Corona Public Library innovation center finished; MOU with Friends heads to legal review and trustees

The Corona Public Library's new innovation center is effectively complete and is expected to open to the public in early August, library staff told the Board of Trustees at their meeting.

"It is complete," Library Manager Danielle Wittington said, describing final punch-list work and pending furniture deliveries. Wittington said construction displaced some services for seven to eight weeks and praised public works, building maintenance and library staff for the project's progress.

Wittington told trustees the library is finalizing a memorandum of understanding with the Friends of the Library to clarify responsibilities between the city and the nonprofit. "All of those agreed upon terms are with our legal team and they are going to come together and put it all in legal ease," she said, adding the draft will return to trustees and then be presented to City Council for approval.

Trustees asked procedural questions about the grand-opening schedule and requested the presentation slides. Trustee Liddell and others praised the updated, brighter interior and the removal of the old dark maroon signage.

The innovation center will house a maker space with additional plugs and flexible work areas, Wittington said, and she named Corona-Norco Unified School District adult education and Norco College as program partners already committed to activities in the new space.

The board received the report and thanked staff and the Friends of the Library for their work on the project; no formal board action on the MOU was taken during the meeting.

Looking ahead, staff said they are planning a first-two-weeks-of-August grand opening event intended to include program partners and community recognition. The item will return to trustees for formal review after legal completes the draft MOU.