There will be layoffs ahead for the Santa Cruz County library system, but all of the branches will remain open, and they will even increase their operating hours. That was the gist of a new plan released by a library board panel charged with finding ways to save the struggling system. The plan would increase the number of weekly hours that the system operates from 257 to 392. Key to the success of this proposal is the creation of a vibrant volunteer community that can replace many of the people laid off.
This is especially good news for smaller library branches, which feared that they would be shuttered due to budget concerns. Under the new proposal, some, like the Garfield and La Selva Beach branches, would actually double their operating hours from 14 to 30 hours per week. Three other branches—Central, Aptos and Scotts Valley—which now operate only five or six days per week, would now be open seven days a week.
The savings would actually allow the libraries to rebuild their reserve. Over the next five years, this is projected to reach 7 percent of revenue, or $800,000. In the following years, reserved could reach as high as 10 percent. Read more at the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
