The High Cost of Closing or Limiting Libraries & Library Services

Much discussion has been going on regarding the City Budget and how to keep in solvent. One suggestion is to cut back library services, hours of operations and staff. The budget deficit has come about mostly by the recent global economic recession crisis. This has spilled over into nearly every city in the nation. Finding solutions and balancing budgets are not tasks for the faint of heart. Recognizing this, we (as library supporters) offer for your consideration the hidden costs of taking away library services during such times of crisis as this.

Safe Havens and Study Resources for School Children

Oakland's school children rely on public libraries for afterschool time, study time, research for homework, homework preparation, access to Internet resources and much more. Only three public schools in the city have a public library. Limiting access to branch libraries will mean these kids have no other place to go after school to prepare for their school assignments. The reasons are many. Some kids have living situations that hinder study at home like parents with drug or mental illness, no light to study by due to loss or lack of income. In Elmhurst, many kids cannot afford a bus trip to the Main Library, so closed days at local branches spells a day without study. These kids often have no other place to go so they end up on the street where they are face to face with gangs, drug dealers, prostitution rings, street gambling and other criminal elements making them easy prey to fall victim to becoming involved in criminal activities. This puts more of a strain on the criminal justice system which is already over-burdened for lack of adequate police coverage. In short, isn't it better to give at-risk kids a safe place like the low cost public library where they can play computer video games rather than being on the street dealing or taking drugs and ending up in a high-cost public facility like city jails or juvenile detention? What is the cost for a kid turned bad for lack of a safe, free place like a library to go to end up getting involved with a street gang then shooting and killing someone? Our community recently paid dearly with the loss of four highly trained and valued police officers. All were victims of someone who took the wrong path in life in problem-riddled neighborhood. Encouraging kids with low-cost libraries to provide community services with many hidden and unforeseen benefits is a very cheap way to help the budget recover.

Employment and Educational Resources

Public libraries are also now places where many who cannot afford a computer at home come to the library to have access to job and educational resources. At a time when our economy is in such dire straits, is it really economical to reduce accessibility to the only place these citizens have to go to look for work or re-educate themselves to find jobs in a field they can get employment? It is incumbent upon the government to encourage economic growth, job retraining for the unemployed, incentives for new and existing businesses to grow and hire new employees and public libraries are here to provide these very informational services. Our flailing economy requires we have adequate library services to assist in economic recovery.

Community Resources

Many in our community rely on the public libraries for access to many community resources otherwise unavailable. Most current branch hours are only available to non-working people. Branches are only open into the evening one day a week and often close by 5:30PM on other days. Reducing hours and days open, decreases the chances citizens have to make use of the resources necessary that libraries were created to make available to the public in the first place. For example, finding books on home repairs and improvements so properties continue to be kept up at a time when many can no longer afford to pay for home services like plumbing, minor repairs, cosmetic improvements, or other repairs that do not require a lot of skill to master and can be easily learned from a book. In a tight economy, many are looking for ways to stretch the few dollars they have to maintain a decent quality of living and not allow properties to fall into a state of disrepair that leads to lower property values. The news is full of stories of increased patronage to public libraries by citizens who are looking for a job, saving money on expensive books, DVDs, video games, magazine subscriptions all available at public libraries for free. In the current real estate crisis, it makes no good sense to take away the major means citizens have for trying to hold on to what value they have left in their homes and personal discretionary income budgets by making it more difficult (and expensive) for citizens to accomplish this. Reducing library hours balances the city budget in the short term but bludgeons it in the long term.

