Art and libraries collide with the newest installation outside of Goleta Valley Library. A Tiny Library in the form of a bright yellow hashtag is now in front of the Goleta Valley Library located at 500 N. Fairview thanks to a partnership with the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture. The hashtag will remain on the front lawn of the library through April 30, 2020, and library staff will stock it with books for all ages. These books are free to the public, and individuals are also encouraged to leave books to donate to other readers.

Library Director Allison Gray said “I am delighted to have this eye-catching, creative library available for our community members to enjoy. This is a unique opportunity for those without a library card to have access to free books. We encourage anyone who doesn’t yet have a library card to come take a look at the hashtag and then come inside and get a Goleta Valley library card.”

The Tiny Libraries exhibit, by artist Douglas Lochner, is the result of a partnership between the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture and the City of Santa Barbara. It consists of six bright, life-sized, functional art “libraries” in the shape of punctuation marks. The City of Goleta worked with the County Office of Arts & Culture to bring the hashtag to Goleta; the other five punctuation marks will be placed throughout the County. All six were originally on State Street.

More information about the Tiny Libraries program is available at www.sbac.ca.gov/tinylibraries.