60 Minutes- Vatican Library

Can't wait to read one of these

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/book-printed-disappearing-ink-eventually-goes-blank-155955712.html



Though, I wonder what affect it will have on libraries.

Piedmont shelves Oakland library services fee

via sfgate.com

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/03/27/BAE41ICUDK.DTL&type=printable

Carolyn Jones, Chronicle Staff Writer

03/27/11

Piedmont has shut the book on libraries. Or at least paying for them.

In the latest example of the strained relationship between the neighboring cities of Piedmont and Oakland, Piedmont has decided - for now, anyway - to stop paying Oakland for library services.

"A lot of people are saying, why are we paying this large sum of money for people to use the library if we don't have to?" said Piedmont City Administrator Geoffrey Grote, noting that any California resident is free to obtain an Oakland library card.

Until 2008, Piedmont - which has no libraries of its own - paid Oakland $350,000 a year for library services. When the contract expired, Oakland asked to raise the fee to $395,000 a year, in part to cover a steep rent increase at the branch used most by Piedmont residents, the Piedmont Avenue Branch.

Piedmont countered with a less expensive offer, the same $350,000 but with a 5 percent annual increase over five years.

Oakland said no. Negotiations have been stalled for at least a year, during which Piedmont stopped paying Oakland anything.

Oakland officials are not pleased.

"I think it's unconscionable for a city as wealthy as Piedmont to do this," said Oakland City Councilwoman Jane Brunner. "It is not acceptable."

Oakland taxpayers pay about $20 million annually for library services, half through the Measure Q parcel tax and half from the city's general fund. That amounts to $130 per household, or $50 a year for each resident, including children.

Oakland wanted Piedmont residents to pay the same.
Emeryville renews

Emeryville, another neighboring city without its own libraries, pays Oakland $100,000 a year, plus an additional $2,500 to the Friends of the Golden Gate Library, the branch closest to the Emeryville border.

Emeryville not only renewed the contract, it offered a 60 percent raise over the 2008 rate.

"I think it's a valuable resource for Emeryville residents, although I don't know how much more we can afford," said Emeryville City Manager Pat O'Keeffe.

Oakland's public library has 17 branches and offers services such as tool lending, computer classes and special collections of American Indian, African American, Spanish and Asian language literature.
Budget slashed sharply

Its budget, like most public amenities in Oakland, has been slashed significantly the past few years. Branches are now closed every Monday, and staffing is down 20 percent.

Oakland's libraries are again poised for cuts, as the city prepares to slice $46 million from its $400 million general fund budget.

Piedmont has weathered the recession relatively unscathed. Until this year, home sale prices have risen, to an average of $1.5 million, but transfer taxes have plummeted 50 percent.

Piedmont's 5 percent raise offer for Oakland library services was more generous than what it offered its own employees, Grote said.

Furthermore, Piedmont would not be receiving extra benefits - such as its own branch or a bookmobile - if it agreed to pay the amount Oakland requested.

In fact, it would receive the same benefits whether it paid $395,000 a year or nothing at all, he said.

"There's no increase in their costs to serve little Piedmont," he said. "Most of the money they collect from us is pure profit."
Patrons supportive

Piedmont officials might be cautious with their money, but residents there have been exceedingly generous to the library, said Oakland library officials.

They volunteer, donate books and money, and are frequent library users, said Oakland library director Carmen Martinez.

"So many of our wonderful supporters live in Piedmont," she said. "And I know they are behind us."



E-mail Carolyn Jones at carolynjones@sfchronicle.com.

The Results Are In

I know its kind of late, but in case you were still wondering, Jack Weir and Michael Harris won. Good news with Weir (hopefully) and bad news with Harris. Especially since measure T didn't pass, now Harris has all his excuses in order to increase library cuts. At least we got rid of one of the incumbents, hopefully this will get the ball rolling in the right direction.

Election Update

Here is the video from the City Council Candidates forum.

http://pleasanthill.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=527

Around the end of minute 44 they begin to answer questions regarding the Pleasant Hill Library.

You can judge for yourself, but none of the candidates stand out as all that great.

It seems that candidates focus too much on a new building and not enough on the extension of hours and adding new staff. While a new building would be nice and pretty, I think the access to the library and having enough staff to accommodate its traffic is what really matters.

Here is my personal breakdown of each candidates responce:

Terry Williamson: Old excuse, old excuse, old excuse, and I don't know how to make air quotes

Suzanne Angeli: While initially sounds really bad, she actually does say, "I will always support funds to support this library."

Michael Flake: Library is not a priority AT ALL. Not in the least.

Michael Harris: Old excuses, begins with some promising statements, and then basically holds the Library hostage by saying if we don't vote for measure T we may lose the library altogether. Nothing like good old extortion to get some votes.

Jack Weir: Sounds a little crazy by telling Sacramento to essentially "go to hell." With that said, this is the only candidate to not only give support to the library but also give new ideas as to how to raise funds for it.

This isn't resounding endorsement, but I recommend Angeli and Weir for City Council based on these responses.

From the New York Times

The New York Times

September 26, 2010
Anger as a Private Company Takes Over Libraries
By DAVID STREITFELD

SANTA CLARITA, Calif. — A private company in Maryland has taken over public libraries in ailing cities in California, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas, growing into the country’s fifth-largest library system.

Now the company, Library Systems & Services, has been hired for the first time to run a system in a relatively healthy city, setting off an intense and often acrimonious debate about the role of outsourcing in a ravaged economy.

A $4 million deal to run the three libraries here is a chance for the company to demonstrate that a dose of private management can be good for communities, whatever their financial situation. But in an era when outsourcing is most often an act of budget desperation — with janitors, police forces and even entire city halls farmed out in one town or another — the contract in Santa Clarita has touched a deep nerve and begun a round of second-guessing.

Can a municipal service like a library hold so central a place that it should be entrusted to a profit-driven contractor only as a last resort — and maybe not even then?

“There’s this American flag, apple pie thing about libraries,” said Frank A. Pezzanite, the outsourcing company’s chief executive. He has pledged to save $1 million a year in Santa Clarita, mainly by cutting overhead and replacing unionized employees. “Somehow they have been put in the category of a sacred organization.”

The company, known as L.S.S.I., runs 14 library systems operating 63 locations. Its basic pitch to cities is that it fixes broken libraries — more often than not by cleaning house.

“A lot of libraries are atrocious,” Mr. Pezzanite said. “Their policies are all about job security. That’s why the profession is nervous about us. You can go to a library for 35 years and never have to do anything and then have your retirement. We’re not running our company that way. You come to us, you’re going to have to work.”

The members of the Santa Clarita City Council who voted to hire L.S.S.I. acknowledge there was no immediate threat to the libraries. The council members say they want to ensure the libraries’ long-term survival in a state with increasingly shaky finances.

Until now, the three branch locations have been part of the Los Angeles County library system. Under the new contract, the branches will be withdrawn from county control and all operations — including hiring staff and buying books — ceded to L.S.S.I.

“The libraries are still going to be public libraries,” said the mayor pro tem, Marsha McLean. “When people say we’re privatizing libraries, that is just not a true statement, period.”

Library employees are furious about the contract. But the reaction has been mostly led by patrons who say they cannot imagine Santa Clarita with libraries run for profit.

“A library is the heart of the community,” said one opponent, Jane Hanson. “I’m in favor of private enterprise, but I can’t feel comfortable with what the city is doing here.”

Mrs. Hanson and her husband, Tom, go to their local branch every week or two to pick up tapes for the car and books to read after dinner. Mrs. Hanson recently checked out Willa Cather’s classic “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” although she was only mildly in favor of its episodic style; she has higher hopes for her current choice, on the shadowy world of North Korea.

The suggestion that a library is different — and somehow off limits to the outsourcing fever — has been echoed wherever L.S.S.I. has gone. The head of the county library system, Margaret Donnellan Todd, says L.S.S.I. is viewed as an unwelcome outsider.

“There is no local connection,” she said. “People are receiving superb service in Santa Clarita. I challenge that L.S.S.I. will be able to do much better.”

As a recent afternoon shaded into evening, there were more than a hundred patrons at the main Santa Clarita library. Students were doing their homework. Old men paged through newspapers. Children gathered up arm’s loads of picture books. It was a portrait of civic harmony and engagement.