Vandalism

With branches being open fewer hours and having less active security, especially in view of the fact the Mayor and Council want to cut police services, makes unoccupied public buildings like libraries a prime target for vandalism and other crimes. Five years ago when I became involved with the Elmhurst Friends, we had serious problems with trespassing. There were prostitutes turning tricks on the grounds, street people using the front lawn and flower beds as a public toilet, trash, broken liquor bottles and other safety hazards everywhere. Citizens had become fearful of visiting and utilizing the branch resources due to these issues. It took us years of hard work to reverse this trend. Reducing hours, staff and public availability to Elmhurst branch (and other branches) will only open the door for criminal activities like this to return. We will have lost all the ground we have gained. The costs will not be in dollars and cents. It will greatly impact the morale and well-being of the community. Can Oakland really afford that? We wholeheartedly say, it cannot and should not.

Senior Services

It is a well known fact that seniors do better and thrive in communities where they have access to social networks. Being on fixed incomes and often limited in their range of mobility, local branches offer seniors a venue that is safe, comfortable and secure to go to get out of the house, meet other people in the community and keep their minds and spirits active and involved in local social network. Seniors prepare the way for the coming generations and the public library is one of the few places left where social action between children and elders exist. At Elmhurst Friends, we have seen seniors helping young children find things for a school project when understaffed and overworked library staff could not devote the proper time to their junior patrons. We have volunteers to provide fill-in services that an already tight library staff budget cannot provide. Further cuts to library services will likely weaken the structure to where these kinds of community-based structures fall apart completely. Can our communities remain cohesive without adequate library services? We do not believe it can.

Is it not already too much that the City is considering the reduction of an already inadequate police force, the complete elimination of park rangers to our world class parks that will soon be staffed by OPD that cannot possibly come up to the task of patrolling and maintaining our parks while keeps our homes, city streets and businesses safe? These are other vitally important topics that need to be addressed as well but is beyond the scope of this blog's topic. The public safety is all anchored by the positive force for change that comes through and from public libraries. The Public Library is the cornerstone of the community. Public Libraries are the anchor that holds it all together. It is the last place to which a city should cut services when faced with serious budgetary challenges. When the city council and mayor have given up their personal salaries and high paid staff and other city perks for two years then come to the citizens and say we need to cut these services, then perhaps they'll better understand and we citizens will be more open and willing to listen to such ludicrous proposals.

Support Friends of Elmhurst

50% of all royalty proceeds from the sale of all I Love FOEL products at my Zazzle store will go to Friends of Elmhurst Branch Library to directly benefit the library. If you have a message or special artwork you'd like to use to get the message out, you can even customize your own from any of dozens of different products from t-shirts to bumper stickers, tennis shoes, skateboards, postage stamps, buttons, magnets, keychains, postcards and more.

Oakland Public Libraries need your help--particularly Elmhurst Branch which lies in the heart of East Oakland where poverty and crime are high. Many kids are the victims of substance abuse parents and many more are from single parent homes. To get ahead here often requires nothing short of miracles. Hope is often a four-letter word. The City of Oakland must cut the budget and libraries have become a major target. Libraries provide a safe haven for kids--particularly in East Oakland where Elmhurst is located.

Public schools here do not have libraries. They rely on the public library to assist kids in school. Library hours are being cut, staff reduced, new collections halted. These kids often cannot study at home as their family may be too poor to pay the electric bill so there are no lights to study under. Many kids are crack babies being raised by grandparents with limited resources and waning energies. Others have no privacy at home so to study means going to the library.

Computers with Internet access are not found in very many homes in East Oakland. Kids, and many adults, have to go to the public library for that. Our branch is the cornerstone of our community. It serves the elderly by providing a vital social network, access to materials they cannot afford on a fixed income, Internet access in a part of Oakland where poverty and illiteracy is high. It serves the underprivileged and unemployed with resources to build a resume, do a job search, prepare for special skills education to get a better job. In short, our branch library is the hub of our community. Without adequate library hours, this vulnerable neighborhood will put kids on the streets, seniors shut in, unemployeds and underemployeds with nowhere to turn for assistance.

Should Oaklanders Sue the City?

