The Santa Cruz public library system is facing a crisis. With the steep decline in property and sales tax revenues, the system is facing a $500,000 deficit, a considerable chunk of its annual $11.3 million budget. Even more daunting is the threat that this deficit could grow to $5 million by 2013. Now library officials are suggesting that to save the library, they’ll have to shut it down, or at least shut down six of its ten branches. The closures would be accompanied by the elimination of four positions and a reduction of new materials being acquired. Even then, Trustee Leigh Pointinger calls it a “stopgap measure.” Our technology is in terrible state, we have no reserves, negative cash flow. … This is no way to run a system.”
But even this stopgap measure is coming under criticism from the trustees themselves. Ellen Pirie argues that eliminating smaller local branches would impact public support for libraries and make passage of a sales-tax hike all but impossible. Barbara Gorson, who chairs the library board, says that reducing new acquisitions will make the collections irrelevant to the public.
So what’s the solution? The board believes that it is a committee to discuss long-term budget ideas. That Board is scheduled to begin work in June, but by then branches like Garfield Park and Branciforte may be a thing of the past.
Read More at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
