Library encourages town to end non-resident fees

By Nathan R. Huff

As the Los Gatos Public Library Board and Friends of the Library focus their efforts on plans for a new town library, the Town Council appears ready to take the first small step toward improving the existing library's services by eliminating non-resident fees.

The council will vote Feb. 7 on whether to eliminate the fees.

Library supporters said the fees cripple the library's ability to network with other libraries throughout the county and state. Head librarian Gloria Grimes said that 47 percent of people who have Los Gatos addresses don't actually live in Los Gatos.

"They come into town, they leave their money, and then they come to the library and they're told, 'You're a non-resident. You have to pay a fee,'" Grimes said.

By eliminating the non-resident fees, which Grimes said are "creating really bad will," the library can join groups like the Silicon Valley Library System. The system allows cardholders in any one of its libraries to access the other facilities. Grimes added that library staff also would be able to take advantage of various staff development and training programs offered through library networks.

"Just being able to network with other libraries, you're able to keep up better with what's going on in the library field," Grimes said.

According to Councilman Jan Hutchins, the non-resident fees are left over from more difficult economic times. "It never was a good political move," Hutchins said.

The library board's ultimate goal goes well beyond eliminating non-resident fees. Representatives from both the board and the Friends of the Library have been a constant presence at council meetings. They hope that the town, with substantial assistance from Proposition 14 funds, will build a new library.

Prop 14, called the Statewide Bond for Literacy and Libraries, is a $350 million bond on the March 7 state ballot. If passed, libraries can apply for state grants to renovate existing libraries or construct new facilities. The grants provide 65 percent of the funding for projects, with the local municipality responsible for the remaining 35 percent.

According to Grimes, the town has the Redevelopment Agency money to help build a new library, but it will be unable to do so if it builds two parking structures.

"The council is really going to have to take a stand and decide at some point whether they're going to proceed with the planning of the library, or if two parking garages are their top priority," Grimes said.

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