Decade later, library still fulfilling promises

Decade later, library still fulfilling promises
By Shauntel Lowe/Times-Herald, Vallejo
Posted: 12/23/2008 01:04:46 AM PST

A trio of promises made a decade ago stands fulfilled among today's version of the Solano County Library system.

Ten years ago, the system was gasping for air with a materials budget for five cities that had dwindled to $432,000 from $1 million in the early '90s.

Then came Measure B. County voters were asked to agree to pay 1/8 of a penny in sales tax to support the libraries.

Library officials promised three things in response to public request: more hours, more children's programs and more materials.

With more than a two-thirds majority, the measure passed in 1998.

"It took us from an era when we barely had enough money to open our doors every day to a real renaissance of the county library system," said Ann Cousineau, director of library services for Solano County Library.

Within this renaissance, the system has blossomed into a valuable community asset with eight libraries full of books, DVDs, magazines, CDs and computers for county residents to use.

The annual materials budget is now $2.2 million, Cousineau said.

As the economic crisis threatens county resources, the library and its supporters are fighting to keep it from turning back the page from the library's newest chapter.

"I think that we will get through these next couple of years," said Kathleen Ramos, outgoing president of the Solano County Library Foundation board of directors, which oversees the funding of projects.

Ramos said the foundation is using creativity to generate funds to support the library's programs, like literacy projects that encourage children to read.

The library is supported primarily by a portion of local property tax revenue and Measure B funds. Each city also sets up arrangements with its libraries to determine how much support it will provide, Cousineau said.

Vallejo, which has John F. Kennedy Library on Santa Clara Street and Springstowne Library on Oakwood Avenue, was given $400,000 in support of the libraries before the city filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. For this fiscal year, which began in July, the city is providing no financial support, Cousineau said.

The cutback in funding led to JFK Library reducing its hours on Tuesday and Thursday nights, closing now at 6 p.m. instead of 9. This was a small step back from the decade-old promise to stay open more hours. The library had been open inconsistently and for only limited hours each day 10 years ago, but now JFK opens at 10 a.m. daily, except Sundays, and is open as late as 9 p.m. twice a week.

Early closings on Tuesdays and Thursdays have shifted patrons to the much-smaller Springstowne Library on those nights.

Last month, Springstowne's supervising librarian, Juli Huston, said that on one Tuesday 800 people came to the library. A typical day brings 350 to 600 visitors, she said at the time.

The library has seen a general increase of patrons due to the economic crisis, library staff have said.

"People give up their Netflix accounts and borrow movies because it's free," Cousineau said.

Because of the funds from Measure B, the library has been able to fulfill its promise to provide more materials, like the rows of DVDs that residents can be seen perusing on any day of the week.

The library has also increased its children's programs, with more story times for toddlers and babies throughout the week.

Library staff and supporters remain optimistic about their ability to maintain the promises of 10 years ago, even though the decline in property values due to the foreclosure and economic crises is also bound to make an impact on their ability to serve.

Ramos, who is also a real estate agent in Vacaville, said it will be painful, but the strong support of the community will hold the library up.

"We have a very loyal following and we're very lucky in that," Ramos said.

To thank the library's supporters, the various locations will provide New Year's fortune cookies for visitors on Jan. 5.

Cousineau said increased funding has been helpful to the library staff, which she said was great even when there wasn't much money to go around.

"Now we've been able to give them the resources so that they can even excel further," Cousineau said.

Ramos said she is hopeful that the community will back the renewal of Measure B once it expires in 2014. Until then, she said she plans to continue to support the library system.

"I'm proud to be a part of them," Ramos said.