Saving local libraries

Amidst all the clamor about the State budget meltdown, there is more bad news for Ventura County libraries.

In the first round of cuts prompted by State cutbacks, County Library Director Jackie Griffin recommended consolidating Wright Library on the Ventura College campus with the downtown E.P. Foster Library. That remains the default option, although it has been put off by the "Save Wright Library" fundraising campaign mounted by the Friends of the San Buenaventura Library.

Now comes three more pieces of bad news. First, local property tax revenue is down more than originally anticipated by the County. Second, what little State library aid remained after the first proposed cuts may be eliminated altogether. Finally, the Governor's proposal to force "borrowing" of local property tax revenue would directly hit the County Library system.

The news puts even more pressure on an underfunded system. The City of Camarillo has been providing substantial supplemental funding to operate their brand-new library facility. They've liberally endowed the new book collection there. But, of course, the whole system benefits since those new materials are available for anyone to request any item be shipped to their home library for pick up. Libraries in smaller communities already operate with minimal hours. There isn't much room left for trimming -- again, whole libraries would have to come under scrutiny for consolidation/closure.

Complicating all this is the recommendation from the County Library Commission to stop paying Thousand Oaks nearly $200,000 to serve nearby residents of the County. Although that agreement is subject to cancellation, city leaders in Thousand Oaks are hurt and angry at the loss of revenue for their city library.

Support for libraries, though, remains strong. Unfortunately, translating that support into funding remains a challenge. Local leaders of the Friends of the San Buenaventura Library complain that their successful fund raising effort dried up after the City Council offered to make a "bridge loan" to keep the Library open through March of next year. Unfortunately, a loan only works if the fundraising keeps up so it can be paid back.

Meanwhile, tonight the City Council gives further consideration to the recommendation of the Ad Hoc Citizens Budget Committee that they place a half cent sales tax before voters in November. One of the Committee's recommendations was that libraries get additional funding through the measure.