Pasadena's Allendale Library Branch to Close Until October for Seismic and Roof Work

Pasadena officials announced Friday, Aug. 5, that the Allendale Branch Library will close temporarily so crews can complete seismic and roofing repairs.

The branch, which is small but well liked, sits at Allendale Park on Marengo Avenue, south of Glenarm Street. It will close beginning Monday, Aug. 8. City officials said the repairs are expected to wrap up by Oct. 7, and the branch is scheduled to reopen on Oct. 10.

"These improvements will allow the Allendale Branch to better serve the community," according to a city statement.

Residents who rely on the branch have other options. The Hill Avenue Branch, at 55 S. Hill Avenue, is nearby, and the San Rafael Branch is located at 1240 Nithsdale Road. In all, the Pasadena library system includes 10 libraries.

Officials also said that any library material requests that were set to be delivered to the Allendale Branch will be available for pickup at the Hill Avenue Branch while the closure lasts.

The work comes as the city's century-old Central Library undergoes its own seismic retrofit, a project expected to take several years.

The historic Central Library, at 285 E. Walnut St., closed in May 2021 after a seismic evaluation concluded that the building would likely collapse in a moderate to major earthquake because of its unreinforced masonry. The site had served about 55,000 people a month.

That library had been expected to reopen as pandemic restrictions began to ease. Instead, the closure has left library planners searching for a temporary space to house its large collection.

When the Central Library closed, city officials called for a renewed review of all of Pasadena's historic buildings "to ensure that they are safe and restored to their former glory." The city was already carrying out a library capital improvement plan at that point, and that effort led to the original assessment.