If it seems that the libraries and related services are busier than ever, it's not a user's imagination. With the passage of Measure A in 1994, libraries in the Santa Clara County Library System became the beneficiaries of a 10-year funding package that was earmarked solely for the libraries in the county system. The funding equaled $5.3 million, which was 21 percent of the overall library budget; additional funding comes from the state. It was approved by a 71.5 percent voter margin, with the majority of taxpayers willing to pay an additional $33 on their annual tax bill.

For that small amount, libraries—which had been forced to cut hours, reduce reading and after-school programs and drastically cut back on buying up-to-date books and materials—were given a lifeline by voters. But Measure A is about to expire, and much of what we have come to appreciate and take for granted will expire with it.

The Santa Clara County Library District Joint Powers Authority has put a new measure on the March 2 ballot. It is asking voters to approve Measure B, a parcel tax that adds only $8 to the previous $33. That $42 parcel tax will require a two-thirds voter approval for passage. If the measure fails, patrons will witness a once-vibrant county facility struggle to make ends meet.

Measure B will not be a ballot item for Los Gatos voters, who face their own library issues as the council completes its work on the town budget. The council was to face serious concerns at its budget meeting on Feb. 24 and will face cuts to all town services—including the library—before the process is complete in May.

The measure will, however, be on the ballot for Monte Sereno voters and for all residents in the unincorporated areas, including LaRinconada, Blossom Hill Manor and the Santa Cruz Mountains, among others.

In the Saratoga Library, the official county facility for Monte Sereno residents, hours will be cut, staffing will be reduced and fewer books will be purchased.

The county's bookmobile would also face drastic cuts. The bookmobile, which services many of the county's unincorporated areas, would drop one day of service per week, resulting in service to most locations just once every three weeks instead of the current schedule of once every two weeks. The bookmobile now provides the only library service available to residents of some nursing homes and also to those living in remote areas like the Santa Cruz Mountains.

We believe that $42 a family is a small price to pay to maintain the current level of library service. Users are getting their money's worth, and that's why the Los Gatos Weekly-Times supports Measure B.