Yes, Oakland City Council may very likely be in violation of Measure Q but I'd not be too quick and very cautious to file a law suit. While it sounds good on the surface, we do have a budgetary crisis. Suing the city would cost the city a lot of money. Who ends up paying for that? Oaklanders. We take money right out of our own pockets. The city has had a number of law suits recently and paid out millions in damages. That's money we could use for libraries, police, road repairs. We don't have enough money to do that already. We have to concentrate on getting what money there is allocated in better ways. Remember, libraries are only 3% of the City's budget. That comes out of the general fund. Look at the pie chart on page 3 of the attached document. What other places can money come from? There is not much room for shifting it around from one place to another. 

I recently read that real estate is in even bigger trouble with properties being underwater at an all time high (62%) Property taxes are at an all time high. While it may seem that the City Council is being derelict in their duties (and I'm not saying that they aren't completely) they are also struggling with unprecedented shortfalls. We ALL need to get creative and understand the big picture, I believe. A lot of the taxes the city collects go to the state. The state's shortfall is even bigger and Prop 13 has state legislators hands tied in a big way. What we need is a gigantic tax reform in this state—one that reflects the current recession crisis. If we don't deal with that, all the tweaking to city budgets and squeaking about how thinly the bread has to be buttered won't cut it. The "butter" is being bled away from the cities and into the state coffers and there is less money due to large numbers of foreclosures and other shortfalls in state tax revenues. There is a lobby with big money that has always pushed Californians for restricting taxes and reducing the size of government. I'm talking about the folks behind Prop 13 and other propositions like this. Until we as Californians wake up and stop buying into their propaganda we'll just keep making a very bad situation become catastrophic. It's been happening for years and now the recession is tipping the scales and it is about to become a flood.

We are in for very tough economic times—like on the scale of the Great Depression—and we better start thinking smartly and creatively if we don't want another 1930's. I see history repeating itself and it is so avoidable if we just listen and learn. That's while I'm pushing to use what little money we have available to get creative and figure ways to weather the storm. Personally, I believe giving more of the pie to other city services and taking it away from libraries is a HUGE mistake. We need libraries more now than ever before. The difference this time around is computers and the Internet. Everything has become digitized and many are under the illusion that libraries are not as important as they used to be because people don't read books the way they used to. 

Remember, we've discussed this in past Friends meetings: how do we get people to use the library when they don't read books anymore? And we have succeeded by redefining libraries. The role of librarians has changed and people see libraries in a different light now. Circulations are up. Patron visits are up. I've read that recently the upsurge is in part due to the recession with folks doing job research at the library after losing their job, a safe zone for both the unemployed and homeless, an inexpensive entertainment place for parents strapped for cash to send their kids. This  is why we need libraries. We can NOT afford to be without them. Libraries will help us weather the storm. They give us the hope we all desperately need right now. We have to remember that and help educate others who don't understand this.

There are still a lot of people out there who have not been personally affected by this recession. They are nearly oblivious to what is going on around them. I know. I've got out of state family members and friends who live large like everything is status quo. Heck I know people right here in the Bay area who have not been impacted yet so they don't see it yet. We've got to get creative about this budget crisis and we've got to think and plan smart. It's easy to point fingers and cast (misplaced) blame when things don't go right. I know I've been guilty of that myself. So, what can we do to convince the mayor and city council that their budget strategy is flawed? We should be putting as much of what we've got into keeping our libraries strong and our city safe (police).

Librarians are highly intelligent people, so it is incumbent upon us to show others that we can do more with less. But we must needs have the proper, bare-bones basic tools to do the job. The city can and must learn to survive without many of the comforts we've come to be accustomed to. Libraries are not a luxury. They are a necessity that holds the framework of community and how to motivate citizens into making it a better place to live. We need libraries now more than ever before.

