Sierra Madre Library Reopens Saturday After $12 Million Overhaul

The Sierra Madre Public Library will reopen its doors Saturday morning for the first time in more than two years, completing a $12 million renovation that transformed the city’s 1955 building into a two-floor facility with more than 5,000 additional square feet, a project backed, in part, by two Pasadena-based organizations.

The Pasadena Community Foundation and the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Foundation together contributed $85,000 toward specific elements of the renovation: the new community meeting rooms and the teen room. Their funding was part of a larger project drawing on $10,669,210 in California State Library grants and federal American Rescue Plan Act funds, plus $1.8 million in city reserves, according to the City of Sierra Madre’s project records.

The grand reopening, ribbon cutting, and Summer Reading Kickoff begins at 10 a.m. at 440 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. The celebration will include remarks from local and state dignitaries and a Lion Dance performance by the San Gabriel Valley Chinese Cultural Association a regional group founded in 1968 that teaches lion and dragon dancing across the valley.

The renovated building now houses a 100-person community room, a teen room, a Local History Room, a Makerspace, and an outdoor reading balcony. A new parking lot was added. Seismic upgrades and expanded ADA improvements are incorporated throughout, according to the City of Sierra Madre press release issued June 1, 2026.

The $10 million in state grant money was secured through the advocacy of former Assemblymember Chris Holden, according to city documents. Construction began in late 2023. For more than two years the library operated from a temporary location at 350 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. while the original building was rebuilt around its mid-century frame.

The Sierra Madre Library Foundation separately raised approximately $1.5 million for furniture, fixtures, and equipment costs the state grants did not cover. The Foundation had reached 99% of that goal as of its most recent public update, according to the Foundation’s website. The Pasadena Community Foundation’s $50,000 contribution specifically supported the “Empowering Community Through Technology: SMPL Community & Meeting Rooms Initiative,” according to a Sierra Madre Library Foundation announcement from May 2026. The Tournament of Roses Foundation’s $35,000 grant was designated for the teen room, according to the Tournament’s official 2025 grant announcement.

“This grant is a direct investment in access,” said Robert Stockly, board chair of the Sierra Madre Library Foundation, in a statement reported by Pasadena Now. “When our community rooms are fully equipped, they become a hub for job seekers, students, small nonprofits, and neighbors who need a place to gather and connect. PCF’s support makes that possible for the long term by promoting lifelong learning and strengthening our community.”

The celebration will include a special appearance by Thor’s Reptiles to launch the library’s “Sierra Madre Super Summer” programming, live performances by Sierra Madre Music, and a community puzzle competition, according to the City press release.

During June and July, the library will be closed Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays while staff and contractors complete remaining installations. For information, visit www.sierramadreca.gov.

“The renovated library will have something for everyone,” City Librarian Leila Regan said in a statement prior to the reopening.