Library Fund Can Help Us in Time of Cutbacks : Literacy: Contributions by state taxpayers buy books and non-print materials. It’s a big help to fiscally strapped schools.

Who is the greatest revolutionary of all time? Ask that of science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, and he responds quickly: Andrew Carnegie, who put libraries in communities across the nation. Thomas Jefferson told us that we could not remain ignorant and free. Yet, we are on the verge of creating a state of illiterates by closing the very institutions that are the foundation of learning . . . our school and county libraries.

Make no mistake about the significance of those institutions; research upon research studies report conclusively that students in schools with libraries read more and better than their counterparts without libraries. And we in California are closing libraries at an alarming rate.

I cannot even imagine closing libraries, with those remaining being open only a day or two each week, with highly restricted hours. And we call ourselves a learned society? Orange County, with close to the best-educated residents in the entire state, if not the nation, is saying we cannot afford libraries? In 1995? Fix the potholes and expand the freeways, but not fill the holes in knowledge or expand the mind?

Granted, gridlock can paralyze a community more quickly than closing the library doors, but detours are temporary. Illiteracy is permanent unless treated.

Given the current financial status of Orange County and the extremely limited resources of the state, is there a solution that may at least stave off complete obliteration of a most significant resource? Fortunately, there is . . . and it may be found as close as our California income tax Form 540. Last year, the governor approved adding the Public School Library Protection Fund option to the list of contributions that can be made through Form 540. The monies raised buy books, non-print materials and library technology, and every school may profit from the donations.

Funds are released on the basis of approved grant applications, and the Orange County Department of Education is assisting districts with those applications. A librarian must be involved in preparing the application, and many school districts no longer employ librarians!

How severe is the problem?

* California has the worst ratio of students to library-media specialists in the nation;

* National average budget for purchase of children’s books by school libraries is $7.47 per student. California spends 78 cents per student;

* National average of students to school librarians is one librarian for every 722 students. In California, it is one librarian for every 6,248 students;

* Only 32% of California school libraries were staffed with a certificated librarian.

The need is desperate, and at least part of the solution is within our grasp. The 540 form will not help the county libraries to keep the doors open, but will help school libraries from contributing to the demise of literacy.