Benjamin Franklin realized this. That is why he started the first public library in this country. He had the forethought to realize that if we were to become a great nation, a populace with books and knowledge freely available to all its citizens was at the core of that great strength. Knowledge is power and we humans hold that knowledge in the written word. It is as simple as that. Look back at the past. Only clergy and the wealthy aristocracy could read and had books. Because of this, they had all the power over all the rest of humanity. Making books and knowledge available to everyone, teaching everyone how to read and write changed everything. If we don't hold on to that—and our libraries—we may well enter another dark age where the very wealthy are the only ones who can read and write and they will again have power over the rest of us.

My letter to Oprah

I am president of Friends of our local branch library (Elmhurst) in East Oakland, CA. I am at my wits end, Oprah, and desperately need your help.

Kids in East Oakland struggle every day to get a decent education. Our schools have no library. They must rely on the public library for research materials, a safe-haven, after-school place to study, Internet access, new books and a tireless, dedicated library staff to help them where teachers, parents and other peers in our community are often missing. These kids have to deal with high levels of street crime and violence, prostitution recruitment, drug dealing and using, gambling, vandalism, loitering, theft and gun violence. Now they are at further risk than ever before.

The City of Oakland, to balance the city budget, is slashing the library budget. Hours, staff & new collections will be reduced or eliminated making the library less accessible and more prone to vandalism. These kids cannot afford cross town bus fare to visit our downtown main branch. They must rely on our neighborhood branch. For 5 ½ years we have fought to get a public bathroom and drinking fountain installed. We finally got the money, got the project approved and now, with these budget cuts, are not even sure if we are going to have a library in two years.

As a lover of books and literature, Oprah, you know the value and importance of reading and a good education. I need your help to bring awareness to this City's leaders and citizens to remind them that our public libraries are the cornerstone of the community. Libraries don't just lend books, they provide much, much more. Librarians and staff are often the only adult guidance that these kids at risk have. Without a library and adequate access to it, they lose not only their access to books but much more. This is a complex situation not easily covered in these short forms. I cannot stress emphatically enough how vital it is to keep our little library intact. Can you help us please?

Charles A. Aiken, President
Friends of Elmhurst Library
Oakland, California

Drastically Cutting Oakland’s Library Budget Unacceptable

Maybe cutting hours and removing a sanctuary for afterschool kids is acceptable in some neighborhoods, but not in Elmhurst. That is a killer here (I do mean that literally). We have fought for years to get extra hours for this branch and getting it designated as a Weed & Seed safe haven for kids. We did that because the alternatives for kids in this neighborhood are next to none.

KIDS MATTER & LIBRARIES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

So, is it better to reduce library hours, have kids out on the street getting into mischief and then read about them in the papers and obits. Or is it, instead, better to have them inside the libraries reading papers, doing homework, surfing the Net, playing video games (which mostly this neighborhood's parents can't afford) and learning? To my mind, this is not acceptable--especially when I hear plans to reduce Oakland's police force by 130 officers(1). Since Oakland already does not have adequate police officers per capita, this in itself is insane talk. Yes, the police is a different topic, but germane to this discussion nonetheless.

NIGHTMARE CONSEQUENCES

So, imagine, kids with nowhere to go after school, hanging out on streets, getting into trouble with gangs, prostitution rings, drug dealers, illegal street gambling and then inadequate police coverage to handle the addition problems with more kids at risk on the streets because there is nowhere for them to go. Not to mention the fact that we are inadvertently creating situations for good kids to become bad kids and get into trouble with the law. Think it's not your problem because you don't live in Elmhurst? We are seeing these kids grow up and become lifelong criminals that end up committing crimes not just all over Oakland, but all over the Bay Area. Not a good plan.

