SUN VALLEY : Library to Lose Temporary Staff

For most communities, the reopening of a library that was closed after the Northridge earthquake is a cause for celebration. But in Sun Valley, where the library was never closed, the opening of libraries across the San Fernando Valley will mean a loss in personnel.

The Sun Valley Library was one of only four Valley libraries that opened quickly after the Jan. 17 quake. Two librarians from closed branches were transferred to Sun Valley, allowing the facility to expand its outreach and other services. Now that the librarians are preparing to return to their regular branches, Sun Valley is feeling the pinch again.

“I don’t know how we would have managed without them,” said Judith Tetove, the senior librarian at Sun Valley.

For Tetove, the return of the borrowed librarians underscores the problem of short staffing within the city library system. Recently, Tetove said she learned that only one of two part-time openings at the branch would be filled.

“We’re definitely going to have to cut back on outreach and services to the public,” Tetove said. Next week, Sun Valley will only have two librarians on duty. They will staff the library for 40 hours per week. But they will have to stay on site and do less community work, such as visiting local schools or working with local groups.