Library Supporters Face Uphill Fight Against Closures : Public services: The Weingart branch, noted for books in Chinese, Korean and Spanish, is back in business, but the doors will close again without additional funding.

Matthew Pitta’s usual reading topics are snakes, bugs and fish.

But on Tuesday at the Weingart Library in eastern Lakewood, the 11-year-old was looking up books on the Arapaho Indians for a school project.

And he was worried--not about his schoolwork, but about the library.

“I feel sad that the library may close,” said the fifth-grader, who lives in Hawaiian Gardens about a mile from the library. “Lots of kids wouldn’t be able to do their reports. They might all get zeros.”

Matthew’s mother, Kathy, said her three children have used the library for four years. “They come to read, not just for school. The staff is very nice and patient to the children,” she said.

Closed Nov. 15 by the Los Angeles County library system as a cost-cutting measure, Weingart was temporarily reopened less than a week later with reduced hours and staffing after an outcry from city officials and library users. But it faces an uncertain future.

Under an agreement between the county and the city of Lakewood, which rents space to the county for Weingart, the library is open three afternoons a week through Dec. 19. Its long-term survival hinges on finding funds from the state, corporations or foundations.

“It’s a long shot,” said Lakewood Councilman Joseph Esquivel, who was outraged when the county closed the library, noted for books in Chinese, Korean and Spanish that make up about one-fifth of the 24,817-volume collection.

A second Southeast-area county library, the Sorensen Community Library in an unincorporated area southwest of Whittier, remains locked. There is a suggestion to reopen it as an after-school study hall for students, but county Librarian Sandra Reuben said that even as a study center it would have to have staff, and the library cannot afford it.

At the same time that Weingart was closed, the county library system announced the closure of nine other libraries, along with reductions in hours at remaining libraries and cuts in book purchases. The action was taken to help close a $10.2-million budget shortfall resulting from cuts in local government funds by the state Legislature to balance the state budget. The city of Lakewood lost $500,000 in those cuts.

With a possible $7.5-billion state budget shortfall shaping up for next year, library officials expect the same sort of cuts to occur again.

But Mayor Marc Titel said the county and city have “bought a little time” to find a way to keep the library open.

Weingart, previously open four days a week for a total of 28 hours, has reopened Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m. It is staffed by a library assistant, two aides and a page--about half the number of employees who previously ran Weingart. The librarian has been transferred to another library.

The county reopened the library, located in Palms Park Community Center at 12305 207th St., after the city returned $18,000 the county had paid for rent through June, 1993. The city also agreed to cover utility bills previously paid by the library, which run about $10,000 a year.

Closing Weingart was expected to save the county library system $334,000 during the remainder of the fiscal year, officials said. They expect to save $174,000 by closing Sorensen.

Assemblyman Bob Epple (D-Cerritos) and Sen. Robert G. Beverly (R-Long Beach), who represent the Lakewood area, have been asked to help find state money to sustain the library after Dec. 19.

Epple said he is talking to the Assembly Ways and Means and Local Government committees and staff of the state library in Sacramento. But he said it could take up to six months to get money, if any can be found.

City officials also are trying to drum up money from foundations, corporations and community fund-raisers.

“At least everybody is listening,” said Mike Ockerman, a neighborhood resident who rallied support for the library. “The community is working toward solving the problem.”

Library backers have more hope than optimism about their success. Eleanor Prince, the library assistant in charge of Weingart, said chances are slim that the library will survive. If it closes, she said, its collection will to be distributed to other county libraries in the area.

David Flint, administrative deputy for the county library system, said Weingart might have to close again without outside funding because money and staff positions for the library have been taken out of the county budget. The city of Lakewood also lacks money to keep the library going, city spokesman Donald Waldie said.

As a long-term solution to the library’s financial problems, the county is calling for statewide legislation that would give public agencies with library systems authority to levy assessments on property based on benefits that library services provide. However, officials concede that such a measure will be difficult to pass.

New Library Hours

Los Angeles County Public Library branches have revised their hours because of budget cuts. Here are the hours for libraries in the Southeast area. The Sorensen Community Library near Whittier has been closed.

LIBRARY MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT Alondra 11949 E. Alondra closed 12-8 closed 12-8 noon-6 11-5 Blvd., Norwalk Artesia 18722 S. Clarkdale closed noon-8 noon-7 closed noon-6 10-5 Ave., Artesia Clifton Brakensiek 9945 E. Flower St. 11-8 11-8 11-8 11-6 closed 11-5 Bellflower Compton 240 W. Compton 11-8 11-8 11-8 12-6 12-6 10-5 Blvd., Compton East Rancho Dominguez 4205 E. Compton closed 1-8 noon-7 noon-7 closed closed Blvd., Compton Hacienda Heights 16010 La Monde St. 10-8 10-8 10-8 1-6 1-5 10-5 Hacienda Heights Hawaiian Gardens 12100 E. Carson St. closed noon-8 closed noon-6 closed 10-5 Hawaiian Gardens Hollydale 12000 S. Garfield closed 10-7 10-7 noon-6 closed 1-5 Ave., South Gate Angelo M. Iacoboni 4990 Clark Ave. 11-8 11-8 11-8 noon-6 noon-6 10-5 Lakewood La Mirada 13800 La Mirada 11-8 noon-8 noon-8 noon-8 noon-5 10-5 Blvd., La Mirada Lynwood 11320 Bullis Road 10-8 10-8 10-8 1-6 1-6 closed Lynwood Norwalk 12350 Imperial Hwy. 10-8 10-8 10-8 11-6 11-6 1-5 Norwalk George Nye Jr. 6600 Del Amo Blvd. closed noon-8 noon-8 noon-5 10-5 closed Lakewood Paramount 16254 Colorado Ave. 11-8 11-8 11-6 closed 11-6 closed Paramount South Whittier 14433 Leffingwell closed noon-8 10-6 closed 10-5 noon-5 Road, Whittier Leland R. Weaver 4035 Tweedy Blvd. 10-7 10-7 10-7 12-6 12-6 10-5 South Gate Weingart 12301 E. 207 St. closed 2-7 closed 2-7 closed 1-5 Lakewood Willowbrook 11838 Wilmington closed noon-7 noon-7 noon-7 closed closed Ave., Los Angeles

LIBRARY SUN Alondra 11949 E. Alondra closed Blvd., Norwalk Artesia 18722 S. Clarkdale closed Ave., Artesia Clifton Brakensiek 9945 E. Flower St. closed Bellflower Compton 240 W. Compton closed Blvd., Compton East Rancho Dominguez 4205 E. Compton closed Blvd., Compton Hacienda Heights 16010 La Monde St. closed Hacienda Heights Hawaiian Gardens 12100 E. Carson St. closed Hawaiian Gardens Hollydale 12000 S. Garfield closed Ave., South Gate Angelo M. Iacoboni 4990 Clark Ave. closed Lakewood La Mirada 13800 La Mirada closed Blvd., La Mirada Lynwood 11320 Bullis Road closed Lynwood Norwalk 12350 Imperial Hwy. 1-5 Norwalk George Nye Jr. 6600 Del Amo Blvd. closed Lakewood Paramount 16254 Colorado Ave. closed Paramount South Whittier 14433 Leffingwell closed Road, Whittier Leland R. Weaver 4035 Tweedy Blvd. closed South Gate Weingart 12301 E. 207 St. closed Lakewood Willowbrook 11838 Wilmington closed Ave., Los Angeles

Source: Los Angeles County Public Library