The Cupertino Courier

Letters & Opinions

Making the Cupertino Library more accessible

In Cupertino, the library, along with public safety and street maintenance, can be categorized as a basic city service. At 54,000 square feet, the Cupertino Library is the largest in the Santa Clara County Library and the most heavily used. It's often called the "Heart and Soul of Cupertino"--the place where everybody meets.

More than three times as many books were borrowed from that library than Sharks tickets were sold for the entire 2006 season, according to county librarian Melinda Cervantes. Attendance at children's programs topped 13,000 last year. And all this took place during a six-day week. Due to budgetary constraints, the library has been closed on Mondays since October 2004.

Now, with revenues coming in around $3 million higher than projected, the city council is in a position to "buy back" Monday library hours. It should do so.

Cupertino is one of seven communities served by the Santa Clara County Library, which is funded primarily by property tax and a benefit assessment. The city owns the building, and the county owns the collection and equipment, and provides staffing.

Residents have many reasons to be proud of their library, starting with the building itself--the largest capital project in Cupertino's history. Santa Clara County Library was named the best public library in the U.S. for its population category. It's the fifth time the library has received this national recognition. And studies have shown that every $1 spent on library services brings $6 back in economic, educational and cultural value.

In January, the Saratoga Library regained Mondays thanks to a two-year commitment of funding from Friends of the Saratoga Libraries. Los Altos and Milpitas were also lucky to get extra money to be open on Monday.

Funding of the Monday hours--a little less than a quarter million dollars--is included in the proposed 2007-08 budget the city council will discuss at its June 4 meeting. City manager Dave Knapp says it will be weighed against all the city's needs and requests for funding. He adds he's been assured by Cervantes that library staff can ramp up for the additional operation in time for school to open in the fall.

Council member Richard Lowenthal, Cupertino's representative to the Santa Clara County Library Joint Powers Authority, is strenuously in favor of using some the surplus now to fund Monday hours at the library. Other council members may have other ideas of how to use the extra revenues. Some may want to bank the windfall for the next economic downturn.

There may be many good ideas, but few will as directly affect residents as much as having a library open for business seven days a week. Fortunately Cupertino does not have a long list of gaps in vital city services to compete with the library for funds.

Libraries are popular places in every community. There are more than 3 million visitors to the libraries operated by Santa Clara County Library, with an annual circulation of more than 10 million items. Residents couldn't be much more specific about the importance of the library in their lives.

The council should move quickly to authorize funding for Monday hours at the library. The library-loving residents of Cupertino deserve nothing else.