More than one year after its reopening in April 2012, the renovated Malibu Library has earned a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification award for the City of Malibu and the County of Los Angeles.
“We are proud of the library project for many reasons: its world-class Speaker Series, its educational outreach programs, and its environmentally sensitive design,” Malibu Mayor Joan House said. This is the first City of Malibu project to receive LEED certification.
The original library building was constructed in 1963 and planning of the $6-million renovation project began in 2004. Updates and changes include new children’s areas, a story time nook, teen services areas, study rooms, a reading garden and other communal and technological features.
“The Malibu Library had been largely unchanged since 1963,” said Margaret Donnellan Todd, county librarian. “This project allows us to serve the community broadly and with better services.”
LEED certification is a program of the United States Green Building Council that gives third-party verification of buildings labeled sustainable. After an application process, projects are awarded points based on water efficiency, use of sustainable building materials, waste reduction, air quality, and other criteria. After points are tallied, projects can be named LEED Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum.