LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday took a step to save the Lake County Library system from dramatic and damaging cuts, choosing instead to shift some responsibilities – and some funding – from the soon-to-be-closed Visitor Information Center to library staff.
The board voted unanimously to have the library take up some of the duties related to visitors, with $53,000 to be shifted from the general fund to the library.
At the county budget hearings Sept. 3, the board directed County Librarian Christopher Veach to come back with options to meet a budget shortfall of about $50,000.
County Administrative Officer Matt Perry explained Tuesday that the board chose to explore options rather than taking $50,000 from budget reserves.
Perry said that $50,000 is about one-third of what remains in the reserve account. “That wasn't a sustainable approach over the longterm.”
Veach would bring back to the board a detailed report outlining a variety of options, among them the possibility of closing the Upper Lake Library, which has served that community for more than a century, or eliminating a branch librarian position at the Redbud Library in Clearlake.
But also at the budget hearings Supervisor Rob Brown received a proposal from a community member that the libraries – which already provide extensive information-related services to the public – could help cover some of the duties being offered by the Visitor Information Center in Lucerne.
In April the board voted to close the Visitor Information Center, deciding that it was no longer the most effective way to provide services to visitors. The center is slated to close in October.
Perry said he and his staff met with Veach last week, and identified services the library could provide. Those include answering calls to the county's toll-free visitor information telephone number, responding to emails sent to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. email account, and mailing the Destinations magazine and other information as requested.
He said Veach was not only agreeable to the plan, but looked forward to providing the services. “I think his staff has a very excellent focus on customer service,” said Perry, noting that library staff already provides information to the public, including visitors. “In a sense it just kind of expands their role.”
It also allows the county to leverage money from the general fund – specifically, $53,000 that previously would have gone to the Visitor Information Center – and transfer it to the library fund and help balance the library budget, said Perry.
“We think it's an excellent fit,” Perry added.
In his report on cost-cutting measures, Veach did a good job of identifying options, some of which were “quite draconian,” said Perry.
“We're not recommending those at this time,” he said.
Instead, Perry proposed the board approve the library taking on the additional duties, with $53,000 to be transferred from the general fund to the library budget. Those actions can formally be completed during the midyear budget review.
Supervisor Denise Rushing said one of the plan's advantages is that it helps preserve the Upper Lake Library, which is housed in a historical building that's as important as any of the buildings the county has preserved.
“It's apparently one of the best-kept secrets in Lake County,” she said, giving credit to Upper Lake's librarian for her efforts. “It's just a really special place that I wouldn't want to see lost at all.”
Supervisor Jeff Smith said he'd received a lot of emails from people concerned that the libraries might
suffer cuts.
The Redbud Library, in his district, keeps very busy, and cuts to it “would have been real devastating for my community,” he said, adding he was glad to see the other option relating to visitor services.
Supervisor Anthony Farrington, who said he stood by his decision at the budget hearings not to dip into one-time funds to support the library, had questions about training library staff for the new duties and the possible noise impacts on the library facilities.
Veach said he was going to meet with Visitor Information Center staff to get feedback on providing the services.
“We're already providing information. That's what the library does,” Veach said, adding that the Lake County Chamber of Commerce would still be the primary place for visitor foot traffic.
In cases where visitors do come to the library for information, the circulation desks already handle a lot of traffic, Veach said.
Supervisor Jim Comstock said the proposal to shift duties to the library was a great option. He said that after the county had built its the new Middletown Library, “We didn't want to have a closed sign on it.”
During public comment, the board heard from a number of community members who had come prepared to argue against library closures, and didn't appear to be aware that the shift of Visitor Information Center services was on the table.
The community members who spoke were unanimous in their support of keeping libraries open, asking the board to make that a priority.
Shirley Dutcher said she was blindsided by the potential for the Upper Lake Library's closure. She said that community has had a library for 103 years. “That's a long time.”
Retired District 1 Supervisor Ed Robey thanked the board for wrestling with the issue, and encouraged the supervisors to keep all of the libraries open at the current level of operation.
“Do whatever you've got to do. Keep 'em open,” he said.
Rushing, referring to a comment earlier during the discussion that libraries are not an “essential” service, said, “I completely disagree with that,” explaining libraries are an essential service in a democracy, offering access to information to those who otherwise wouldn't have it.
Smith moved to approve the shifting of the duties to the library, along with $53,000 in general fund monies to the library budget, with Comstock seconding and the board voting 5-0.
For its vote, the board was given a round of applause from the audience.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.