The New Casa de Oro Library
The community of Casa de Oro is now home to a brand-new library branch – located at 9610 Campo Road in Spring Valley.
Grand Opening Celebration
Supervisor Montgomery Steppe and San Diego County Library invite you to the Casa de Oro Library Grand Opening. Join us for a ribbon cutting ceremony, library tours, and fun activities.
Saturday, October 17 | 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
9610 Campo Road, Spring Valley, CA 91977
Parking Information
Event parking is available at the CVS parking lot at 9655 Campo Road.
ADA accessible shuttle service will be available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Limited accessible parking will be available at the library.
What You’ll Find at the New Library
- Larger Facility: A 12,000 sq ft library—double the size of the previous branch
- Library Collection: A collection of popular materials to inspire readers of all ages
- Technology: High-speed internet access, computers, laptops, printing, and 3D printing
- Homework Center, Teen Space, & Children’s Space: Spaces to spark curiosity, learning, and delight
- Community Room: A 2,000-square-foot Community Room to support learning and community connections
- Study Rooms: Designated study rooms for adults and teens
- Patio Space: A Poet’s Patio & Children’s Patio to enjoy the outdoors
- Friends of the Library Bookstore: A used bookstore operated by the Friends of the Casa de Oro Library
A Green-Friendly Library
The Casa de Oro Library is designed to reduce energy use, conserve water and lower our impact on the environment. Exciting news: the County of San Diego is pursuing LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for this building project.
The new library includes:
- Solar panels to power the building
- Energy-efficient lighting and abundant natural light
- Native plants and a demonstration garden
- Electric vehicle charging stations
- Bike racks and a bicycle locker
- An advanced storm drainage system, including an underground water container to capture rainwater and reuse it
Public Art
The County of San Diego commissioned six artists to create site-specific artworks for the Casa de Oro Library. Each piece is inspired by local stories and the surrounding landscape.
We gathered input about public art options for the library at meetings and through a survey. Artists proposed initial works and then refined them for the space.
Learn more about the artists and their creative processes by exploring their individual bios.
Jean Cornwell
Jean Cornwell has been making art for the past 40 years. Jean has been the recipient of many grants, commissions and awards and continues her career as a professional artist. Jean’s work has not only been exhibited and sold in the United States, but throughout the world. Jean trained and worked as an illustrator for six years after which she went back to school and studied Art History, Fine Art and Art Education. Jean taught at San Diego Community College for 15 years.
Art to her can be that passionate, that swift, and that natural. A cheetah not only cuts the wind with its swiftness; it becomes the wind. There are moments in time when art, the artist, and that invisible primal urge merge and become one.
Wendell Kling
Wendell Kling is a San Diego based interdisciplinary artist and educator. He received his BA and MFA in studio art from UCSD in 1989 and 2000 respectively. He has shown his artwork locally and nationally andhas two permanent public artworks in the San Diego Civic Art Collection. He is currently Professor of Sculpture at San Diego Mesa College.
His work is grounded in contemporary interdisciplinary practice and includes sculptural objects as well as two dimensional media, installation, performance, film and video.. Many of his artworks include imagery based on hand cut paper designs which utilize a traditional German folk art (scherenschnitte) passed to him by his mother. Permanent works have made use of these designs; digitized and scaled up to monumental size and cut from aluminum with colored cast acrylic sheet backing.
Vicki Leon
Vicki Leon has been a dedicated, working artist in San Diego County for over 30 years. As a mixed-media sculptor, her focus is the magic and beauty of light. She strives for the light, both physically and metaphorically. The ever changing shifts and nuances of daylight inform the essence of her sensory style which is inspired by moments in nature when light gives us surprising experiences of awe-inspiring beauty. Her techniques include a unique combination of skills, methods and processes including mosaic, stainless steal plasma cutting, wood carving, glass carving and the use of an array of light interactive materials and solar lighting.
Janelle Carter
Janelle Carter is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, and creative director based in San Diego. Her work blends beauty, soul, and intention—whether she's creating intimate personal pieces, immersive environments, or collaborating with clients who want to bring more meaning into the world through design. Alongside her own practice, she partners with heart-driven clients, nonprofits, and visionaries to bring their purpose to life through art.
Above all, she hopes that her work sparks a sense of self-celebration and inner knowing. She sees everything as art, and everyone as inherently creative—threads in our big cosmic tapestry. With everything she does, her intention is the same: to reflect back something honest, heartfelt, and alive, so people can recognize a piece of themselves in it.
Beliz Iristay
Beliz Iristay is a San Diego based Turkish American artist with roots on both sides of the Mexico-USA border. She lives and works in both the Guadalupe Valley, Baja California and in San Diego. Her work reflects her search for personal identity in the realms that she comes from and lives in. As an immigrant artist she feels compelled to use art as a sort of translator between the very different cultures that she lives in. She has always been interested in how cultures tie together, in her work she exposes relationships between lands and cultures and materials with history.
Her artwork has been shown in museums, community colleges and in private galleries; in the United States, Mexico and Europe. In her artwork you can appreciate a juxtaposition of traditional ceramics background from Türkiye with modern materials and contemporary border experiences.
Maxx Moses
The art of Pose 2, aka Maxx Moses is rooted within the illegal art form of graffiti. Breaking rules, taking risks, and relying on his intuition expanded his boundaries way outside the lines. Presently he is an international muralist who has travelled to over 21 countries making art, and leading workshops. The foundation of his artistic practice is built upon, self-discovery, self-identity, and self-expression. And his ideology is that “Every Human is an Artist.” Daniel Hopkins aka Maxx Moses was born New York City and presently resides in San Diego CA. He is a graduate of Brockport University with a B.A. degree in Business and a Minor in Fine Art
Community Engagement
Thank you to the hundreds of community members who shared ideas to help shape the new library space in Casa de Oro. You joined us at community meetings, outreach activities, and responded to surveys.
Based on your input, we:
- Doubled the size of the new Casa de Oro Library, including a modern Community Room and study rooms.
- Designed cozy spaces that celebrate the natural beauty and community of Casa de Oro.
- Commissioned six public art pieces, created by artists from our region.
- Designed a Teen Space featuring colors, fixtures, and furniture selected by local teens.
- Added two outdoor spaces for the community to enjoy – a Poet’s Patio and Children’s Patio.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The new library opens on September 21, 2026. It will be open Monday through Saturday and closed on Sundays.
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The new library is approximately 12,000 square feet with an approximately 2,000-square-foot Community Room.
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Spring 2023:
- The County of San Diego hosted meetings to kick off the project. The community shared feedback about the design of the new library.
- The County of San Diego opened a bid process for design and construction of the new library.
Fall 2023:
- The County of San Diego picked a contractor to start the design and construction of the new Casa de Oro Library.
- A community survey was launched to gather feedback about the design of the new library.
Winter 2024:
- Initial designs were shared at community meetings and online.
Summer 2024:
- Local teens shared their input on the Teen Space with the interior designer.
Fall 2025:
- A survey was launched to collect feedback about public art proposals.
Winter 2025:
- The County of San Diego broke ground on the new library on February 21, 2025 and construction began.
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This project was funded by the County of San Diego.
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A committee reviewed proposals and selected the highest scoring team.
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EC Constructors Inc.