HUNTINGTON BEACH : Library Department Created by Council

City Hall now has a new branch of government: the Library Department.

The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to create the new department and thus remove the city’s library system from the Community Services Department. In the same omnibus motion, the council named current Library Director Ron Hayden as the head of the newly created Library Department.

Supporters of the change, including Friends of the Library, said the department status will enhance the city’s library system.

The City Council acted on the recommendation of City Administrator Michael T. Uberuaga, who is making several organizational changes at City Hall. “I have concluded that establishing a separate Library Department is in the best interests of the city and will improve communication, effectiveness and efficiency,” Uberuaga said.

Uberuaga told the council that the change involves no increase in spending.

“The fundamental change involved is one of reporting relationship whereby the library director will now be reporting directly to the city administrator instead of the community services director,” Uberuaga said.

Ruth S. Bailey, president of the Library Patrons Foundation, was among those urging the change. “Better coordination of information between the City Council, city administrator, other departments, and the flow of public information from the council to the residents through resources available at the library are benefits of this change that other cities recognize by having libraries as separate departments,” she said.