stewardship, and sustainability.

Gathering places to bring us together

More than a place for books, the new Roseland Regional Library will be a place for people. Creativity, flexibility, and connectivity will be our inspiration as furniture, fixtures, and equipment are orchestrated in surprising new ways to provide library patrons the room and technology resources in which to pursue their passions. Spaces will flex for diverse programs and patron needs. There will be spaces where library visitors can collaborate, tutor, or work on group projects. The new Library will be designed to serve as a community refuge from the increasing impacts of climate change—poor air quality, hotter summers, colder winters, and public safety power outages.

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