Long Beach City College officially opened an all-new Library & Learning Resource Center on the Pacific Campus, that will nearly triple the size of the old library it replaces and marks the beginning of a new era of development at the college.
“It is the beginning of a renaissance at the Pacific Campus,” said LBCC President Eloy Oakley, who expressed concern that students are coming to the college less prepared than in the past. “We’ve got to provide an environment that allows them to be successful. We are committed to providing the very best opportunities for our students. We’re not just here to celebrate a new building – we’re here to celebrate a new opportunity for our students.”
That new opportunity will include major changes to the Pacific Campus, including a complete overhaul of the buildings lined next to the new two-story library. According to Oakley, the new buildings will be completely gutted and turned into state-of-the-art classrooms designed for college students (the classrooms currently being used were originally designed for a junior high school). Lab spaces will be added to accommodate science classes that previously had to be taught at LBCC’s other campus because facilities were not available at Pacific.
“This campus has always had the feeling of being a 2nd class citizen,” Oakley said. “We want to make sure that everyone here feels first class.”
President Oakley holds a copy of his favorite children’s book, James And The Giant Peach, which will be donated to the library.
The library is a big step in the right direction, equipped with the latest technologies including a high-tech video conference classroom and the ability for students to used video systems to communicate with teachers and classmates at the other campus without having to actually be there. President Oakley felt it necessary to address this issue, because it takes more than one hour to travel from one campus to the other by bus.
“A lot of people in this community and on campus thought there was a lot of talk about this project, but never saw it come to fruition,” said Oakley, who remembered the library existing only in drawings when he took his position in 2002. “It sends a clear message that we are here for the long haul.”
The computer lab on the 2nd floor of the new Library & Learning Resource Center.
LBCC board members cut the ribbon to officially open the library.
By Ryan ZumMallen, Managing Editor
Disclosure: lbpost.com co-founder Robert Garcia is an employee of Long Beach City College.