Sad news to receive this note from our city about the Easton Library. This is not my NEIGHBORHOOD (yes it is supposed to be in caps) library but it is a gem and a few years back many residents volunteered their time and money to renovate this branch into something very special:
Easton Branch Closure: Important Information The Easton Branch Library will close all day on Fridays, effective May 1, 2009. Friday closure has been ordered by the City Manager, due to the loss of City funds to support Library services. In addition, the Burlingame Public Library is scheduled to lose 15% or over $ 400,000 in funding effective July 1st. Additional hours and services will be reduced at the main library. The Easton Branch Library may be closed permanently, effective July 1, 2009. Permanent closure of the Easton Branch is on a list developed by the City Council of those items to be reduced or eliminated due to a loss in City revenues. What you can do.. The City Council is interested in your opinions regarding the Easton Branch. Contact information for the Council may be found at: www.burlingame.org. Contact information is also available at all public service desks. About the Branch.. For more than 65 years, Burlingame has provided a particular type of neighborhood library service at the Easton Branch. Many patrons walk to the branch, and the residential location is highly valued by older people and young families with children. Almost 60% of the Easton circulation is for children's materials. Research shows that high public library circulation (Burlingame's is one of the highest in California) corresponds to higher reading test scores, regardless of parental education level. (School Library Journal, September 1, 2008, "The Link between public library services and early reading success.") After the completion of renovation of the branch in October 2004, circulation of materials and traffic through the door at Easton has nearly tripled. The cost of operating the branch is less than 2% of the overall library budget or $124,000 per year. 90% of the $ 1.1M renovation budget was made possible through private donations from the community.
- Written by Fiona
The Easton branch is in the cross hairs of the city tier 7 cuts and will be axed if the Storm Drain Measure doesn't pass, according to City Manager Jim Nantell. My letter to the local editors is on the Burlingame Library Foundation website.
http://www.burlingamelibraryfoundation.org
Posted by: Stephen | April 12, 2009 at 12:20 AM