MAKE SACRIFICES WITH BETTER SOLUTIONS

That said, I do understand that one of the proposals is to 'pair' smaller branches. From what we've learned about this, I envision understaffed branches with record patronage. Long lines, irate patrons, overworked staff and long lines. We recently added new computers and Wi-Fi to Elmhurst and already they are already close to being overtaxed. If we had library patrons and Friends members donate an hour or two per month, librarians to train them to reshelf and do other tasks that could assist library staff to be able to better serve the public. Somehow that would have to save some money and make a more palatable budget and hours of operation. I know there are union considerations as well, but surely even people in the librarian's union realize that without the help and cooperation of the public, it means fewer hours of operation ultimately reductions in staff. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

BE A LIBRARY VOLUNTEER

Our Friends group at Elmhurst has offered to do volunteer work for the branch to help with the shortfall. We are also exploring drives for donations to buy new books, DVDs, etc. because for most people in this neighborhood this branch is the ONLY means they have to read current books or see recent movies. More importantly, our branch serves many seniors who are on fixed income so the library is in many cases their sole source of entertainment, news and internet. We have so many unemployed and undereducated who use Elmhurst branch to try to get a job and better their lives. I have spoken with many who tell me our branch is the only place available to them with the resources and help to prepare for and find a good job.

LIBRARIES GIVE PEOPLE HOPE

We are in a RECESSION, folks! During the Great Depression in the 1930's not one library was closed and many extended services because it was THE ONE PLACE in the community that gave people hope. We need to have hope. We cut back library services and we take that hope for many away. Our president has asked each and every one of us to pitch in and do what we can to get through this recession. I believe with my whole heart that having good libraries that are available and open to the public is vital to American and global economic recovery. We need our libraries to function fully and well. It is, after all, a mere 3% of the overall city budget. I understand the need to cut the budget. I cannot emphasize strongly enough that making libraries take a big cut as well is a titanic mistake. We owe it to all our citizens and especially our youth to keep Oakland libraries operating at their optimum especially during these trying times.
 

Charles A. Aiken, President

Friends of Elmhurst Library

 

Whacking Libraries

By Jim Hightower, AlterNet

Posted on February 2, 2005, Printed on May 12, 2009

http://www.alternet.org/story/21161/

"In the depths of the Great Depression, not a single public library in America closed its doors. Banks went under, farmers went bankrupt, millions of people were out of work and out of luck—but the American public clung to its libraries, not only because of their inherent value to our society, but also because they are symbols of community strength and hope."

 

Mayor's 2009-11 Proposed Budget

Oakland Public Library

Frequently Asked Questions

 

The Library's proposed General Purpose Fund (GPF) budget for 2009-11 shows a reduction in Full Time Equivalents (FTE). Will the Library have layoffs of personnel as a result of that?

At this time, we do not yet know whether any layoffs of staff will occur. As much as possible, any cuts in permanent positions will be shifted into any comparable vacant position available. Also, any changes that are made to the proposed budget as a result of the City Council budget hearings and final approval, could impact whether layoffs occur.

 

The proposed budget indicates that the changes that will occur are to "reduce days in smaller-paired (6) branches; reduce full time and part time staffing at branch libraries to allow for reduced hours." What does this mean?

In order to achieve required, permanent savings over the two-year budget, and in order to ensure that no branch libraries are closed, six small branches have been paired and will each share one set of staff. Paired branches will be open either two or three days per week. In other words, staff from branch "a" will be the permanent staff assigned to both branch "a" and branch "b." The staff positions from branch "b" will be cut from the budget. As mentioned above, cuts in permanent positions will be shifted into comparable vacant positions as much as possible. Some preliminary recommendations based on size, geographical location and proximity to larger branches have been forwarded to the Mayor and factored into the proposed budget figures. The following libraries are proposed for pairing; however, based on the City Council process, these may change: Golden Gate & Lakeview libraries; Temescal & Elmhurst libraries; and Martin Luther King, Jr., & Melrose libraries.

 

Are there any other impacts that the staff or public will see as a result of the proposed budget?

As part of the pairing of branches and in order to achieve the required savings that the City of Oakland needs, the non-paired branches are also scheduled to reduce the number of days open from 6-days per week to 5-days per week. Some of these branches are scheduled to be open Monday-Friday; others Tuesday-Saturday. The Main Library will continue to be open 7-days per week. Although not a savings to the GPF, but to restore funding to Measure Q's book budget, which City Council re-allocated to the Bookmobile in October 2008, the Bookmobile is scheduled to be cut from the Library's budget in FY 2009-11.

