Issue date: August 26, 1998

Town libraries: supervisors make concessions, but are they enough to keep the system whole? Town libraries: supervisors make concessions, but are they enough to keep the system whole? (August 26, 1998)

By MARION SOFTKY

As San Mateo County's county libraries move into a new era under a new organization, major questions remain as to whether four smaller towns will join the new Joint Powers Agency (JPA) established by the Board of Supervisors Aug. 18 -- and what will happen to their library service if they don't.
To avoid losing Atherton, Woodside, Portola Valley and Brisbane, the supervisors offered two major incentives when they approved formation of the new JPA to govern the 12 branches of the County Library System (CLS) in 11 of San Mateo County's cities.
On a motion by Supervisor Rich Gordon, the board voted 5-0 to commit the county to remain involved in the new library system over the long term "with general fund dollars," and to make up, for this year at least, any losses incurred by towns that would otherwise pay more than they get from the county.
Atherton and Woodside are so-called donor cities; together they contribute $118,000 more in property taxes to the county library system than they receive in services. The board promised to include that money in its final budget to be approved in September.
"If we can ask the cities to contribute from their general funds, we should commit from our general fund on a regular basis," said Supervisor Gordon.
The local towns are taking a wait-and-see stance before they decide whether to join the new JPA, or take off in a new direction. Woodside has already voted not to join, but may reconsider.
"I have to know what the new language is before I make a recommendation," said Portola Valley Town Administrator Alex McIntyre. "The smaller cities will get together and draft language for the JPA."
Atherton Mayor Malcolm Dudley said he and Councilman Bob Huber, who were both at the supervisors' meeting Tuesday, will make a report to the council at its Sept. 16 meeting. Atherton has been considering contracting library services to a private firm, LSSI, based in Rockville, Maryland, or with the Redwood City Library.
"The present system is working very well. Our library gets a lot of use," Mayor Dudley said. "I get a strong sense we would like to be part of the system if it's fair."
New directions

The reorganization of San Mateo County's widely acclaimed library system is being driven by money.

The system, primarily funded by property tax, has been losing approximately $1.8 million a year since the state shifted property taxes to schools in 1992. When the library system faced a $750,000 deficit three years ago, the county bailed it out and started a process to establish a new way of governing the system that would give participating cities a voice in running their libraries, and provide a base to secure long-term funding.

The county's new Library Services JPA will give each of the 11 cities with county libraries a seat on the governing board of the JPA, if they join. A county supervisor will also serve on the board.

Programs and personnel will not change, but participating cities will take over maintenance of the libraries, releasing $263,000 that the County Library System (CLS) can apply to increase service and buy more materials.

Under the agreement hammered out by County Manager John Maltbie and representatives of the 11 cities, the county will guarantee that larger libraries are open 60 hours a week; the four smaller libraries would be open 40 hours per week, an increase in hours for most. Mr. Maltbie agreed the county would contribute $573,216 the first year, but proposed to phase out the county contribution over five years.

So far seven cities representing 74 percent of the population of the CLS have joined the JPA.

Seven larger cities, including Menlo Park and Redwood City, operate their own libraries and would not be part of the JPA.

But both city and county libraries, plus the community college libraries, are part of the Peninsula Library System (PLS), which provides the technology for seamless connections among all their libraries in San Mateo County. For example, a person from unincorporated Kings Mountain with a county library card can scan the PLS catalog online at the Woodside Library, order a book from Skyline College, and return it at the Redwood City Library.

"Everybody has access to everybody else's collection," said PLS Director Linda Crowe.

County Librarian Nancy Lewis said the Peninsula Library System is "really unique in the state; it's a joint, automated effort."

The debate

At the supervisors' hearing last week, speaker after speaker praised the library system and pleaded to "keep it whole."

"The libraries in San Mateo County are absolutely superb. Do as little as possible to rock the system or change it in any way," said Penny Durham. "What appalls me is to hear this splintering."

Several speakers were uncomfortable with privatizing libraries. While the offer is "very seductive," Mayor Dudley said, "there's a real risk we could see the whole system break up."

Ms. Crowe told The Almanac that PLS would probably be willing to contract with a private operator in Atherton, but it would cost more. Contracting with Redwood City would pose no problem and no extra cost, because Redwood City is part of the PLS, she added.

In a different approach, Richard Silver of Redwood City, former clerk of the Board of Supervisors, opposed using county money to subsidize unincorporated areas when many of these people use city libraries which are not getting reimbursed. "It sets a dangerous precedent," he said. "People on the Alameda have a library; it's in Menlo Park."

"Rewrite the system to attract all of the cities," urged Mary Kay Spore, a librarian with Redwood City. "The current system works well because it is seamless. We are able to serve a large population with resources that are available to everybody."