The new library features an expanded collection, a teen room, a children’s area with window seats and a skylight, and a program room that can be accessed after hours for community meetings. The 6,100-square-foot branch establishes a prominent civic presence on Ocean Avenue, contributing to the revitalization of this commercial corridor at the heart of a diverse community.
 

The building’s robust, light-filled, and sustainable design reflects the community’s values and aspirations—chief among them, equitable access to knowledge and education.
 

The most striking element of the front façade is an egg-shaped children’s reading room, prominently positioned at the corner. It includes a large, bench-seat window that invites young patrons to engage with the space. This room is topped by a high canopy roof that extends over the main entry and the adjacent community room along Ocean Avenue.
 

The branch also offers more public computers, wireless access, and self-checkout machines, along with a flexible layout designed to accommodate future technologies. A sloped ceiling capped with oversized skylights draws natural light deep into the space. Facing the courtyard, mahogany-clad carrels provide quiet, intimate areas for reading and relaxation. Built-in benches along the glass perimeter create a seamless and elegant connection between interior and courtyard.
 

Artist Eric Powell was commissioned to create a 30-foot by 4-foot low-relief metal sculpture mounted above the bookshelves in the reading room. Composed of hand-shaped metal tubing, the organic, curving design represents a nearby underground creek.
 

The branch incorporates several sustainable features, including an energy-efficient heating system, operable windows for natural ventilation, and low-VOC, eco-friendly finishes.
 

Construction of the Ingleside Branch was funded by a bond measure approved by San Francisco voters in 2000, with additional support from state Proposition 14 for library construction.