 

I thought that Measure Q, the dedicated parcel tax that supports the Library, requires certain services and programs to be provided, such as 6-day service from the branch libraries. How can you reduce days without being contrary to the ordinance establishing Measure Q?

Although Measure Q lists objectives on how the proceeds from the tax may be used, it does not mandate that it be used on specific items, only that it be related to the Library. We agree that these cuts are not consistent with the spirit of Measure Q; however, Measure Q also has a minimum GPF funding base (FY 2000-01:$9,059,989) that the City cannot go below. With these proposed budget reductions, the Library has not yet hit that base.

 

A new library in East Oakland is scheduled to open next year. Is there funding for it and, if so, why not take the funding for the library and transfer it to another library that is reducing hours? The new East Oakland Community Library, a 22,000 sq. ft. joint public-school library that will open in winter 2009, is under construction. The project has received funding from a number of agencies and foundations in order to be completed, including a state grant of $6.5 million. These funds can only be used for construction-not for current library operations. Recent and proposed cuts to the OPL operating budget create some challenges for operating a new library. However, the Mayor's 2009-11 budget proposal does includes new funding for the allocated positions for the East Oakland Community Library, as well as operational funds for maintenance, security, and materials. The new library will also make creative use of self-service options for more efficient operations.

 

Where can I learn more information or express my concerns about the proposed Library reductions?

A copy of the Mayor's proposed FY 2009-11 Budget will be available on the City of Oakland's Website, www.oaklandnet.com. In addition, the Mayor and City Council will hold a series of public meetings about the proposed budget on the following dates from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Oakland City Hall:

 

* Wednesday, May 13

* Thursday, May 28

* Monday, June 1

 

The public can also email comments and suggestions to their local Council member or to: budgetsuggestions@oaklandnet.com.The City Council is scheduled to adopt the two-year budget during its regular meetings on June 16 and June 30.

 

Footnote(s):

1. It does not even cover the fact that doing so would most likely drop the police force to levels that would be in violation of federal law.

The Friends of Elmhurst Library

The Importance of Public Libraries

Libraries are the anchor of a community. Without a fully functioning library, the Elmhurst community will surely come apart. As a resident of Elmhurst and a concerned citizen of Oakland, I cannot and will not in good conscience stand by and allow this to happen.

• Libraries across the country are currently showing an increase in attendance due to the downturn of the economy yet are concurrently suffering the strains of budgetary cutbacks. [cite] More people are homeless and using libraries as a safe and comfortable place to retreat to during inclement weather and, with books at their disposal, a respite for the spirit and soul. Record numbers of unemployed are utilizing public libraries for job research. Cut library hours and services can and will hurt our already flailing economy only further.
  
• The federally funded Weed & Seed program provides funds for children's programs at Elmhurst by designating it an official "Safe Haven", that is, a safe and secure place for children to go after school so they are not on the street being influenced by drugs, gangs, prostitution, violence, loitering, alcohol and other idle mischief that youth fall prey to. Cutting library hours will only contribute to increased juvenile delinquency.
  
• Many elderly in our community are on fixed incomes and, as such, have few social outlets. The public library provides them with vital social connections. Gerontologists say isolation and loss of a social network is the number one cause of depression in the elderly [cite] We need our libraries to be available to our elderly.
  

As a public building, Elmhurst sits in an already vulnerable, economically depressed region of Oakland. By reducing the hours and days of operation, this will leave our branch open and vulnerable to vandalism and trespassing for illegal, improper use by drug dealers, vandals, prostitutes and vagrants. We have fought for years to mitigate these problems. Reducing library operations will only encourage these rogue elements to return especially if the proposal to reduce Oakland's police force by 130 officers comes to bear.