Mrs. Hanson, who is 81 and has been a library patron for nearly 50 years, was so bothered by the outsourcing contract that she became involved in local politics for the first time since 1969, when she worked for a recall movement related to the Vietnam War.

She drew up a petition warning that the L.S.S.I. contract would result in “greater cost, fewer books and less access,” with “no benefit to the citizens.” Using a card table in front of the main library branch, she gathered 1,200 signatures in three weekends.

L.S.S.I. says none of Mrs. Hanson’s fears are warranted, but the anti-outsourcing forces continue to air their suspicions at private meetings and public forums, even wondering whether a recall election is feasible.

“Public libraries invoke images of our freedom to learn, a cornerstone of our democracy,” Deanna Hanashiro, a retired teacher, said at the most recent city council meeting.

Frank Ferry, a Santa Clarita councilman, dismisses the criticism as the work of the Service Employees International Union, which has 87 members in the libraries. The union has been distributing red shirts defending the status quo. “Union members out in red shirts in defense of union jobs,” Mr. Ferry said.

Library employees are often the most resistant to his company, said Mr. Pezzanite, a co-founder of L.S.S.I. — and, he suggested, for reasons that only reinforce the need for a new approach.

“Pensions crushed General Motors, and it is crushing the governments in California,” he said. While the company says it rehires many of the municipal librarians, they must be content with a 401(k) retirement fund and no pension.

L.S.S.I. got its start 30 years ago developing software for government use, then expanded into running libraries for federal agencies. In the mid-1990s, it moved into the municipal library market, and now, when ranked by number of branches, it places immediately after Los Angeles County, New York City, Chicago and the City of Los Angeles.

The company is majority owned by Islington Capital Partners, a private equity firm in Boston, and has about $35 million in annual revenue and 800 employees. Officials would not discuss the company’s profitability.

Some L.S.S.I. customers have ended their contracts, while in other places, opposition has faded with time. In Redding, Calif., Jim Ceragioli, a board member of the Friends of Shasta County Library, said he initially counted himself among the skeptics.

But he has since changed his mind. “I can’t think of anything that’s been lost,” Mr. Ceragioli said.

The library in Redding has expanded its services and hours. And the volunteers are still showing up — even if their assistance is now aiding a private company. “We volunteer more than ever now,” Mr. Ceragioli said.

Pleasant Hill Quality of Life Survey Results

A few weeks back residents were mailed a quality of life survey by the city of Pleasant Hill and today the results are in. One of the questions asked how important maintaining library hours and services were. According to the mailer 78% of residents said it was either a high or medium priority (although we don't know how much was high and how much was medium because the statistics display is not very good). Though 78% is very high, this came in 5th place behind safety issues, pot holes, and storm drains. I'm glad our priorities are in order.

Later on in the mailer, there is a section that describes how the city is addressing all of these issues. Disappointingly, when it comes to the library the city uses its tried and trusted cop-out line of, "Additional local funding is needed to keep the library open for the hours desired by the community." This cop-out of "additional funding" being needed is not given for any of the other areas of concern.

I'm not saying there aren't any economic problems in this city or state. I just question how what money we do have is being spent. Maybe we will maintain our beautiful parks, smooth roads, clear storm drains, have our library hours diminish to almost nothing and grow so ignorant that the Morlocks will fatten us up and feast on us every night (HG Well Time Machine).

What upsets me the most is that this excuse of no money will be perpetually used to defeat any library improvement initiative with no action plan to solve the problem every being discussed. The only solution is to vote out the city council the first chance we can.

Here are the members of the city council:
http://www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us/index.aspx?nid=64

Unless we get some more library improvement, please vote for whoever may be running against them whenever that election might be. Or better yet, maybe YOU should run against them!

Safeway Helping to Create Young Readers

I discovered this this morning while feeding my son breakfast. I always enjoy seeing when those who aren't obligated to help do so.

http://ilovelibraries.org/loveyourlibrary/safeway/index.cfm

Book Club Forum

Wednesday, June 9th 7:00-8:30 at the Pleasant Hill Library. Ron Shoop (Random House) will present a set of "provocative" books great for discussions or personal reading. There will also be a free raffle. The ad doesn't say what will be raffled off but I can assume it might be books.

Take Action!

Contact your "mayor", your council people, and your governor! Demand more money for our libraries!

"History is a race between education and catastrophe."

-H.G. Wells

California Libraries Need Your Help!!!

Libraries across California need your support this week!

This week is National Library Week, a perfect time for you to send a quick e-mail to your state legislators and governor to let them know how important libraries are to you!

Libraries are in a perfect storm. They are busier than ever helping families survive during these tough economic times, yet public, school, and academic libraries are facing closures and elimination of librarians and library workers—the people who help those with a job application, teach 21st century skills, and nurture the love of reading in kids that will serve them the rest of their lives.

State governments provide much needed funding for libraries to provide public access to the Internet for everyone, databases for individuals and small businesses, homework help, and much more. Without this funding, libraries are in peril, and residents in California are denied critical resources when they need them most.

Please send an e-mail to your governor and your representatives today, and pass this message on to your friends and colleagues. Go to this website: http://capwiz.com/ala/ca/home/

Thank you for advocating for libraries and library staff in California.

CCC Library new web design!

Check it out!

ccclib.org

Happy Holidays from the CCC Library...

Just Kidding! Its good to know that with students on winter vacation they had a safe and educational place to go with all of their off-time. I get that times are tough but people need to start looking at the closing of libraries the same way they would look at the closing of hospitals or schools. It would be nice if the library system would do more extensive fund raising efforts beyond the book sale here and there which I can't image makes a whole lot of money.

If you would like to donate please visit this web site:

http://ccclib.org/donations/donate_library.html

From a CCC Library Press Release:

"Contra Costa County Library Holiday Schedule and Closures

Due to County budget cuts and holidays, all Contra Costa County Library locations will be closed from Wednesday, December 23 through Sunday, December 27 and from Thursday, December 31 through Sunday, January 3.

Due dates for all items will be extended so that no materials will need to be returned between Saturday, December 19 and Monday, January 4. During the closure, all book drops will be closed.

The Contra Costa County Library website (ccclib.org) will remain open during the closures so that customers can continue to access online services such as downloadable audiobooks, eBooks, and electronic articles and will be able to place holds.

“The County Board of Supervisors approved six furlough days for 2009/10 for county employees in order to offset the budget shortfall”, said Anne Cain, County Librarian. “With two of these dates occurring in late December, the result is an extended closure during this timeframe.” To lessen the inconvenience for library customers, no books will be due and no fines will be imposed between December 19 and January 4.

All locations will reopen with regular hours on Monday, January 4. Due to the extended closure, longer periods of processing time are anticipated that may affect the length of time it takes to check items in and to fill holds. Consult the library locations and hours page for further information about your local community library.

The Contra Costa County Library serves residents countywide with 25 locations, 3 Library-a-Go-Go book dispensers, and online library services available 24/7 at ccclib.org. Last year almost 4 million people visited the Contra Costa County community libraries and checked out over 6 million items."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally:

- Carol, the children's librarian, is moving to San Ramon for a 40 hour position starting January 4. She will not be replaced. Instead, substitutes will be used.

- story times will be dramatically reduced in 2010.

Happy New Year!

Safeway Bookstores?

For those readers who live in Pleasant Hill you may have noticed that the Safeway on Oak Grove and Putnam has a used book shelf at its exit. Its selling paperbacks for a dollar and hardcovers for two. I have walked past it several times without much thought and then finally decided to check it out yesterday. Besides the books having no recognizable titles or authors it was even hard to tell which genre they belonged to. It looks as though the manager of the store found a discarded box of unwanted books behind a Salvation Army and thought they might be able to make a quick buck from it.

If you want to buy quality books at those cheap prices check out the used books being sold at the PH Library. Same prices with a much better selection. I bought a Hobbit/LOTR trilogy set for $3! You'll be supporting our local library as well as getting a good deal.

The End Is Nigh

This Monday, September 28th, will be the last Monday in which the Pleasant Hill Library will be open. Starting October 1st the library will have its new schedule which includes it being closed both Sundays and Mondays.

If you would like to attend the PH library's final Monday for the foreseeable future (possibly ever) the hours are 11-6. I suggest wearing black and maybe leaving a wreath of flowers and perhaps a card by the front door.

Reminder!

Book Sale at the Pleasant Hill library today! Its from 10-3 and is happening in their back loading dock at 75 Santa Barbara Road. Even though it was raining this morning I'm sure it'll still be happening. See you there!

Interview with Mayor Michael Harris

The interview two months in the making is finally here! I would like to thank Mayor Harris for his participation and for his help in giving some clarity to the many issues surrounding the Pleasant Hill Library's current financial woes. I would also like to thank City of Pleasant Hill Public Information Officer Martin Nelis for all his great work in making this interview happen. Without further ado...the interview...

Since this is an interview for a book blog, lets start with some book questions.

1. Who are some of your favorite authors?

I am an avid reader and have many favorite authors. Among my favorite authors are: Doris Kearns Goodwin, Walter Isaacson, David McCullough, David Liss, Isabelle Allende, John Grisham, Brad Meltzer, and Mitch Albom

2. What are some of your favorite books?

Doris Kearns Goodwin: Team of rivals ; Wait till next year

Walter Isaacson: Einstein ; Benjamin Franklin

David McCullough: 1776 ;The path between the seas

David Liss: A conspiracy of paper

Isabelle Allende: Portrait in sepia ; The sum of our days

Mitch Albom: Tuesdays with Morrie


3. What was the last good book you read?

The book of lies by David Meltzer

Moving on to the library budget issue...


4. Can you explain for our readers a little about the library money for green zone trade off that was proposed by the county?

As part of the County's Fiscal Year 2009/10 budget, the County reduced funding for the Contra Costa County Library system and recommended transferring most of the cost for facility management to the cities in which the libraries are located. If cities did not agree to fund the facility costs, library services would be severely curtailed at that location. In the case of Pleasant Hill, this cost amounted to $147,718 for the 2009/10 fiscal year. This presented a challenge to the City of Pleasant Hill because it is also struggling to maintain public services with limited financial resources. Because of its desire to maintain the maximum amount of library services as possible, however, the City of Pleasant Hill proposed a creative solution for an alternative funding source. In exchange for the County continuing to fund the facility management costs that otherwise would be the City's responsibility, the City proposed to fund a Waste Reduction Information & Outreach Program (also known as the "Green Zone") at the Library for the same dollar amount utilizing funds from the City's recycling fund. This solution was hailed by library staff as an innovative and effective way of keeping the library open while, at the same time, providing valuable education and information to citizens regarding the importance of recycling.

5. It seemed as though the City Council had mixed reasons for their decision to vote down the budget proposal. It was unclear to those of us in attendance if the reason was because the city had a lack of funds or if the city thought that the bill should be paid by the county. Which one is it? If the city had the money, would they have paid for the library or would they have pushed that this was a county problem?

The City Council did not vote down the library budget proposal. Rather, at its meeting on July 13, 2009, the City Council voted to approve the funding level as mentioned above to establish the "Green Zone" at the library. The Council also voted to provide additional funding of $25,733 to keep the library open for 7 hours on each Monday through the end of September. As a result of these actions, the Council was able to ensure that the library in Pleasant Hill would remain open for 6 days a week for a total of 35 hours. Otherwise, the library hours would have been cut back to 28 hours. Both of these options were recommended to the City Council in the staff report presented at that meeting and the Council did not vote on any other budget proposal in relation to the library. It is not possible to project what the City would have done if it had additional funds in its General Fund as that issue was not before the City Council.

6. If it is a county problem, what steps are we taking as a city to get more county funding for our library?

The County has made it very clear to the City Council that due to the current budget crisis facing the County, it is not possible for the County to provide additional funding to bring back library hours to the levels prior to July 1, 2009. These cuts in library hours are occurring at most libraries throughout Contra Costa County - this issue is not isolated to Pleasant Hill.

7. Continuing with it being a county issue, with the library literally across the street from the Walnut Creek city line, and roughly 25% of the library's circulation coming from Walnut Creek residents, has the city attempted to join with Walnut Creek to help with funding?

