SAN FERNANDO : Support Group Forms to Lend Library Help

The San Fernando Friends of the Library figure that if the county cannot provide the dollars to refill bare book and magazine shelves and replace dogeared volumes, it is up to them to help.

The nonprofit group, dormant for nearly six years, is reorganizing to help the San Fernando Library cope with deep slashes in its book and magazine budget.

“There’s no more funding coming. That’s really frightening,” said Robin Pokorski, a San Fernando resident who volunteered to be president of the library support group.

“We need to supplement what the county can’t provide.”

As with the other 84 branches in the county library system, San Fernando’s acquisitions budget shrunk by 60% in fiscal year 1992-93, leaving only $8,000 for new library materials.

The telltale signs of the cutbacks are apparent during a visit to the county facility at 1050 Library St. Current copies of the New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Valley magazine are nowhere to be found.

Old and worn books that have torn pages or bent covers stay on the shelves because there is no money to replace them.

And forget about checking out Sidney Sheldon’s latest book.

“We can’t even buy bestsellers,” lamented one librarian.

Pokorski, who works as a library volunteer, stepped forward to try to ease the library’s plight.

She is counting on residents to pitch in by donating time and money, especially since they check out 230,000 items a year.

“The community should support this. The circulation shows we’re a vital part of the community,” Pokorski said.

At a meeting scheduled for Friday, the group plans to map out its campaign.

Children’s librarian Azar Hazrati shares Pokorski’s hopes for increased donations from the community.

She said popular Spanish-language children’s books are especially in need because they often cost twice as much as English-language books.

“We’ve really been hit,” said Hazrati, during a break in recent talk to a fourth-grade elementary class from nearby Morningside School. “Look at the shelves. They’re empty.”

Books and magazines are not the only items in short supply.

After she explained to the students how to check out books, she held up a stack up multicolored bookmarks. “I have one of these for each of you,” Hazrati told them. “Take care of them. I’m not sure I can buy them anymore.”