From the Ashes

Los Angeles’ Central Library learned how many friends it had, and Los Angeles learned how much it needed the library, after the disastrous fire in April, 1986. Now the library needs some of its friends again as the City Council considers on Tuesday the budget for the restoration project, including money for a temporary location so that people can again use the materials that survived the fire.

The Central Library was overdue for renovation well before the fire. The total project as now planned should cost $151.5 million, $119.2 million of which will be paid by the Community Redevelopment Agency. The City Council, which was told a few years back that its costs would be nil, will be asked for the $32.3 million balance. It’s worth the investment by a city that has already been without the bulk of its library services for too long.

What drove the costs up? Originally, planners intended that part of the staff would stay in the building during reconstruction. Fire Department officials ruled that out even before the two blazes last year made the idea inconceivable. It has also been necessary to change the location of the building’s driveway and loading dock, which adds to the cost. Interior furnishings have been added that were not in the original budget, and their price has gone up as well. Construction management fees have also increased. And the computer system now planned is more refined than the original one.

Once in place, that computer system will allow someone in, say, the Chatsworth branch who is looking for a book that that branch doesn’t have to check on which nearby library does have it. At present, one must call every library and get a staff person to see if the book is available.

Nearly $9 million of the money that the council will be asked to approve goes for moving the library materials that were saved--80% of the collection--and staff members to temporary rental quarters. If that isn’t done, the city will be without this resource for at least 4 1/2 years. That, too, is inconceivable. The library staff has been busy trying to find temporary quarters. It thought that it had them in the old Bullocks building at 7th and Broadway, but seismic-safety repairs pushed rental costs well beyond what the budget would bear.

In the year before the fire the Central Library circulated 1 million books and handled 10 million items. By way of comparison, the largest branch of the Los Angeles library system that is now open contains only about 4% of the amount of material that the Central Library housed. So if someone in West Los Angeles or San Pedro or South-Central Los Angeles wants a book or magazine or reference report that his library doesn’t have, odds are that he’s out of luck.

If approved, the money would be taken from the city’s general fund with the understanding that it would be paid back over time by selling bonds. With 80% of the project paid for by other sources, it’s the best deal around, and part of one of the most significant developments downtown for generations to come.

One good sign has risen from the ashes. “In such a difficult time,” said Betty Gay, Central Library director, “it has been heartwarming to see the public support.” About 1,500 people worked on salvaging the books. City and corporate leaders have raised a major portion of the $10 million that is needed to replace library materials. The restoration is a unique public and private project for an institution that is important to all of Southern California. It should go forward at full tilt, with increased efforts at finding a temporary home until the day when Los Angeles has a permanent Central Library again.