The numbers of Walnut Creek residents using the PH Library should decline once their new library opens in downtown Walnut Creek. Nonetheless, the City of Walnut Creek has recently implemented severe budget cuts and is having problems finding the money for operational and maintenance costs for its new library. It is highly unlikely that the City of Walnut Creek will contribute any funds towards the operation of the PH Library.

8. If it is a money issue, has the city considered proposing a bond measure to pay for the library like it did recently for the teen and senior centers?

The recent bond measure, known as Measure E, was placed on the ballot by the PH Recreation & Park District, which is a completely separate entity from the City of Pleasant Hill. The City has no plans currently for any bond measures.

9. Finally, I would be remiss if I did not ask this last question. In regards to the vote itself, at the time some community members in attendance remarked that it was in poor taste to have third grader Kevin Vasgerdsian call for the vote that limited the library's hours and staff. Looking back, would you have done anything differently in this regard?

By your question, I think you may have misinterpreted what actually happened. As indicated above, the City Council did not vote to limit the library hours, but rather voted to provide additional funding so library hours could be increased to 35 hours per week. (The City Council did not vote on staffing.)

Please allow me to provide a little background on the ceremonial "Mayor for the Day" program. This program was designed as a way to support local schools and raise additional funds during their annual auctions. We try to give the "Mayor for the Day" the opportunity to participate in the Council meeting in a meaningful way to make the experience as valuable as possible. One of the "ceremonial duties" is to call the roll for items on the council agenda.

As ceremonial "Mayor for the Day, " Kevin Vasgerdsian called for a vote to provide

$147,718 in City funding for the library so that the library could remain open for 35 hours a week. Additional funding of $25,733 allowed the library to remain open 42 hours a week during July, August and September of 2009. This vote helped guarantee continued operation of the library at the maximum number of hours fiscally possible and the provision of a new recycling program at a time when both the County and the City are struggling to provide essential public services to its citizens. I believe it was appropriate for the "Mayor for the Day" to call the roll on a vote that allows children and their families greater access to the library than they would have had otherwise.


10. Thank you very much for your responses. They were very helpful in clearing up some misconceptions. I guess on some issues it is a case of seeing glasses half empty versus half full. One last question though that remains is what does the future hold for the Pleasant Hill library? When, if ever, do you expect it to regain its former staffing and hours? Does it all relate to what happens with the economy? Is there the possibility of further cuts next year? What kind of creative solutions is the city and/or library coming up with to help the library?

Good question, but not one that is easy for the City to answer. Since the County funds and runs the Library, it's hard to know what their financial picture and plans will be in the future. We will certainly continue to work cooperatively with the Library staff and administration to try everything we can to keep the Library open at its current level. We are also working on other creative ideas like the "Green Zone." Unfortunately, it all does relate to the economy-which no one seems to be able to figure out. Thanks again for your continued interest in our Library. Take care.

Please leave your comments, I'd love to know what you think.

Pleasant Hill Library Book Sale

September 12th the Friends of the Pleasant Hill Library are having a book sale. The location of the sale will be at 75 Santa Barbara road right behind the library. This is a great way to support your local library!

Book Give-Away Update

I just got back from the book give away and the pickings are quite slim. I'd say there is about 10% of their young adult books and about 80% of their adult non-fiction left over. I went last year towards the end of week two and they had about five times as many books available. I think word is starting to spread (which I guess is a good thing!).

Despite the limited selection I still managed to find 56 books to add to my classroom library.

I highly recommend going soon if you haven't gone yet!

Here is the address of the library:
1750 Oak Park Blvd
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523

The book give-away is going on behind the building in their loading dock area.

For Those Who Would Like To Contact City Hall

Several people have contacted me about how to get in touch with the mayor to voice their own concerns about his lack of communication on the library budget cuts issue.

Here is the contact info:

To email him:
http://www.ci.pleasant-hill.ca.us/forms.aspx?FID=74

To call:
(925) 671-5267, faxing to (925) 671-5238

Thank you for your support on this issue!

"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends"--Martin Luther King, Jr.