HUNTINGTON BEACH : Books for Kids Plan Opens Up

Ron Shenkman watched a City Council discussion last fall about how the city’s budget for books has been reduced in recent years.

His reaction: “That’s absurd. Something has to be done about that.”

Then the idea hit. Shenkman, a former councilman, developed “Books for Kids,” a campaign to raise money to buy new books for the children’s wing at Central Library.

At today’s council meeting, Shenkman will kick off the program. The council is meeting today because of the Presidents Day holiday Monday.

Shenkman, director of marketing and public affairs at Rainbow Disposal Co. Inc. and chairman of the campaign, has called upon his corporate neighbors and others to donate about $12,000 to date.

“I’m thrilled. I’m very grateful for my friends for embracing the idea and for the private support,” he said. “The entire community will suffer if we don’t provide educational and cultural opportunities for children.”

Ron Hayden, director of library services, said that over the past six years, the library’s entire book budget has been cut by 50%.

“So to have a program that’s going to allow us to buy new books, especially in the children’s area, is a godsend,” Hayden said.

Lyn Scott, co-president of the Friends of the Children’s Library, said that with the money that is pledged, “we can add 500 new books--and that’s a lot of books.”

Scott said that the city’s current children’s book budget of $28,000 is not enough.

Shenkman said his objective is to get private enterprise to match the funds and provide an additional $28,000.

Scott said new books to expand and update the collection are needed to meet the demand of children using the library.

Since the library’s children’s wing opened in January, 1994, more than 300,000 children’s books have been circulated, Scott said. Last July, 36,000 books were circulated, breaking all previous circulation records.

Individual, group and corporate sponsors are welcome to join the effort: The Friends of the Children’s Library, Books for Kids Campaign, 7111 Talbert Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92648.

For more information, call (714) 375-5107.