Closures are not imminent, but with state and county budgets facing cutbacks, serious shortfalls are predicted for the future.
By Sylvie Belmond/Special to The Malibu Times
With a $9 million shortfall in Los Angeles County’s library budget, libraries throughout the county, including Malibu, are tightening their belts in order to continue operating.
To stave off the possibility of closures and to avoid staff layoffs, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors kicked in an extra $7.2 million to the library budget recently.
However, this leaves a $2 million gap, which means Malibu’s library will not be able to purchase new materials anytime in the near future.
Still, this is better than having to close its doors.
In the early 1990s, Los Angeles County closed down 10 libraries after the state reduced its library budget in half to balance the state budget.
But the Malibu library escaped the axe because it is the only one in town, and the closest library that could serve Malibu is in Agoura Hills or Santa Monica.
“It’s a very careful examination,” said Nancy Mahr, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Public Library system. “Closing a library is our last resort.”
Mahr explained that hours or days of operation would be reduced before taking the drastic step of closure in order to keep within the budget.
Los Angeles County supports 84 libraries and four bookmobiles with a budget of $81 million, which comes from property taxes primarily, and then state and county funds.
In the mid 1990s the state shifted the property tax income it provided to the public libraries to fund a deficit in the state budget, and since that time the county board of supervisors has contributed almost $15 million a year from the county general fund to make up for the loss.
However, the cost of operations for the whole library system is steadily increasing, while the state and county budgets are decreasing, and libraries may be faced with serious shortfalls in the future. While Mahr could provide library expenditure trends for the past, she did not want to make projections for the coming year.
The total cost to operate the Malibu Library in the year 1997 to 1998 was $862,000 (rounded figure) and by 1999-2000, the cost had increased to $936,000. There are 12 staff members, four full-time staff and eight part-time. This cost is similar to that of other libraries that serve a comparable population in other areas.
“The county board of supervisors has been generous with the public library system,” said Sheri Smith, Malibu’s community library manager. “We are in much better shape than we had anticipated.”
To make up for the lack of funds for materials, a group called The Friends of the Malibu Library has stepped in to help.
The group recently purchased new science reference materials and also provides funds for children’s programs at the library.
“We kick in where the county doesn’t,” said June Korn, a member of the Friends’ board of directors.
Statistically, Malibu children do use the library regularly, especially during the school year when they have homework assignments that require research.
“In the last year they circulated 9,000 juvenile books more than the year before and story time quadrupled in size,” said Grace Bernard, the children’s librarian.
The walk-in counter, located at the security gate in the library’s entrance, tallied that 6,755 people visited the library in June this year. While school was still in session, 8,367 people came through the doors in April.
As she spoke about The Friends of the Malibu Library, Korn noted the group raises funds in two ways; through membership and through an annual book sale.
But Malibu doesn’t have the human resources that the new Agoura Hills and Westlake Village libraries have, she noted.
“It’s a unique community in the sense that it’s harder to get people out,” Korn said. “When they come from town, people want to kick off their shoes and rest.”
However, many Malibuites do donate significant amounts of money for which The Friends of the Malibu Library are grateful, she said, and Malibu is a literate community that uses the library.