Library plaza’s new chapter

Speakers at groundbreaking praise efforts for site, which is being named after philanthropist Michael Towbes

As she addressed a small audience outside the Central Library, Anne Towbes recalled something her husband, the late Santa Barbara philanthropist Michael Towbes, said.

“The only thing better than a groundbreaking is a ribbon cutting!” Mrs. Towbes said.

The crowd chuckled late Thursday morning as the sun shined on what would be developed fully into the Michael Towbes Library Plaza, the first facility to be named after the man well-known for supporting nonprofits and the arts.

“What a perfect place and perfect way to honor my most amazing husband, Michael Towbes,” Mrs. Towbes noted.

The groundbreaking ceremony included speeches by Mrs. Towbes and others, as well as a ceremonial shoveling of dirt by those involved in the partnership between the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation and the city of Santa Barbara. Officials attending included Mayor Randy Rowse, City Manager Rebecca Bjork and, speaking to the audience, Councilman Eric Friedman.

During the ceremony, donors and others were thanked, and the speakers praised Mr. Towbes and his efforts for the community.

Santa Barbara has contributed more than $1.6 million to the effort, the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation said. 

Plans call for the Michael Towbes Library Plaza to host book, career, college and volunteer fairs; new citizen celebrations; GED graduations; and activities for children such as puppet shows and science experiments, according to the foundation. 

A rendering of the plaza’s eventual appearance stood on a stand as the audience listened to Mrs. Towbes, who noted her husband would have loved the plaza.

“Michael was a lifelong learner and a voracious reader,” said Mrs. Towbes, who is an honorary committee co-chair for the plaza effort. “Every shelf (at home) was piled high with books. You should have seen his desk!”

She noted Mr. Towbes loved going to The Granada, which is visible from the library plaza. “I think he would truly have enjoyed the view.”

Earlier during the ceremony, Janet Garufis talked about Mr. Towbes as she shared the stage with Jim Jackson. Ms. Garufis and Mr. Jackson are co-chairs of the library plaza campaign, and like other speakers, they praised campaign cabinet member Bob Bason, who smiled as he stood in the audience.

Mr. Bason wanted something in the community named after Mr. Towbes.

“Bob sent me an email and said, ‘I’m really irritated,’” Ms. Garufis recalled. Mr. Bason was bothered by the fact that nothing in Santa Barbara had been named after Mr. Towbes.

Ms. Garufis told Mr. Bason, “I’ve got the perfect thing, Bob!” She told him about the effort to revitalize the library plaza.

At the ceremony, Ms. Garufis thanked Mr. Bason “for leading us down this path” and expressed gratitude to the Towbes family and the generous response from donors.

“The outpouring of response has been extraordinary,” Ms. Garufis said.

Mr. Jackson noted that the library plaza campaign proved to be an opportunity to tell donors how the Santa Barbara Public Library goes beyond simply providing books. “The plaza was an excuse for us to tell the story of a great 21st-century library that’s right in front of us, providing the types of services to the community that no other institution does.”

Speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony  included Barbara Hauter Woodward of the honorary committee; Lauren Trujillo, the foundation director (who Mrs. Towbes said was “her hero”); and Jessica Cadiente, the library director, who was praised by other speakers for all that she’s done for the library.

During her opening remarks, Anne Howard, the foundation board president, thanked the enthusiastic campaign volunteers, colleagues at City Hall, Mr. Jackson, Ms. Garufis “and the source of all wisdom, guru Bob Bason.”

“I am grateful for the community of people who have come together to make this possible. People from all over have come together to build the library plaza,” Ms. Howard said.

email: dmason@newspress.com