The future of the Santa Cruz County Public Library System, including the Felton, Boulder Creek and Scotts Valley branches, will go before library leaders in the next two weeks.
Four service models will be on the table, two of which would eliminate the Felton library and several other small branches from the county library system. A third model would rely on volunteers teamed with paid staff to keep the branches open.
A special study session of the Library Joint Powers Authority is set for Monday, Feb. 7, in Santa Cruz to begin talks about the options, which were outlined in a report by a library task force.
Library director Teresa Landers, a Felton resident, said the research focused on two aspects, the financial viability and where the library system should go in the future.
“I really encourage people to think about and dig deeper into what are the issues, really, and what can help us as a whole system going forward,” she said.
Library leaders will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 7 at the Louden Nelson Center, 301 Cedar St., in Santa Cruz, for a special board study session that includes a chance for people to comment. A decision is likely to be made at the following meeting at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 14, also at the center.
In 2007, the library system determined it was spending more money than tax revenue provided. Reserves dried up, and last year, the system made significant cuts in hours and staff at many branches. A 20-member task force of county library staff, members of the Library Joint Powers Authority and people from the community got together in 2010 to determine ways to fix the library’s budget while maintaining services into the future.
Their full report can be found at www.santacruzpl.org/media/pdf/task_force/data/ and at any library branch. Here are very brief summaries of each of the service models found in the report:
Service Model A
The first option reduces spending on workers’ pay and benefits from 70 percent to 65 percent of the total budget. It also sets up a 3 percent capital reserve fund and a 10 percent materials budget and reduces the number of branches from 10 to seven, with a total of 290 open hours each week. In the valley, the Felton branch would no longer be part of the system. Scotts Valley’s branch would be open 40 hours per week and Boulder Creek 30 hours per week.
Service Model B
With a focus on providing the highest level of service to the most residents, this model frees up the most staff for reference and creates specialty areas at different branches. Under this model, Scotts Valley would remain open 48 hours per week, Boulder Creek 27 hours per week and Felton 20 hours per week. The plan relies on some volunteerism at the branches. A community learning center would be established in the Boulder Creek branch.
Service Model C
The third plan focuses on libraries as community gathering places that are open for longer hours so that groups can use the space, with fewer services. More volunteers would be needed, but libraries would still be run by paid staff. Felton and Boulder Creek would remain open 37 hours per week and Scotts Valley 42 hours per week as part of a total of 391 hours systemwide.
Service Model D
The final option changes the face of the library system by reducing the number of branches from 10 to six larger, centralized branches. Felton would be removed from the system. Scotts Valley would be open 52 hours each week and Boulder Creek 24 hours each week. Scotts Valley’s branch would have a full reference desk, and Boulder Creek’s library would be geared toward young people.
Learn more:
A member of the Library Joint Powers Authority will be at the Felton library from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 5, and at the Boulder Creek library from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday to answer questions related to the library’s plans.
**Felton Branch Library, 6299 Gushee St., 420-5339
**Boulder Creek Branch Library, 13390 W. Park Ave., 420-5319
